Coree Reuter

While Jan Brink is looking forward to riding in Las Vegas for a third time, the Rolex FEI World Cup Final will be bittersweet, as it will be Briar’s final competition.

“After that he will be retired,” said Brink. “He had an absolutely amazing career.”

Riders reveal what they do in Las Vegas when they aren’t competing.

Trying to describe Las Vegas, Nev., to someone who has never been there is like trying to explain the Rocky Mountains to a person who has lived on the beach his entire life. Its extravagance, enormity and electrifying atmosphere are often overwhelming for first-time visitors, who tend to walk around with their heads tilted upwards, their jaws dropped and their eyes as bright and shining as the thousands of lights that decorate Las Vegas Boulevard.

This young rider sweeps the children’s, 13 and under, division with two young hunters.

For Tara Spencer, transitioning from ponies to horses has been successful and, in her opinion, a lot of fun. And her enjoyment increased twofold when she took the championship and reserve tri-colors in the children’s hunter, 13 and under, division at HITS Desert Circuit VI in Thermal, Calif., on March 3-8.

She rode Brielle Mariucci’s Game Day, a 7-year-old dark bay gelding, and Gaetan Moran’s Ideal, a 5-year-old mare, and said she enjoyed her trips on both of them.

Yearling Hunter Breeding
OUTSTANDING

Owner Krisna Buyalos, Santa Barbara, Calif., knew immediately that her filly, Outstanding, was special. “Leslie Nelson was a genius to breed Delilah, whom I bought in foal, to Popeye K,” she said. “We’re waiting for a full sibling in 2009!”

Guenter Seidel’s string of horses shows lots of promise.

Guenter Seidel found his horses wearing nothing but blue at the conclusion of the Dressage Getaway in Indio, Calif., on Feb. 13-15.

Seidel, who works out of Albert Court in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., won two second level tests with French Prince (75.26% and 72.70%), two Prix St. Georges tests with Trinity (70.26% and 77.10%) and both the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I High Performance Stakes classes with U II (74.03% and 73.59%).

Bismarck, N.D., is certainly not dressage central, and for the Stanley family, almost any dressage activity requires many hours on the road.

Mimi Stanley must travel 800 miles one way to train with Conrad Schumacher in Illinois, and her other trainer, Amy Larson, only makes it to North Dakota three or four times a year.

North Dakota boasts one rated dressage show every year, and the Stanleys travel anywhere from 300 to 1,500 miles for shows and clinics the rest of the year.

With a USDF gold medal earned on her Arabian gelding, she shows neither age nor breed are a barrier to accomplishing great things.

It’s not very often that you hear about an 18-year-old earning her U.S. Dressage Federation gold medal. Throw an Arabian gelding and North Dakota into the mix, and you’ve got Mimi Stanley.

“I don’t remember not riding,” said Stanley, who rode in leadline classes at age 3 and entered her first dressage show at age 6 aboard her mother Karla’s childhood pony, Snuff.

Emily Elek finds success with her trio of ponies.

Emily Elek believes that if her ponies perform well at the Ledges Winter Show Series, then they’re set for the rest of the year.

“Ledges is a good proving ground,” said Elek, whose current ponies seem to be learning the ropes quickly, as they brought home an armful of ribbons from the Ledges Winter Classic in Roscoe, Ill., Jan. 29-Feb. 1.

As a tribute to Valentine’s Day, here's an inside look at some of our industry's successful relationships.

Amidst an e-mail inbox stuffed with horse show results, interview requests and press releases, an interesting message pulled my attention away from the pile of work stacked at my elbow.
   

This long-time pair is settling into a close partnership and setting bigger goals.

Jo Moran is finding it much easier to laugh these days, especially after winning the Grand Prix Stakes on Minna at the Dressage Getaway, Jan. 16-18, in Indio, Calif.

“It was a good ride,” said Moran of their 72.12 percent. “I was really happy with it. We made one mistake during the ones, and the rein back was tough, but the highlight was her piaffe and passage.”