By Amber Heintzberger
Sparrow’s Nio Steals the Show
IF THERE WERE A POPULARITY AWARD IN THREE-DAY EVENTING, THE ADORABLE AND SPUNKY CONNEMARA/THOROUGH- BRED GELDING SPARROW’S NIO WOULD BE A HANDS-DOWN WINNER.
But this sport is scored on talent, training and brav- ery, and little “Neo” still managed to capture the top prize—and the hearts of many of the spectators—at the Dutta Corporation Fair Hill International and USEF CCI** Fall Eventing Championships in Elk- ton, Maryland, in October 2013. Owner and rider Allie Blyskal-Sacksen, 23,
grew up near Fair Hill, spending her forma- tive years hacking around the event grounds, grooming for riders at competitions there and volunteering in the vet box. This year she even assisted with setting up the dres- sage arenas before the competition. As a young rider with very limited funds, Allie used these and other opportunities to learn as much as possible about her favor- ite sport. This has been an exciting year for Allie,
who was married in May to Olympic modern pentathlete Sam Sacksen, who represented the United States at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. (These versatile athletes compete in fencing, swimming, show jumping, pis- tol shooting and running.) The couple met at a U.S. Pony Club annual meeting and now make their home in Landenberg, Penn- sylvania. Sam recently began studying veterinary medicine at St. George’s University in Grenada, but Allie is still in Pennsylvania to work and ride and goes back and forth to visit. With Sam’s help, Allie spent much of the summer and fall honing her show jumping skills. Because she is still
Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto
working with a limited budget, regular work with a train- er isn’t always possible and so Sam’s help is invaluable. He acts as her “eyes on the ground,” reminding her to wait with her upper body—an important reminder, since at 5’10” a too-forward position can quickly put the 15.3 hand Neo off balance and bring down the rails. At Fair Hill the pair put it all together and turned in a faultless show jumping round in the final phase of the four-day compe- tition to earn the championship title on their dressage score of 47.8 penalties. Also helping her at the big event were her parents, Jim and Stacey Blyskal, and her aunt Sydney Wilson, who got Allie hooked on horses when she was just four years old.
A Sweet Spot
for Connemaras Neo is the second Connemara that Allie has owned. Previously she competed to the two-star level with Briar Fox Mundungus
(Grange Finn Sparrow x Savings Carrie/Super Savings), known as
“Marshall,” a full sibling to Inter- mediate eventer Sparrow’s Owen. After her aunt found Marshall in West Virginia, Allie purchased him for a dollar. She had planned to get him going and then sell him, but when she start- ed him over fences her plans for his future began to change. In spite of Mar- shall’s struggle to be competitive
Happy winners of the Fair Hill CCI2* division last fall, Allie Blyskal-Sacksen and her Connemara/ Thoroughbred Sparrow’s Nio.
Warmbloods Today 27
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