News & Horses: "spanish"

Major Donation of Hampton Green Farm to Lilley Cares Announced

Kimberly Van Kampen, Spring Lake resident and entrepreneur, announced today that she will donate her 185-acre equestrian property, Hampton Green Farm, in Fruitport to Lilley Cares, the Spring Lake nonprofit founded in 2020.  The turn-over will be complete by mid-summer 2024 when all Hampton Green horses will move south to Ocala, Florida where Van Kampen is establishing a new location for them.   Founded in 1997, Hampton Green Farm has been home to a world-class PRE (Pura Raza Española) breeding program and training facility, and has been a fixture in Fruitport for over 20 years.  In recent years, the farm has served as a venue for local nonprofits to use as a place to hold its events and galas.  The farm has also been a center of equestrian training and sport, focusing on young riders, holding multiple clinics and horse shows.  "During the recession when nonprofits began to struggle, I felt there was more we could do to get them through those tough times," said Ms Van Kampen.  She and her team developed a program called “On The House” to invite nonprofits to the farm and hold their annual events.  Ms Van Kampen and her family foundation paid most of the expenses to allow nonprofits to continue to meet their mission, and get through the lean times.   That program is still active at Hampton Green albeit less active.  "We had events every single summer weekend for a long time," said Ms Van Kampen, "and it was amazingly successful. This was the seed for our plan today: to continue to serve both the equestrian and the nonprofit community but turning over the keys to a nonprofit close to my heart who understands the efforts and will keep it alive." The executive director of Lilley Cares is Joan Mack who was the business manager at Hampton Green until she retired in 2018.  Ms Mack not only understands the "On The House" program, but she managed it in those early busy years.   "I am excited to manage this farm I love so much, and know so well, as well as continue the mission we had when we started our nonprofit efforts in 2008," said Ms Mack.   "I plan to bring horses back -- not Hampton Green horses of course, but horses from other programs, and see horses grazing these fields again."  It will be the mission of Lilley Cares to keep the farm as a nonprofit organization, according to Ms Mack, serving the nonprofit community.  "Of course, to keep the lawns mowed and the lights on we will host weddings here as well as take on boarders in the barns," said Mack, "but our overall mission will be as 501c3 serving other charities." Ms Van Kampen has bred the Spanish horse PRE with major success, sending her horse Grandioso to two Olympics, London and in Rio de Janeiro.  Hampton Green Farm has a second location in Ocala, Florida where Ms Van Kampen has decided to focus her future breeding and competition efforts.  "It is time to focus on one location and Ocala with its World Equestrian Center will be the place for me and my horses and team to direct our work toward our continued goals of world-class breeding and dressage competition.  Two large farms over 1300 miles apart has stretched our resources and I decided that staying in Ocala and expanding our farm here is best for me and my family."  Ms Van Kampen reports that her investments of time and treasure in Spring Lake will continue.  "I have a beloved home in Spring Lake," she said, "and my family gathers here annually.  I will never leave West Michigan completely.  The difference is that my horses won't need to go back and forth, I can come to Michigan and enjoy my time here and not work quite so hard." She continued:   "Donating Hampton Green Farm to Lilley Cares is the culmination of a dream of mine: turning this beautiful farm into a nonprofit venue and a place to work with our local charities who do so much for this community.  This decision is so much better than selling the property and losing its mission."   The plan, according to Hampton Green Farm representatives, is to invite other nonprofit equestrian organizations to come to HGF and hold events, to bring their people together to focus on their mission, as well as continuing to offer the farm and a place for events and clinics.  "We've had some great events out here," said Ms Van Kampen, "some have been coming every year for over 10 years.  We want to keep those relationships alive and healthy."   Lilley Cares will take over management of the farm in the summer of 2024.  Nonprofits interested in holding events at Hampton Green Farm are encouraged to contact Joan Mack through the Lilley Cares website.  "We don't have all the details in place yet," reported Mack, "but we hope to be ready to host events by July 2024." Press release posted on LilleyCares.com see https://www.lilleycares.com/post/major-donation-of-hampton-green-farm-to-lilley-cares-announced

