years. That’s where Liz’s trainer found him. Apollo was overweight and out of shape, but an athlete with a good mind which Liz and her trainer recognized right away. Liz spent the next few months conditioning him using lots of walk work to begin with, then she sent him with an eventing friend in January to South Carolina for that first winter so his conditioning could continue away from the harsh Indiana winter. By February Liz had several offers from people who wanted to buy him. “I knew he was my diamond in the rough. I had been right to trust that many traits of his famous sire had been passed along to Apollo,” she recalls. “I have had a couple of people who knew Abdullah tell
me that Apollo looks similar to the wonderful stallion,” she adds. “Apollo is a very solid horse that weighs in at 1,500 pounds and measures just under 17.2 hands. His size is deceptive and I frequently see a shocked look on people’s faces when they stand next to him. He is well put together and doesn’t look as big as he is (size 88 blanket and 58” girth—special order only). I looked up Abdullah online and found a YouTube video of him jumping at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. It was an extraordinary show of athleticism and heart.” Liz loved horses from an early age. Her first horse was
Apollo Star’s damsire, Avignon II, foaled and approved in Germany and imported to the U.S.A. by Marie-Luise Barton and family. He was a full brother to the highly regarded German stallion E.H. Arogno. Photos courtesy of the Barton family
70 January/February 2012
given to her by her pediatrician who knew that she was interested in riding horses. “I went to his farm and picked out an eight-year-old Thoroughbred named Brandy Snifter. My parents knew nothing about horses, but drove me to the barn and encouraged me. Brandy was not athletic, but sweet as the day was long and I learned a lot from him. My parents instilled a work ethic in me (and unknowingly affirmed my permanent lifelong love of all things horsey) by only paying my horse’s board. I had to pay for all lessons, shows, farrier, equipment and vet bills. I fed cattle, braided other horses for shows, cleaned a lot of stalls, and baled hay as an 11-year- old to keep my first horse. We moved a lot because my dad was a college football coach, and horses were the one constant
for me. I always had instant friends at the barns where I boarded my horse,” she remembers. “Apollo’s best attributes are his temperament, athleticism
and versatility. His attitude is that he tries all day long for me, and this is especially true of the flatwork which is a continual work in progress for us both. You have to remember that I am a lifelong hunter rider trying to learn how to ride dressage! Apollo’s athleticism is an amazing thing to feel. He is unbelievably powerful over the jump and it’s only improving with his fitness. He has more scope than any horse I have ever sat upon and he has the ability to literally jump me out of the tack. I know that if I make a mistake, as amateurs tend to do, Apollo has the athleticism to help me out on course and never miss a beat.” Looking to the future, the pair moved up to Training level
in May 2011 and have already had several top five finishes. Liz has a plan for the winter. “In order to further his education (and mine) in stadium jumping, I plan to take him to some indoor hunter/jumper shows this winter. Our current training efforts are focused on preparing my horse for Training level and perhaps then on to Preliminary level. Over the winter, I will travel to Aiken for a short trip (too hard to get away longer than that with kids) and get some much needed cross-country schooling in before we start our show season next spring. I have lots of short and long term goals and I am excited for our future together.”
American Trakehner Association
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116