By Charlene Strickland
is thirteenth in lifetime money earned in the USHJA Inter- national Hunter Derby program. Vallado is a modern horse of blood with a short back, long legs, is forward with quick reflexes and has a ‘10’ character.” Val’s dam Rexana, foaled in 2001, is a gray Holsteiner. Her
sire Lansing won the Bundeschampionat as a five-year-old and has produced approved sons and Premium mares. In Germany, Rexana scored 50 bonits and the Holsteiner Ver- band awarded her Premium mare status. Silver Creek Farms imported the mare in 2004 already in foal to Cassiano. “Rexa- na is an exceptional mare with excellent type and gaits from a very good Holsteiner family,” says Barbara. “She was also en- tered as a Premium mare into the AHHA and RPSI studbooks and was Mare of Distinction with GOV (Oldenburg).” She describes their expectations in crossing this mare and stallion. “We hoped to get Vallado’s qualities combined with the scope and talent of Rexana’s Holsteiner family.” As a foal, Val impressed his owners. “He oozed quality and presence from the first moment,” recalls Barbara. “In every- thing he did, he demonstrated the qualities that make him special—catty and athletic, intelligent and sensitive, kind and willing with that special desire to go above and be- yond for his rider.” “Validation was always one to think for himself and it became a challenge to out-think him,” she adds. “Once he realizes what is expected, he tries to give it to you before you ask.” The registered Zweibrücker was started under saddle
at home. “He completed the 30-day stallion test as a three-year-old under the guidance of the training direc- tor, Harald Hoffmann. As a four-year-old, he competed locally in the jumpers (Zone 7) with our resident trainer,” Summer adds. In the 2010 30-day test in the North American stallion
testing, Val was second overall with 8.31. In 2011 he was champion of the 70-day test, with an overall score of 135.85. “He excelled in the 70-day test, not only winning the overall championship, but also winning both the jumping and ride- ability/gaits phases,” says Summer. His score was 128.08 in rideability and 140.66 in jumping. In the first four years of 70-day tests at Silver Creek Farms, Val earned the highest ever jumping score. They decided Val was something spe- cial and deserved the opportunity to shine in Europe. In 2011, he was sent to German trainer Gerd Koen-
emann, known for developing young horses. Horses must qualify to enter the Bundeschampionat, and Summer de- scribes the two qualifications for six-year-old contenders. “The first qualification is earned in a six-year-old qualifier class where the horses are given a score for scope and technique and must receive a score of 8.0 or higher. The second qualification is earned in a 1.30m class judged
“Our goal is to qualify him for the Seven-Year Old Bundes- championat in 2014 and then hopefully return to Lanaken for the world championships.”
on time and faults and must have a top three placing. In Janu- ary 2013, Validation won the 1.30m time and faults class by two seconds in a field of 32 entries. He also won his score qualifying class with a 9.0 and was the highest qualifying six- year-old competing at the Bundeschampionat in 2013.” At Warendorf, Val competed against 157 starters, and
Top: Validation-S, bred at Silver Creek Farms. Bottom: Validation as a foal with his dam Rexana.
with four faults sadly did not make the final. He then went to Lanaken, where he won his consolation class and earned €625. Summer says it was judged on time and faults. With no faults and the fastest time, Val triumphed over 210 oth- er six-year-olds under the reins of Christopher Klaesener. “Our goal is to qualify him for the Seven-Year-Old Bun- deschampionat in 2014 and then hopefully return to La- naken for the world championships,” Summer says. “After that he will be in training with upper level international competition in mind.”
Warmbloods Today 19
Courtesy Silver Creek
Pam Norton
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