Leaving Wellington….and Finding Home in Ocala

It’s been three years since I moved to Ocala to start a new marriage and build a life in a new community. Leaving Wellington was ultimately a decision that took place in increments, and which surprised me as it was happening. I wasn’t leaving the horse world, but I was leaving the familiarity and safety of my beloved bubble (as my friend Ken Braddock likes to refer to it).  I’ve often referred to the Global Dressage Festival as a “13 week cruise with 700 of your closest friends”—hard to imagine unless you’ve lived it as I did. The dressage world in Wellington is easy to mis-categorize—privileged people living an artificial existence in a contrived world where there is always a new season, or a new competition cycle, or a new “pair” to raise the collective heart rate and suspend the unreality for another year. Some aspects of this stereotype are true on the fringe, but not at its heart. The dressage world in Wellington as I knew it for more than 20 years is highly inter-connected and passionately supportive, a fabric consisting of all the roles that make up a community based on sport—from owners, trainers and athletes to credentialed professionals such as the vets and farriers, to the essential grooms, sports therapists and massage miracle-workers, to the men or women who built your barn, to the person who clothes you and your horse, or who supplies the feed and shavings that you rely on, Mosquito Guy and Carrot Man, old and young, saints and scoundrels. All come together into one friendly community where there is no hierarchy—as exhibited by the tables in the tent where a mix of all these groups can be seen enjoying meals together. When one of us does well, the whole family cheers. Leaving Wellington also meant leaving another very important community to me—the PRE (Spanish Horse) lovers who were sprinkled throughout this world that is generally defined by the Northern European sport horse. We, the faithful converts, even have our own week during the season—USPRE Week or Week 3—where the Baroque Horse takes its deserved place in the spot light. I will never forget the finale of the last USPRE party prior to the Covid shutdowns —when more than 30 volunteer riders flooded the International Arena on their beautiful horses,r riding to Cassie Ortiz’ version of “This is Me.” For me, that was my personal Grand Prix Freestyle win! But now, my life is Ocala. Ocala—it even sounds like the beautiful place it is. Rolling pastures and grand oak trees that used to be the playground of the Seminole, and which are now home to thousands of acres of young thoroughbreds. A genteel Southern aesthetic prevails here: rural and old vs. urban and new (per much of coastal Florida); here more native, more authentic, more raw, definitely outside the bubble. County after county of horse and cattle farms, historic cracker architecture and land grant neighborhoods. The stunning new World Equestrian Center and the ambitious generosity of its owners don’t change the landscape, only accentuate it. And to my surprise, Ocala is also home to lots of PREs and Lusitanos! From the first show at WEC, we were amazed at the number of Iberians and knew that there would be a positive response to us and our horses here. When Jim Wolf and I planned the Hampton Green Farm sponsorship of the show series, we made sure to carve out our own week of emphasis on the Iberian or Andalusian horse (expanded now to include all baroque horses originating from the Iberian peninsula). Our first Iberian Young Horse Challenge in March brought out close to 20 competitors in the Prix St. George, won by a Dutch professional with scores over 70% on a young Lusitano. Our opening reception brought together another wonderful group of people and the excitement for the potential that the WEC facility offers for our horses is over the top. Several professionals in this area work with and compete Iberian horses alongside their other breeds, and I’ve recognized many brands on horses in the ring here, some originating from elite breeding farms in Spain. Several American PRE breeders that I’ve known from my USPRE days have relocated here for the benefit of the temperate climate as well as year-round (nonseasonal) equestrian activity. One new relationship is quite special to us. For years I had heard of Tina Veder and her Baroque Games Institute, but had little understanding of the nature of her work with Bruno Gonzalez. Hearing that they had also relocated here from New York, I was anxious to meet them and their group of enthusiastic fans who have formed what might be described as a new discipline, a movement and growing trend for a certain demographic of the equestrian community. Stemming from their combined years of experience in the baroque horse world and the riding traditions of Europe, Tina and Bruno have devised a program of training and showing that emphasizes the classical training scale without demanding the high level of athleticism that is necessary to be competitive in the sport. As a longtime PRE breeder, Tina has seen many riders of baroque horses be left out of the enjoyment of the full potential of their horse for a variety of reasons, mostly that their own riding skills or their horse’s gaits limit them to the lowest levels of dressage. Year after year, they fail to move beyond the basic levels and never have the chance to enjoy the technique of classical riding. The Baroque Institute offers a series of training patterns and tests that take the horse and rider from walk/trot to collection to high school movements in ways that are safe for both horse and rider, and which reflect the classical program but are still accessible to a wider range of riders and horses. A competition, the Baroque Games, gives these riders a chance to compete and be judged, successfully staged in New York, Virginia, and soon hopefully in Ocala. They recently held a clinic at Hampton Green Farm at our Goldmark location, and we were delighted with the exercises and challenges that Bruno presented for each horse and rider. He has a deep understanding of the conformation and mechanics of the Iberian horse and how to develop its strengths to do the work that it was historically bred to do. Hampton Green wholeheartedly supports their philosophy and are happy to have another riding discipline for our clients and friends. HGF Head Trainer Maria Lithander summarized our weekend: ”Bruno’s system is great for riders of any level—the exercises are straightforward and kind to the horse as well as fun to ride.” Watching young riders and young horses develop into internationally relevant competitors has been a great joy in my life, and those memories are rooted in my love for Wellington. But now, I find that I have great expectations for the verdant dressage community in Ocala, and am honored to be a part as it does the same.

