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2013 in Review
It’s hard to believe that this is the 10th HGF Year in Review article that we’ve posted on our site. Those of you who are faithful readers of our annual reports, we hope we’ve kept your attention over the years, and that the story of our farm, its horses and people, will keep your interest for many more years to come. We thought it would be hard to outdo 2012, but 2013 surely had its highlights! Grandioso and Daniel Martin Dockx kicked off the year with a string of CDI wins that started with Sunshine Tour, went to Madrid, then on to a really big victory at the GP and GP Kur at the Glock Show in Treffen, Austria. At every show, the scores went higher, but the 79% in the Kur at Treffen put the pair on the map in Europe. Dani would later say, “In my career, there is now only ‘before Treffen’ and ‘after Treffen’. From there, Grandioso astonished the multi-national crowd at Aachen by finishing 8th in the GP Kur with over 78%, among only the most elite horses of America and Europe. Their performance at the European Championships was consistent with the trajectory of the year, scoring their personal best in both the Grand Prix and the Special and finishing 22nd overall. At the end of the outdoor season for 2013, Daniel and Grandioso were ranked 23rd in the world in the FEI rankings, and the pair returned to Malaga for a period of rest and to continue their work with trainer Jan Bemelmans. In the meantime, Daniel was preparing Michigan-born Vaquero HGF for the National Young Horse Championships. Throughout the year, Vaquero was ranked 6th overall in the RFHE (Spanish Federation) rankings for 6 year olds, and 1st in the Copa ANCCE (PRE Rankings). He maintained this position following the Championships in October, and has since been put on the developing list for Spain. A last minute decision to participate in the Breeders Cup at SICAB in December resulted in the pair taking 3rd and achieving something never done before in the history of SICAB—the first American-born, and possibly foreign-born, horse to medal at the highly competitive Spanish Breeders Finals in Sevilla. Daniel continues to work with several other HGF horses, including Bolero CXLVIII who has made considerable progress since returning to Spain in April this year. In their first national outing at PSG, they scored 70%, and have started to prepare for the Grand Prix, for which the horse shows special talent. On the homefront, HGF horses and riders have had their share of success. HGF-sponsored Rachel Chowanec, on Lendon Gray’s Embrujado XI, was again USEF Reserve National Champion, this time at the Young Rider division. Cuatrero IV and Kerrigan Gluch were invited to both NAJYRCs and the Festival of Champions, until an unfortunate injury sidelined their year. HGF-bred horses and their riders continue to make headlines: Cindy Ramirez Smith and Carina HGF received a Gold Medal from the United States Eventing Association; Nicholas Fyffe and Fiero HGF were added to the 2014 National Futures Squad for Australia; Decoroso HGF and Decente HGF were USDF All Breeds winners with their owners and riders; and all our owners had a great year learning and showing on their horses. This past summer, HGF in Michigan hosted over 15 charity events, impacting our community with support for various causes. Hampton Green Farm was named the 2013 “Agent of Change” by the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, for its work for local charities. Additionally, HGF hosted perhaps our favorite event of the year for the 3rd time—the Dressage4Kids Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest. This year we had almost 50 riders, a very honest and meaningful dinner speech by Nicholas Fyffe and a fantastic lecture on training for soundness by Dr. Rob Van Wessum. The EDAP program (Emerging Dressage Athlete) and the various Dressage4Kids events are growing nationally and HGF is proud to offer this opportunity to our local youth riders. Many HGF horses found new homes this past year. One of our shining stars in the international Grand Prix circuit, HGF-bred Encanto XI, was sold to Wellington, Florida, shortly after taking second in the GPS at Sunshine Tour. Grandioso’s full brother, Grandioso VII (Adelante) was sold to a prominent breeder in Spain, and two very talented sons of Bolero were sold to an Adult Amateur and a young rider, respectively. Several foals have gone to professionals this year, as well. Nine foals were born at HGF in Michigan in 2013, coming at a time when we need to replenish our herds, especially with several of our older mares retiring. We had a strong crop of 2013 babies, from the performance bloodlines of Albero II and Remache, and we are excited to present them for sale when they are ready. And, not least, the Global Dressage Festival finally resolved all of its legal issues with the Village of Wellington in late 2013. In addition to restoring the property’s inherent rights to be used for equestrian commercial activities, the GDF show grounds is now able to be used year-round, as will the Van Kampen Arena, designated for non-profit use for 28 days per year. The GDF is a game-changer in American dressage, and now that the series has no less than 7 CDIs, including a Nations Cup (concurrent with the Florida Youth Dressage Championships), a 5 Star, and three CDIWs, the GDF will soon establish Wellington as the Winter Dressage Capital for the world. 2014 is now here and we have so much to look forward to! Dani and Grandioso start the road to Normandy, which we hope will lead to a position again on the Spanish team for the World Equestrian Games. The D4K Winter Intensive Training (WIT) program at HGF is kicking off with the Dover Horsemanship clinic this week and our students are gearing up for international level competition this winter. USPRE will host its annual celebration in Wellington on January 21-26. (For more information, see www.usprea.com.) The PRE horse continues to shine in the world, wherever it is given the opportunity. Young horses mature. Riders gain more skills. Magic sometimes happens. Stay tuned and we’ll see if we can do it again this year! All the best for 2014!
