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Autumn News at HGF
The leaves are gone at the Michigan farm, Martin and Luis have just reset 60 new fence posts, and the foals are scheduled to be weaned next month by Mare Barn Manager Sandy Talbot. The "other Sandy" has just passed through Florida bringing moderate winds and rain, but is bearing down now on the East Coast, at the least delaying the departure of several of our friends who were planning to head south next week. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to all of our friends who find themselves in the path of this impending storm... In Wellington, all the horses have settled in and are in regular work again. Wellington Trainer Allyn Schiavone is currently working with two of our EDAP Working Students, Chelsea Reed and Kerrigan Gluch, helping them prepare for monthly visits by Lendon Gray. Rachel Chowanec is due to arrive in the next week with Embrujado, who will join a barn full of PREs this season. We plan to have 13 PREs, from newly started 3 year olds through Grand Prix, in training with various riders this winter at HGF. In addition to our regular team, Bolero CXLVIII and Idolo Americano have returned to HGF and will be in Wellington this winter, and you will see two lovely-moving PRE mares in training in our arena as well. We are looking forward to hosting the first year of Lendon Gray's WIT program at HGF in January--Winter Intensive Training for youth riders under 21. HGF Working Students will participate in this program along with 10 other motivated youth riders. The season will kick off with the Robert Dover Horse Mastership Week January 6-12, and culminate in a new Florida Youth Championship, held at the Global Dressage Festival's Wellington Dressage Classic CDI 3*, March 14-17. Check back often for more details about all of these programs and events. Finally, it wouldn't be Halloween without the Palms Stable Riding Academy's Halloween Horse Show, at which two of our own "emerging athletes" cleaned up with 4 Blue Ribbons!
2011 Off and Running with JR Wins at Gold Coast Opener CDI
HGF is fielding 3 riders this year on HGF-owned or originated PRE horses--Junior Riders Rachel Chowanec and Chelsea Reed, and former Young Rider Champion/World Cup Rider Mica Mabragana. Sixteen year old Rachel Chowanec made her Florida International debut with double victories in the Junior Team and Individual tests at the Gold Coast Opener CDI last weekend on Lendon Gray's Embrujado XI. Scores of 63.063 and 65.395 were enough to top another very competitive and promising Junior Rider, Paula Matute, and her lovely Spanish stallion, owned by Deborah Williams. The two Junior riders, on their almost-matched gray PREs, were the talk of the show and their closely contested classes were the highlight of the weekend for many. Keep an eye this pair in the future! Embrujado XI is a 12 year old PRE gelding from Malaga, Spain, that HGF initially located for a client. A series of circumstances resulted in HGF's ownership of the horse in 2007 and the following year, Lendon Gray purchased him with her young student Rachel Chowanec in mind. The two have been together for a little over two years and have begun to bring home the rewards. In 2010, Rachel and "Mouse" were USEF Reserve National Dressage Seat Champions, finished in the top 15 at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in Lexington, and were Regional Champions at Junior Level for Region 8. In addition, Rachel was awarded Best Seat for the JR/YR Division this past weekend, an award hosted by Trilogy Saddles and determined by vote of the judges. In other news, Mica Mabragana did her first show with Idilio at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge on Jan. 15-16. They finished 6th in large Open national classes both days at the PSG and Inter I, with scores of 65.658 and 66.579. Mica has been training Idilio since the beginning of December and was delighted with this first time out together and a career-high Inter I score for Idilio in Florida. Their next show is the Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI, where they plan to do the international classes. HGF's third sponsored rider, Chelsea Reed, is the 15 year old daughter of Medieval Times' Tom and Megan Reed. She will make her first Wellington appearance also at the Classic Spring Challenge with HGF's chestnut dynamo Lentisco. Chelsea is a student of Lendon Gray's and at Lendon's Youth Festival in 2010, Chelsea and Lenny took First in two of their three classes. Stay tuned as the season progresses...
Young Riders Shine for HGF at Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI
Young Riders Shine for HGF at Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI What may have been the busiest week of the season for HGF--with USPRE Annual Meeting and PRE-Show plus a major circuit international show and High Point Challenge--turned out to be carried away on the performances of HGF's young riders. Our entire team of riders ages 15 to 24 showed the Wellington Dressage community how to ride and show their PREs for top scores and big wins. Rachel Chowanec, 16, continues to dominate the JR CDI classes with Lendon Gray's Embrujado XI. A 2nd Place in the Team test on Friday was followed by two First Places in the Individual and Freestyle tests on Saturday and Sunday with scores ranging from 65 to 68 from the top international judges. A last minute addition to Rachel's freestyle which added ten-meter circles at the counter-canter to half-pass showed the pair's flexibility and range of skill. Congratulations Rachel for being the CDI High Point Champion for USPRE as well! Head Groom Molly Reynolds did her first show on her fabulous new stallion Bolero CXLVIII. The brother to Fuego, Bolero lived up to his former record and tradition at HGF, scoring over 68% both days at Training and First levels with Molly, who placed in the top 3 in her classes and received the AA High Point Award for USPRE for the weekend. Bolero will be standing at stud this spring at HGF for Maureen and Cluties Sharp's Raven Star Ranch. Working student Bettina Gruber, 19, of Germany, scored 65.263 to take 2nd in the Third 1 with Camaron, and beat out the other JR/YRs for the USPRE High Point award. And our youngest rider at 15, Chelsea Reed, did her first Welllington Show with Lentisco, scoring 61 and 62 at First and Second Levels with her chestnut stallion. Chelsea, daughter of Tom and Megan Reed, also trains with Lendon Gray and is planning to continue Lenny's training with sites on JR classes next year. Finally, 24 year old Mica Mabragana and Idilio made their International debut at PSG and Inter 1 this weekend, receiving scores of 63.596 and 63.070, both qualifying marks for their bid for Pan Am Games for Argentina. As related in all the press for the weekend, the conditions for the outdoor classes were extremely difficult with driving rain, limited warm-up area and slippery rings. In spite of this, Mica put in very credible tests as she and Idilio continue to develop their relationship together. This is Idilio's first time in 5 years in the International classes and we are thrilled to see the continued improvement in him even at 16 years old. (Additionally, Idilio received the Peak Performance Award for best turned-out horse.) Congratulations to all our riders and their many successes this weekend!