Hampton Green Farm Year in Review 2011

The headlines use expressions like “gathering steam” and “gaining momentum” to describe the gradual improvement of the American economy now at the beginning of 2012. At HGF, our fortunes have followed a similar course as the national economy over the past few years of downturn—with the devastating loss of our Grand Prix rider Courtney King-Dye and the difficult necessity of a herd reduction sale of our prize babies in 2010—to a year of change and good momentum forward in 2011.

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The highlights of 2011 have been many, and are already well publicized:

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--Grandioso III leaves for Spain in January to go to rider Jose Daniel Martin Dockx , who introduced the stallion to the Grand Prix level in May. By October, the pair had competed in one CDI and 3 national shows before going on to win the Spanish National Championships in Madrid. Their first year together, and first year at this level, finished with a surprising Fourth Place at both Grand Prix and Grand Prix Kur at CDI4* Salzburg in December. At the end of the year Grandioso was named to the pre-selection team for Spain in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics.

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--HGF-bred Encanto XI (Evento x Cantora 2002) was also introduced to the Grand Prix in 2011, with a respectable debut at the Sunshine Tour in March with rider Daniel Martin. The pair later traveled to Saumur to represent Spain in the CDIO, and finished Fifth in the Consolation Grand Prix.

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--Idilio II and Mica Mabragana spent the winter in the highly competitive international small tour classes in Wellington, receiving their qualifying scores for the Pan American Games. Later in the year, they are invited by the National Equestrian Federation of Argentina to represent that country in the Games. Although they did not make the trip to Guadalajara, Idilio completed his best year at international competition and now at 17 is retired from formal dressage competition to enjoy the more relaxing schedule of exhibition work.

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--HGF-sponsored horse and rider team, Embrujado XI and Rachel Chowanec, take Wellington by storm in 2011 with numerous wins at FEI Junior level. They went on in September to be USEF Reserve National Champion Juniors.

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--HGF-bred Vaquero (Cuatrero x Encina 2007) qualifies for the National Young Horse Championships in Spain, and from a field of over 60 horses, finishes 9th overall and 5th of all PREs nationally at the Four Year Old level in September with rider Daniel Martin.

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--HGF-bred Icono, (Idilio x Escapada, 2006), owned by Martin Schaudt and ridden by Jasmin Schaudt, places first or second in three large FEI Five-Year Old competitions near Stuttgart, Germany—a first in Germany for a PRE at the Young Horse levels.

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--HGF-bred horses around the United States achieve over 70% at their respective levels with their owners and riders, including:

Decoroso HGF and Cindy Ramirez Smith

Innato HGF and Suzanne O’Brien

Icaro HGF and Annie Morris

Fiero HGF and Nicholas Fyffe

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--In 2011, HGF continued its commitment to Dressage4Kids by hosting the first Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest in July, along with the first annual Emerging Dressage Athlete Invitational clinic. Of that event, 5 Midwest riders were among 18 total riders under 21 who were selected to attend the year-end Robert Dover Horsemastership Week and Mega-clinic in Wellington, where HGF had the honor of hosting the final dinner for the young people and their parents.

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Looking forward to 2012 with great excitement…We have 6 foals on the way and Sandy Talbot and her team are now managing many fields of young horses again… Our two Grand Prix horses are getting ready for the Sunshine Tour in February, along with 5 year old Vaquero...Mica Mabragana is preparing Cuatrero for the International Small Tour this winter in Wellington, while Rachel and Embrujado enter the Young Rider division…Our dates for the Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest and EDAP Clinic are set for July…The TEAM70 horses are moving up the levels…and finally, the American economy seems to be back on track…Hang on, its full steam ahead!

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