”In my fifty years, 2009 was probably the worst I have experienced—and 2010 had to be one of the best.“
Breeder’s Championship in Devon, Pennsylvania. Optimistically, I had already stuck my neck out in June and entered her at Devon and enrolled her in Hilltop Farm’s Young Horse Devon Prep Program. In late September, we journeyed to Colora, Maryland to deliver her for the week long training session at Hilltop Farm. One week later we made our first trip to Devon, meeting the Hilltop Farm staff and Boogie for the breed show. I felt like an aristocrat as I watched the very professional Hilltop staff care for and show my horse. The excitement of competing against some of the top breeders in the country, including Hilltop Farm and Iron Spring Farm, made my stomach do flip flops. On Tuesday
morning, the yearling
Left and below: Boogie shows off her wins at the 2010 Labor of Love Dressage Sport Horse Breed Show along with handler Bruce Griffin and Denise Rowe. Photos by Bob Cieszenski
filly class was held in a misty drizzle. I watched with mixed emotions as Radiance placed third in a class of 25 beautiful yearling fillies. That third-place finish meant she would not be eligible to go on further in the Devon Championship classes.
Little did I know that Boogie was saving her best
performance for later that week. That afternoon she placed fourth in the GAIG/USDF Breeder’s Filly Championship with a very respectable score of 79.1%. On Thursday, again in a misty drizzle, Boogie won the Hanoverian IBC Class, Two Years and Under with an 84% from judge Hilda Gurney, earning the highest score of any horse at the entire breed show. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched the filly that almost died the year before boldly show off her incredible movement at the most prestigious breed show on the East Coast.
THE WORST AND THE BEST As a breeder of only a few horses each year, it was a dream come true for one of my horses to have done so well. If there is a moral to this story, it would be that even when it seems that life continues to deliver us nothing but difficult circumstances and events, we have to persevere and be tenacious. For those who don’t give up, there can—and will—be better days ahead. In my fifty years, 2009 was probably the worst I have
experienced—and 2010 had to be one of the best. In one short year, I fulfilled so many of my dreams. Best of all, the little filly that I refused to give up on lifted my spirits in such amazing ways. Now I’m looking forward to see what the future holds for Boogie. I can only hope that my own good health continues to allow me to experience precious and uplifting moments with my wonderful horses. But I will always have that special place in my heart just for Boogie, the filly that went from near death to becoming a champion all in one year.
v v v
n Denise and her husband, Eddie have been breeding Hanoverians for 11 years at Century Oaks Farm, Ltd., in Timberlake, NC. A USDF L Graduate and Bronze Medalist, Denise is an instructor and trainer as well.
34 July/August 2011
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