has the athleticism and jumping ability to compete against the best in the world. (His bloodlines include Hanoverian and Holsteiner bloodlines, and his sire, Lacros, is by the Holsteiner Landgraf.)
2012: A Year for Learning At the end of the 2012, Sharon, 39, and Rafferty’s Rules (Reggie) flew to England to compete in the Burghley CCI4*, possibly the world’s most difficult three-day event. They had had a stellar year of competition and training but the pair would never get the chance to trot down the centerline of the dressage arena. Sadly, Reggie developed a tendon problem and Sharon withdrew him before the first veterinary inspection. Earlier that year Sharon had received the Rebecca
Broussard International Developing Rider Grant. “The Becky Grant,” run by the USEA Endowment Trust, is designed to be a springboard for the development of the sport in the United States. It gives a rider exposure and access to the best competition and coaching in the world and encourages him or her to bring this knowledge home. So Sharon began 2012 by spending a great deal of time in Wellington, Florida working with top trainers in dressage and show jumping and competed against some of the best riders in the world at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Sharon, who has trained with some of the top
eventing coaches in the U.S. and currently works with Jim Wofford, capped the year with a trip to England: in the run-up to Burghley she was based at Badminton four-star winner Rodney Powell’s and Alex Franklin’s Manor Farm in England, preparing to tackle Burghley as the London Olympics were in full swing. While her year did not culminate with the Burghley ride, it was nevertheless a great year of learning and growing as an event rider and trainer. Reggie, who was imported from Australia by Adrienne Classen as a four-year-old who had never competed, is just coming back into training. However Sharon has not been languishing on the sidelines waiting for his return; she has been out winning ribbons with Wundermaske and Don Sheffield, two talented protégés that she’s been riding since they were babies, and these are showing her that they are ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
Don Sheffield Don Sheffield, now eight years old, is sired by Don Schufro (by Donnerhall), while his dam is Landmanslust Usnova (Ed King Hill (by Ekstein) x Falisolle (by Actueel)). Wiley Grosvenor, his breeder, sent ‘Shu’ to Sharon as a four-year- old because he had started bolting when he was nervous.
Right: Don Sheffield in the show jumping at the Fork, where he won in the Intermediate division.
Warmbloods Today 23
“Wiley is a really good friend and breeds the most beautiful Dutch horses. I’ve ridden horses for her for a really long time. She always has young horses that need to be brought along and I tend to get the ones with issues. I was really glad Shu decided to be a bolter when he was a baby,” she says with a grin. “Also she breeds for color and he’s dark, dark brown. I think it was also a point in my favor that he wasn’t colored.” Wiley, whose farm is located in Hume, Virginia, explains
that her goals as a breeder are to get a horse to world class level and to deepen the gene pool with pinto horses. “That’s why we started with the best bloodlines I can find,” she says. “I have some Sir Donnerhalls, a couple Voltaires, Olympic Ferros, and Rousseaus; this year we have a little solid filly out of Breton Woods, an up and coming stallion in the Netherlands. She’s all black and very pretty. The Gribaldi mare is bred to Fuerstenboll, so we’ll see what we get.” Her theory is that if you research bloodlines and your
mares are of good quality—because clearly they have such an impact on your offspring—you should be able to produce some very good quality horses through pedigree research. “It’s also a lot to do with what a stallion’s offspring are doing,” she acknowledges. “If he doesn’t pass on his character and talent, it’s kind of pointless.” Though his color may not match Wiley’s ultimate
goal, Don Sheffield seems to be proof that her breeding program is working. Sharon says, “Shu is amazing; he’s been the sweetest horse. If you’re having a bad day and you go into his stall he’ll tell you everything is okay. He’s
Sara Lieser
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