When I had my surgeries nine years ago I was unable to ride for a year and I was lost with what to do with myself until I developed a passion for breeding. For the first two months after my surgery I was not allowed in the barn for fear of infection.
Of course, I was the difficult patient who would go visit my horses in their pasture; that’s not the barn right?! My surgeon is one of my favorite people and so I would tell him and he would just shake his head, but he knew that I needed to see them.
I spent that time developing my interest and knowledge in breeding and was lucky enough to have several mentors in the world of breeding who I would call and have long chats with. My favorite time was when the Zangersheide magazine or stallion guide would come in and I would spend hours poring through them.
I really respected Zangersheide as a studbook and what they were doing for the breeding and young horse industry. When I was cleared to fly after nine months of being at home, my mom surprised me with a trip to the FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses and I was in total awe.
They had foal and stallion approvals there as well as the 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old world championships for young horses. It was amazing to be there and get to watch as 250 of the best horses from around the world in each age group competed for the top prize. That was when I decided to make it a goal and a dream to go there to compete, and show Europe that we have top young horses in America and we can compete on the same level as them.
This is an event hosted by Zangersheide in Lanaken, Belgium during late September and only the top young horses around the world are invited to attend. Each country is issued so many invitations for their top young horses to compete; the United States is issued two invitations per age group. On average 250 horses from each age group of the best 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old horses around the world attend this event. These are the best of the best young horses and riders invited to this event; there will be Olympic and World Championship riders attending.
The United States has not had a rider and horse based out of the United States win this event; it is predominantly riders and horses from Europe who win and take the top placings. Europe is known for breeding and raising the top young horses and we are trying to change that here in the States. We want to show them that our quality is just as good and we can compete on the same level as them.
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This year I received an invitation to take Catania Saflo Z, a 5-year-old mare AliBoo Farm purchased as a 4-month-old and we have brought along and developed ever since. She was bred at Zangersheide in Belgium (Chippendale Z—Latina H, Landor S).
She is currently ranked No. 1 nationally in the United States in the 5-year-old young jumpers and recently won the 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship East Coast League Finals at the Hampton Classic (N.Y.) after turning in four clear rounds.
She has a stellar track record and has earned many prestigious awards already this year after turning in countless clear rounds. She was the only 5-year-old to jump clean in both classes at Devon (Pa.) and she won both those classes. She was circuit champion this winter in at the Gulf Coast Winter Series (Miss.) after winning five of the six classes she was entered in over the course of two weeks at Gulfport. In mid-August, she won three 5-year-old classes at the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament (Mass.).
Minnie and I at the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament.
Minnie, as she is known to us, is one of the sweetest mares and she always tries her heart out in the ring. She also loves applesauce! She may only be 5, but she knows every time she walks in the ring, it is go time.
I started her myself when she was 3 years old and since that time she has shown how smart she is always trying to do what is asked of her and we have grown to have a really close bond. She is a very special young horse and we believe she has the talent and the heart to be the first U.S. winner at the FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses and set the stage for America to produce the next generation of winners.
In order to be able to accomplish this, I am asking for support from others as a young rider and breeder from America to compete at this very special event. I think we have a strong chance of bringing home a medal from this event to the States and making a change in the world’s impression of breeding and raising young horses in America.
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In order to fly Catania over to this event and her expenses while there I am looking to raise about $30,000. I have set up a Gofundme account for anyone looking to show their support because this is a stretch for my family.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I believe we are prepared and ready to go there to win!
I know people will ask why I am crowd funding because they think we should be able to afford to take her; however, that is not the case. My family has worked very hard to bring along and develop these young horses but it is not in our budget to fly this horse to Europe and back as it is very pricey. Every year we create a budget and we are very much a family-run operation with everyone pitching in to help make it possible.
My dad ships our horses everywhere, my little brother and my best friend were my grooms at the Hampton Classic, and I love to be my own groom.
I like to be the first one at the show to feed, I always wrap my own horses, and I do the night check. The reason we started breeding and developing young horses is because we knew we would never be able to afford to purchase top show jumpers so we went about making them.
I greatly appreciate and thank anyone who sees in their heart to support our journey any way they can—no matter how big or small—or even positive thoughts!
Want to help? Here’s the Gofundme link!
Chronicle blogger Taylor Flury rides out of her family’s AliBoo Farm in Minooka, Ill., and competes primarily in the jumpers, specializing in bringing along young horses. She also runs AliBoo’s breeding program. Flury’s former top mount is the U.S.-bred Role Model (Roc USA—Darling Devil), who claimed U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year titles in 2011 and 2012 in the 5- and 6-Year-Old Jumper divisions and won at grand prix.
