“Hera proved wrong everyone who thought a small horse couldn’t succeed.”


Cheryl and Hera competing at Grand Prix in


2007. Photo by Rachel Clarke


how she could do that, but I asked, she understood, and there they were…15 single tempis all in a row! I nearly fell off I was so surprised. From then on I had trouble getting her to understand she had to stop at 15!”


SHOW RING SUCCESSES Hera proved wrong everyone who thought a small horse couldn’t succeed. She moved steadily up the levels, scoring well at each. “My goals were to get my USDF gold medal (awarded when a rider earns two scores above 60% at Grand Prix from two different judges as well as two scores at Intermediare from two different judges),” she explains. “Those scores are not easy to get!” Having previously earned their Intermediare scores, the pair was on their way.


In 2006, four years after that fateful clinic in St. Louis, they made the move to Grand Prix. Their first competition at this level was at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Florida. It was, says Tim, a lovely test, but unfortunately one that included a few mistakes— including 17 one tempi changes instead of 15! Those mistakes were enough to bring their score just below—heartbreakingly below—Cheryl’s goal of 60%. Cheryl and Tim savored and celebrated the moment anyway, confident that Cheryl and Hera would persevere. And they were absolutely right. Just a few short weeks later, the pair scored


Cheryl accepting her Gold Medal award from USDF president George Williams.


63.75% at the Ocala Dressage Show. In July of the same year, Cheryl and Hera earned a Grand Prix score of 61.875% at the Missouri Dressage Classic, earning the final score Cheryl needed for the medal she had long imagined. She received her gold medal later that year at the USDF annual meeting. “Besides the USDF gold, we also received Hera’s performance gold special rating


from the American Trakehner Association,” says Cheryl. (For Trakehners, this high rating becomes part of the mare’s registered name, which is now Hera *Pg*.) One of Cheryl’s last milestones was to perform a Grand Prix musical freestyle with Hera. Drawing tears from the crowd, the two did it at the annual Regional recognized show earning them a 74%!


FROM THE JUDGE’S BOX Because of her success with Hera, Cheryl set new goals for herself. “I’m realistic,” she explains. “I know I’m not going to be trying out for any national teams or anything like that, and I didn’t want to keep riding the same tests over and over again—that’s simply not my nature. So I decided becoming an accredited judge was the next thing I’d like to focus on. With Hera, I was also able to earn the riding scores required for judging candidates. That’s my focus now—becoming an accredited dressage judge.” At the “L” or beginning level, candidates need three scores of 60% or more


Hera grazing at her new home


in Georgia. Photo courtesy Carol Phillips


at Second Level at recognized shows. At the highest (“S”) level of judging, candidates must have five scores of at least 60% at the Intermediaire II/Grand Prix/Grand Prix Special level, with at least three scores at Grand Prix Level. Currently, Cheryl is judging at the “r” level and recently completed her testing for the “R” rating, even though she has already obtained all the scores she would need for an “S”, thanks to Hera. Cheryl’s decision meant life changes for Hera. And as it so often happens, the first plans made were not the last. “We decided it was time to breed this talented mare. We were thrilled at the thought of the high-quality youngsters she’d produce. We tried for two years but she wouldn’t settle. We didn’t want to simply turn her out because she’s a horse that very much bonds and connects with her rider. So we made the difficult decision to sell Hera. Now she has a wonderful new owner who is thrilled to be learning and competing with her. She’s in the ideal place with a dedicated and talented rider. To me, it’s a perfect end to the story!”


24 November/December 2010


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