Grandioso III of Hampton Green Farm Named to Spanish Team for Rio Olympics

Last Monday, the RFHE announced the names of the horses and riders who will make up the Spanish Team for Rio. Grandioso and his rider Jose Daniel Martin Dockx were on the list, following their showing of current form at CHIO Aachen. Grandioso and Dani have been a constant pair for the Spanish National Dressage Team beginning in 2012 when they represented Spain at the London Olympics. Since then, they have competed in three Nations Cups, two European Championships, and the World Equestrian Games in Normandy. Grandioso is the only horse in Spain to have done all of these events and to remain a current team member for five years without interruption. Additionally, Grandioso is one of only seven horses (out of 60) scheduled to compete in Rio who are going down the centerline for their second Olympic Games. He will be in elite company —Valegro, Donnperignon, Don Aurelio, Parzival, Desperados, Sandro Boy, and our own Grandioso. At this time, the team is located in Aachen, Germany, for preparations prior to travel to Brazil on the 2nd of August. They will arrive in Rio with a week to acclimate and be ready for competition, commencing August 10 with the Grand Prix. For regular updates, follow us at the Hampton Green Forum on Facebook.

Daniel Martin Dockx and Oxido Place Fourth in the Spanish Young Horse Championships

At the end of September in Toledo, Spain, HGF's Oxido and Daniel Martin Dockx competed in the Spanish National Young Horse Championships in the 7-9 Years Category, what is known in the US as the Developing Horse Prix St. George. The pair placed Third in the First Qualifier, Fourth in the PSG, and Third again in the Kur, with a final placing of Fourth overall. Additionally, they were Copa ANCCE Champions, highest placed PRE in the 7-9 years category where there were 22 horses, the top 3 positions filled by warmbloods. Oxido is a new horse for Hampton Green Farm, purchased in March 2014. The 2006 gray stallion is by Iberis (Camacho Benitez) and was bred by the Hermanos Mojarro Zamora studfarm. Oxido is designated Young Recommended Breeding Stock for Dressage Performance by the parent studbook, ANCCE, and with former rider Antonio Blanco Prieto was selected for the 2013 ANCCE Team, after obtaining the highest marks for a 6 Year Old in the PSJC series in 2012.

