Point Champion at the San Francisco Peninsula Chapter of the California Dressage Society’s 47th annual show. “He is kind of like a little boy. After he has worked hard, he puts his whole head in your lap. So sweet, so smart and willing. When faced with a new thing, you get a little question, ‘are you sure?’ But as soon as you say, ‘yes I’m sure’, he’s ok. Once he has something, he absolutely has it,” says Karen. Today he is schooling Tird Level and developing piaffe and passage under the watchful eye of trainer Hilary Martin in Wood- side, California, which is closer to where the Owyeungs live. Olivia is also riding a Dutch mare named Zamaire, who is farther along in training. “Sue thought Olivia was talented and should train on a horse that knows more. But Delano is coming along so quickly that he might catch up,” Karen says. She adds that Hilary recently rode Delano in a clinic with Axel Steiner who said the horse should be training Fourth Level or Prix St. Georges by the end of the year.
DAX: 2008, 17.0 Te baby of the family has ended up as the big guy. Oddly enough, his owner chose him over a larger youngster because he was smaller. Little did Kathy VanCamp realize he would grow quite so much. Further, she didn’t anticipate his successes. Currently executive director of the Lucile Children’s Hospital
Heart Center, Kathy moved to California from the east coast after her brother bribed her to move by promising to buy her a horse if she did. Friends with Sue for 25 years, she felt Sue’s horses were too
young, until she saw Dax. “I saw him move and loved him and his personality. He has such magnificent self-carriage, so forward and breathtaking as a three-year-old barely under saddle. He re- ceived an 85% from sport horse judge Lilo Fore in a breed show.” Kathy gave up her intention to buy an older horse. “Te plan was for Riana to get him safely going walk, trot and canter, and then I would ride him. But then his Training Level tests scored 78% and 79% with 8s and 9s on gaits, and I thought he was too good for me,” Kathy recalls. Again, Kathy changed her plans. She would see how far Dax could go with Riana. At this point he has brought home among others such honors as 2013 USDF First Level National Cham- pion (Young Rider level), USDF Musical Freestyle First Level Reserve National Champion, USDF All Breed Champion Olden- burg GOV First Level National Champion, and USDF Region 7 USDF Second Level Champion, as well as taking third place for Oldenburg GOV at the 2014 USDF All Breed Championships at Second Level. Next year, he will compete at Fourth Level and Prix St.
Georges. “Tis is a talented rider and a very talented horse. Te best for him right now is not me. If they advance on a national level and I can send them internationally, I’m thrilled to do that,” Kathy says. “He’s an old soul. He never had a baby brain. He might get confused, but once he gets it, he does it. Around the barn he is an absolute peach, a real gentleman. He has never had anything but love and that’s what I want for him. His love bug trait is from Donner. It’s fun. All the brothers have dad’s mane, the way it comes down on the right, the then flips left. Dax has Donner’s ears that curl around and point in.”
44 May/June 2015 SPECIAL Oldenburg SECTION
Dax, the youngest brother, with rider Riana Porter, receives congratu- lations from judge Brent Hicks for their championship at the GAIG/ USDF Open Second-Level Region 7 Finals.
With rare exception, Kathy is at Dax’s shows and clinics.
Living in Palo Alto, she makes the long trek to the barn every weekend. “Horses are my sanity. And they have taught me to live in the moment. I love what being around the barn does for me. I have such a high stress job that hanging around with my horse and the people is wonderful.” “We have been best friends for so long” Sue says of Kathy.
“In 1994 she was sentenced for a day job as my scribe at a Wood- side dressage show. We hit it off in a way that was fantastic and rare,” she recounts.
* * * As the three brothers move on in their careers, supported
by devoted owners who are perpetually excited about their charges, the breeder, owners, trainers and offspring stay closely connected. At the same time, twenty-eight-year-old Donner- schlag—the stallion that started it all—is healthy, sound and happily retired. Tanks to the frozen semen that was put aside before he retired from stud, his standing as a legendary sire will only continue to grow.
Courtesy Kathy VanCamp
Oldenburg Horse Breeder’s Society
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