Haflinger Highlights

This week Avanti traveled to Eden Park in Sunbury, Ohio where the top dressage horses (all breeds) from 7 states were assembled for the 2005 Regional Championships for Region 2 of the USDF/USEF.  We were honored just to be there.  Avanti had worked hard all season to earn qualifying scores of 65% or better for an invitation to this event.

Avanti’s ride would be in the Training Level Open Division, made up of professional trainers riding professionally trained horses.  His field of competitors was daunting.   Only 45 horses in the whole region had qualified to be in these championships at Training Level and our young 4-year-old stallion, completing his first full year of showing, was among them!

One big, beautiful warmblood after another entered the ring for their ride.  When Avanti entered the ring, he drew the customary oohs and aahs.  Overheard were comments from the crowd like ‘what a beautiful horse’, ‘what breed is that?’, ‘is that a Haflinger?’.  We were so proud of our guy.  He was definitely the smallest horse in his class but I’d venture to say he had the biggest heart of all of them!

The class took forever to complete, with well over 20 horses, representing the best of the season at Open Training Level  across a 7-state region completing their rides.  The judges were the top judges and their scoring was going to be tough!

Finally the scores were posted.  Our little guy had placed 13th in his class with a great score of 62.885%! 

And, you say, you were happy with 13th place????  You betcha!  That means he was the 13th best horse across 7 states in the OPEN division — not youth, not amateur, but competing against the best trainers, the best riders, the most well-trained horses at his level.  AND he was the only Haflinger at the championships at any level!  He was the smallest horse in his class.  He was likely the youngest horse in his class. 

So congratulations to Diana Charles, his rider/trainer and to AVANTI for making Haflingers everywhere proud!

 

Avanti Represents His Breed Well at the

2005 Region 2 USDF Dressage Championships

©2007 Deer Haven Farm of Kentucky, Inc.