Vaquero HGF Tops the 6 Year Old PREs at the Spanish Young Horse Championships

Last weekend in Segovia, Spain, Hampton Green’s homebred Vaquero (Cuatrero IV x Idilio II) finished the weekend as the top-ranked PRE in the Six Year Old Division, and 7th overall in a class noted for its exceptional quality of horses of both Iberian and Northern European breeding. Three consistent rides over three days produced scores of 75.8, 70.4, and 73.6, for a total accumulated score of 328,600 for rider Daniel Martin Dockx and Vaquero, whom Daniel has trained since the horse had three years. Three other top-quality PREs followed close behind Vaquero in the rankings: ANCCE Luna CCL, bred by Yeguada Vistabella; Vetusto JV I, bred by Caballeria Esteve-Agrapur; and ANCCE Isleno FS, product of the Yeguada Arroyomonte. The Six Year Old Division was won by Jordi Domingo on Mango Statesman, a Sandro Hit son of the Hannoverian registry. Full results may be seen at http://www.secretariasecuestres.com/archivos/web/contenidos/pdf/1310_DCTOEspCJ_Acumulados_1.pdf Vaquero was also first in the Copa ANCCE for the weekend, tied with ANCCE Luna. The Copa ANCCE is the High Point Series sponsored by the breed association ANCCE for PRE horses competing at dressage in Spain. For this competition, only from days 2 and 3 were applied to the Copa ANCCE ranking. To date, Vaquero HGF maintains a solid first place ranking with ANCCE in the run-up to SICAB in December. In 2012, Vaquero and Daniel were also the top finishing PRE in the National Five Year Old Division at the Young Horse Championships in Zaragoza. See Vaquero's test from Day 1 in the Video Menu above.

Spanish National Championships 2012

The Spanish National Championships will be held in Zaragoza on 5-15 October. HGF will compete in the 5 Year Old Division in the Young Horse Championship with Vaquero HGF (Cuatrero x Encina x Idilio). Live coverage on-line at .

US-Born VAQUERO HGF Tops 5 Year Old PREs at Spanish National Young Horse Championships

Hampton Green Farm is proud to announce that Michigan-born Vaquero HGF, ridden by Daniel Martin Dockx, topped all PREs in the Five Year Old Division of the Spanish National Young Horse Championships, held last week in Zaragoza, Spain. Additionally, Vaquero HGF was the only PRE to place in the top ten for the division. The Spanish National Young Horse Trials, this year hosted at Feria de Ecuzar, brought out more than 150 young horses in the four divisions (4 Years, 5 Years, 6 Years, and Developing Horse 7-9 Years). There were 60 horses in the 5 Year Old Division, roughly divided equally between PREs and warmblood horses. Qualifiers for the finals were held at rated shows throughout the year, and this year's championship field presented the finest exemplars of the best studfarms in Spain, as well as many high-quality imported German stock. Vaquero HGF is by Cuatrero IV, out of Encina HGF (by Idilio II). Vaquero's sire was imported from the Yeguada Marin Garcia and is closely related to Grandioso III. Vaquero's dam, like Vaquero, was bred at HGF's Michigan location. As a three year old, Vaquero was selected by Courtney King-Dye as a future prospect, however, following her injury, Vaquero was sent to Spain to be started by Daniel. The pair had a very respectful showing at the 2011 Four Year Old National Championships (finishing in the top 10 horses, and top 5 PREs). Competition photos to be posted as we get them. Final classifications athttp://www.topiberian.com/shows/2012/ecuzar/docs/caballos-jovenes/medallero.pdf

Competition Photos from the Spanish National Young Horse Championships 2012

Daniel Martin Dockx and Vaquero HGF, Top Nationally-Ranked 5 Year Old PRE in Spain Pictures credits:TopIberian.com

Hampton Green Farm's Grandioso and Daniel Martin Dockx Appointed Spanish Olympic Team Reserves