Back on Top! HGF-sponsored Rachel Chowanec and Embrujado XI are USEF Reserve National Champions for the Young Rider Division
It seems like only yesterday that a very shy 14 year-old arrived in Michigan from Connecticut to try out one of our horses. The little girl was Rachel Chowanec, a Lendon Gray student since she was 5 years old. The horse was Embrujado XI, an atypical PRE with behavioral issues that Lendon Gray couldn’t resist and had to own. All along, Gray had Rachel in mind for the imported gray gelding, and once again, she made the right call. Rachel took Embrujado (whom she quickly renamed “Mouse”) home with her to Connecticut, and the PRE with too much spook and too much bull-fighting instinct suddenly had pink wraps and ribbons in his long mane. It was the start of a transformation that has now taken this pair from nowhere to the National spotlight…twice! They first appeared in Gladstone in 2011 at the Junior Level, surprising many with their focused and technically accurate tests. That year they were Reserve National Champions for Junior Division. Rachel had clearly made a fundamental difference in Mouse’s life, but now we know they were only getting started. In the beginning of this year, Rachel and Mouse started along a rough road, with several small niggling injuries keeping them out of consistent competition. Their show record was sporadic, and fell short of a score to qualify for NAJYRCs. Over the summer, they attended Lendon Gray’s EDAP clinic in Maryland, as well as rode in her clinic at HGF in June. Rachel also schooled with Andrea Landis and Nicholas Fyffe over the summer with a number of her PRE projects. But their inability to show consistently this year kept them out of the top 12 for the USEF National Championships, although they were named as an alternate. Yet luck was on their side, and with only two weeks to go till the competition, Rachel received the official invitation to compete. They traveled to Kentucky not really feeling 100% prepared but very happy to be included. Again this year as in 2011, the harmony of their partnership along with the technical accuracy of their tests brought them straight up to the top of the ranking. They were up against the 2013 NAJYRC Gold Medalist and yet by the second day, the gap was closing. Scoring 65.474 in the Team Test, and 67.237 in the Individual, Rachel and Mouse took the USEF Reserve National Championships again as Young Riders. Rachel’s achievements with Embrujado represent the highest national recognition that a PRE has reached in the United States to date, and she says they have more in store. We can’t wait to see where it goes from here!
Hampton Green Farm Year in Review 2011
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. The highlights of 2011 have been many, and are already well publicized: --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. --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. --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. --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. --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. --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. --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 --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. 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!
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!
Cloverlea Dressage LLC in Columbia, Connecticut is starting to look very Spanish!
Cloverlea Dressage LLC in Columbia, Connecticut is starting to look very Spanish! Cloverlea owner Beth Baumert's first significant interaction with the PRE Horse was in the form of Embrujado XI, who came from Hampton Green Farm and is currently owned by Lendon Gray and ridden by Rachel Chowanec. Rachel and Embrujado XI joined Cloverlea Dressage in 2009 and brought the PRE spirit with them! He has a beautiful mind and a fabulous body. The greatest challenge is that he give only 100 percent so that he retains his fabulous rhythm and swing. He is always so eager to give more! What a wonderful problem! There is nothing he can not do well! Annie Morris, assistant trainer at Cloverlea Farm, also has a wonderful 5-year-old PRE gelding, Icaro from Hampton Green Farm. As Icaro gets stronger, he is showing us glimpses of greatness, which is very exciting. And three's a charm. Also from Hampton Green Farm, Beth is the proud owner of a 4-year-old mare, Descarada (aka Dixie). She has a wonderful disposition and three beautiful gaits that she is developing through happy work in the fields and over poles. Rachel is Dixie's primary rider, and Annie rides her too. Dixie has a bright future ahead in dressage. Beth and her husband Alan have owned Cloverlea Dressage for 38 years. They have two sons who live in New York City and Silver Spring, MD. Their daughter Jennifer Baumert operates Cloverlea Dressage LLC in North Carolina and Loxahatchee, Florida. Beth's primary interest has always been education. She is a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level and a USDF judges program “L” graduate with distinction. For many years, she produced videos of the Aachen Dressage Show and other instructional videos so American dressage riders could aspire to the European standard. Beth served as the technical editor for Dressage Today magazine for more than sixteen years. In that capacity, she was in constant contact with the best dressage riders in the world as they told her their viewpoints on technical aspects of the sport. Beth is on the Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation (TDF) and has administered the TDF Young Rider Olympic Dream Program since 2000.