The magic between man and his horse! A kinship of kind, is the magical source. Free as the wind, to man do they lend. Free as the wind, to the horse we befriend. An alliance of will and dependence on each. This magic today is not out of reach. The horse, you see, has this to teach!
A Childhood Dream...
An Olympic Goal
I can't really recall when my love of horses began so I suppose its been there forever. I remember being very young when I realized I wanted to go to the Olympics. What has started as a Childhood Dream has become an Olympic Goal over the years. I have been riding horses for as long as I can remember. I used to walk 2 miles every day after school to get to a rental barn where I worked off the riding. I talked mom and dad into getting my first horse at 13 only after they realized this was no passing phase. I starting taking riding lessons in 1987 and really took to jumping. Over the next few years I acquired a few other horses whom I trained and showed. I was always very lucky to have such supportive parents, for which I will be eternally grateful to. In 1992 I won a few awards. The Grand Champion plaque at Novice Level Eventing with the American Holsteiner Horse Association, United States Combined Training Junior Rider Training Level Eventing Reserve Champion, and was also Grand Champion at Junior/Young Rider with the Central Florida Dressage Club. 1993
was really a turning point for me. I was starting to realize that the Eventing might not be the road I would want to travel to the Olympics. I couldn't fathom injuring one of my beloved horses over very unforgiving jumps. This year we (I use we because I could not have received these awards without my equine partners) traveled all over 9 different states. With my Dressage horse, Diva, we were honored to place Fourth out of the nation at First Level, the United States Dressage Federation Region III First Level Championship, Central Florida Dressage Champions at First and and Second Levels. With my Eventing horses we won the very prestigious United States Combined Training Association Area III (out of 9 different states) Leading Rider of the Year Perpetual Cup, United States Combined Training Association Reserve Training Champion, United States Combined Training Association Reserve Champion at Novice Level, and American Holsteiner Horse Association Novice Level Eventing Champion. In 1994 I was unable to show as much as the year before. Diva and I were awarded the United States Dressage Federation Region III Second Level Championship, and won both First and Second Level Division Champions with the Central Florida Dressage Club. In 1995 we bred Diva which ended in tragedy. After losing the foal and nearly her own life, Diva was put out to pasture for several months to recover. Because I had turned from Eventing to Dressage, I had leased Tavrik and Rumpel to young riders to learn the jumping basics and with Diva still recovering, had no horse to compete that year. In 1996 I started showing Diva half way through the year and she still accumulated enough points to become Central Florida Dressage Club's Second and Third Level Champion. I also purchased a yearling, Lautrec, my Olympic hopeful, and put him out to pasture where he could grow and mature for a couple of years. In 1997 we were beginning to realize that Diva just might not be able to mentally handle going to the required levels. The more difficult the work became, the more difficult and dangerous she became. We showed very little this year and focused mainly on her training in hopes that he could overcome this difficulty and come back in 1998. However, in 1998 we came to the conclusion that she should be sold for my own safety. This year I am currently starting, Lautrec, under saddle and will continue his long and patient training. Financially, I have been unable to show much at all and have gotten to the point where I need sponsorship.
I hope to acquire another upper level Dressage mount so I can get back into the show ring to regain my 'face value'. I plan on training and showing very hard in 2000 with the new mount. My 2000 goals are to Qualify and hopefully win the United States Dressage Federation Region III Championships at Fourth Level. If I can find a way to send, Lautrec, to Michael Poulin's (a 3 x Bronze Olympian Medalist) farm it would advance his training much faster and I would be free to focus on the second horse and showing and training more. I have never really doubted if I could make the Olympics. Deep down in my heart, I know it is just a matter of time. I do plan on making the United States Equestrian Team in 2002 and making the Olympic short list for the 2004 Olympic Games. I also plan on becoming a United States Dressage Federation Certified Instructor and teacher. I have always enjoyed teaching and look forward to doing so again. A lot of people ask me, "Why Dressage?" and I tell them: When you take such a magnificent and powerful animal like the horse, put years of training and love into it, you create such a partnership between you and the horse that you become one and move and think as one. When done properly, Dressage is the most elegant, breathtaking, Equestrian Sport available.
"There is something about
the outside of a horse...
Which is good
for the inside of
a man"
This lovely lady is Diva a 1985 Danish Warmblood mare
Not too shabby for an older horse. Tavrik, Hanoverian gelding, was 14 in the picture & just celebrated his 18th!
This guy was my baby, Aztec, a 1985 Appaloosa gelding.
This is Rumpel short for Rumpelstiltzchen, a 1986 Holsteiner gelding
Here is my Olympic hopeful, Louie, at age 2 1/2
Lautrec
1995 16.2h.h. Bay Holsteiner Stallion
Lennox/Landgraf1/Ladykiller
Here's Louie's papa
Learn more about the magnificent Holsteiner horse
What's Dressage?
The U.S.E.T.
Seminole Feeds
THE best place in Florida to show horses!
Robert Vavra's awesome Equine photography
Appaloosa World
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