In January 2011, ten months after Courtney King-Dye's riding injury, Grandioso left Wellington for Spain. In the year and a half that he has been in the hands of Daniel Martin and trainer Jan Bemelmans the horse did his first Grand Prix test, completed six months at the national levels, won the National Championship of Spain, started his international career in Salzburg, took 2nd at the Grand Prix in Fritzens, scored over 70% and finished in the top 15 in the Grand Prix at Aachen, and now has been named as the Reserve for the Spanish Olympic Team. We are amazed at this progression and grateful to the group of people who have believed in Grandioso and whose time, talents and support lie behind his successes--Dani, Jan, Federico, Antonio, Gaspar, Roman, the RFHE, Bobbi, Rosin, Courtney, Lendon, County Saddles, Pavo, and Mohamed. There is no nicer nor more dedicated group of people in this sport! For London, Spain is fielding a strong team that includes Juan Manuel Munoz and Fuego, Beatriz Ferrar Salat with Delgado, and Morgan Barbancon with Painted Black. Grandioso will travel to London to be on call if needed prior to the Veterinary Inspection. Dani and GR, in their first time to show in Germany, made a very good impression at CHIO Aachen last weekend, scoring 70.46 in the Grand Prix and 69.6 in the Special and finishing 15th and 20th respectively.

Happening Now: HGF's Grandioso and Daniel Martin Dockx to Participate in the Madrid Horse Week 2012

The Madrid Horse Week is the Spanish capital's largest equine event, bringing over 300 horses together this week for an indoor international jumping competition (CSI) as well as exhibitions in other horse disciplines. Spanish Olympian Beatriz Ferrer-Salat has organized a Dressage Kur exhibition on Friday and Saturday featuring Juan Manuel Munoz and Daniel Martin Dockx from this year's Spanish Olympic squad, former Spanish Team rider Juan Antonio Jiminez, 2012 Spanish Grand Prix National Champion Carmen Naesgaard, and a selection of riders from other countries. For more information, see http://www.madridhorseweek.com/

SICAB 2009: Another Great Show!

Image gallery

The Spanish Royal Federation Responds to Grandioso's Arrival in Spain

Lendon Gray Clinic in Spain

For three days last week, US Olympian and veteran trainer Lendon Gray worked with HGF rider Dani Marten and the HGF horses. Additionally, Lendon schooled Spanish Junior Rider Eva Maria Sanchez Calvache on her mare, as well as Danish Dressage journalist Charlotte Mogenson (www.horse2rider.eu). Dani is preparing two horses for the Spanish National Championships--four year old Vaquero for the Young Horse Trials next weekend, and Grandioso III for the Grand Prix, October 7-9. Below are some highlights from the clinic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ajaVBc04Vg

Four Year Old Vaquero HGF Finishes in Top Five PREs at Spanish National Young Horse Championships

This past weekend in Almeria Spain, Vaquero HGF competed in his second horse show with notable results. He and his rider Daniel Martin Dockx placed in the top five PREs nationally at the Four Year Old Level, and in the top ten for the Four Year Old Championship overall. The first class of the competition had close to 60 horses and was divided into two days. Following the Preliminary Test, fifteen horses would move on to the Finals. Vaquero placed 13th with a score of 6.9. In the Final Test, Vaquero moved up significantly to 7th place with a score of 72.6, giving him a cumulative score of 248.7 and a 9th place overall, and 5th of the PRE Horses nationally at that level. Vaquero is a 2007 gray PRE colt by Cuatrero IV out of Encina HGF (Idilio), born at HGF in Fruitport, Michigan. In late 2010 as a three year old, Vaquero and his pasture mate, Conquero HGF, traveled to Spain to be in training with Daniel Martin. Conquero has yet to be shown. Both horses will continue their training with Daniel at Hipica Dana. Video of the ride and the rest of the Championship can be seen at TopIberian:http://www.topiberian.com/index.php?option=com_seyret[&]Itemid=67[&]task=videodirectlink[&]id=5315[&]lang=es