and retrains ex-racehorses for riding—some even making it to the show ring. One of her OTTB projects was Scientist, a seven-year-old gelding purchased by her father as a weanling at the Fasig- Tipton sales. He won four races from 11 starts and is now being retrained by Agatha as a jumper. The family’s home- bred Scienziato (Italian for “scientist”), who raced three times at Saratoga this summer and has yet to win a race after six starts, may soon join Scientist in the show ring. “My parents realized I was dedicated to the sport and I set
out to become everything I could be,” Agatha says. “We built the barn in Rexford [that would become Trade Winds Farm] and I started doing more showing. My dad was passionate about the Thoroughbreds and became more involved in rac- ing after I had started competing on the national circuit. Early on, my parents’ only involvement in horses was my obsession with them, constantly bugging them to take me trail riding. Now they are fully immersed in both the Thoroughbred and show jumping worlds.”
Competition Partners Currently trained by Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde,
Agatha and her 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Udiana won the Horse Shows in the Sun [HITS] Grand Prix show in Saugerties, New York in June, qualifying Agatha for the Zoetis Million Grand Prix in September. Since Udiana had been showing heavily through the sum-
mer, Agatha opted to give the mare a rest, focusing on the big picture and saving the mare for the future. She chose to ride her young horse, Quivola, who she says is a scopier jumper but a less experienced competitor than Udiana. “Quivola is a very talented young French horse. Quivola has a little more scope than Udiana, and at the meter 60 level when the combinations get really big I thought Quivola might have had a better chance. I’m sure in the future he’ll be very competitive but unfortunately he was still pretty green for such a big competition. The temperature had dropped and he went in with fire in his eyes! We had some
really sticky moments but we made it through,” she explains. The pair finished 25th overall and if things go their way,
Agatha will return another day to show the competition what she’s made of. Udiana is by Hamlet who is also the sire of Canadian
Grand Prix rider Eric Lamaze’s famous mount, Hickstead. Chloe Wormser rode Udiana successfully at the high amateur owner level successfully before Agatha bought the mare 18 months ago.
“She is similar to Hickstead in personality—very fiery!”
says Agatha. “She’s pretty straightforward but she’s a mare and opinionated too. She’s also pretty hot—a show horse through and through. If you try to ride her out on a trail she will spin and go back to the barn. At shows, I ride with a red ribbon in her tail because she will start hopping around in the warm-up area. She doesn’t kick, but we just need some space. Sometimes when we are showing I even have to be led into the arena, but once she’s there she’s all business; it’s like a switch is turned on.” Quivola is a nine-year-old gelding, French-bred on both
sides sired by Le Tot de Semilly. Last December he was a Christmas present from Agatha’s parents. “The best Christmas present I ever got!” she says enthusiastically. Quivola came from G&C Farm in Wellington, Florida and had experience in young horse classes as well as a puissance (high-jump class). “He’s a little more of a typical Warmblood than Udiana,”
she says. “He’s easygoing. I prefer hot, sensitive horses like Thoroughbreds because they are quick and responsive. Quivola gets going when he’s jumping, which I like. He’s a sweetheart; he’s a ham, actually. When I first got him he was a little quiet but his personality has blossomed. He used to stand in his stall quietly but now he puts his head over the stall door or stall guard to see what’s going on. I’m lucky that all the horses in my barn are very sweet. He’ll nudge anyone walking by hoping for a treat.” In addition to her current trainer, Agatha has worked with
Candice King, Missy Clark, Debbie Stevens and Ian Millar. She has also participated in clinics with Chris Kappler and notes that she has learned a great deal from Olympic course designer Jose Gamarra, veterinarian Dr John Steel and body work expert Bill Stanton.
Not Just Warmbloods When Agatha and her parents col-
laborated to design Trade Winds Farm, their goal was to create a haven for horses. Located on 80 acres on the Mohawk River, the farm boasts state- of-the-art amenities along with rolling
Left: Agatha and her KWPN mare Udiana at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida. Opposite page right: Agatha and one of her G.P horses Vitaly (Hors La Loi II x Rari- netta), an 11-year-old KWPN gelding who is sometimes her speed horse.
32 November/December 2013
The Book LLC
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