Breeders’ Society An Alternative Path: Training Your Own
By Holly Simensen
Tere has been a great deal of discussion regarding the benefit of buying a “made” horse as opposed to pur- chasing or breeding a young horse and bringing it along oneself. Tere is merit in both strategies but, if you have the time, the young horse route has many benefits. Te following riders took their chances and elected to begin their journeys with young, just
started, horses. CHRISTINA VINIOS
hristina became a dressage enthusiast watching her grandmother Jean Vinios from Dover, Massachusetts, riding her schoolmasters. At the time, Christina rode for her own pleasure, dabbling with hunters and mainly just having fun. When she bought her first horse, it was with the encouragement of her entire family that she chose to focus on dressage. Her journey started with the
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purchase of a lovely three-year- old Don Primero mare, Donna Carina, from the Oldenburg region in Germany. Te mare had been under saddle for sev- eral months and was of a good enough quality to be chosen for the Oldenburg auction in Vech- ta. Christina was able to try her and, most importantly, she ob- served how the mare reacted with numerous riders, some of ques- tionable ability, and managed to get along with them. Carina passed Christina’s “inspection” with flying colors and soon was on a plane headed for America. Christina began showing her under the watchful eye of her trainers, at the same time add- ing another horse to her small string, the four-year-old Fol- kestone by Fidertanz. He was another horse with an exem- plary temperament and outstanding gaits, also from Vechta.
Photo at top of the stallion Fairbanks by Kiki Beelitz.
Christina’s breakthrough with her riding came when she spent the summer with Kathy Priest in Versailles, Ken- tucky—working with a woman made all the difference for her. It was her realization and inspiration from Kathy that she as a woman could make it. No longer cowed by the at- titude that only men could make her horses shine, Christina vowed to work harder on herself. Tis growth in attitude was reflected in the show ring, with numerous winning scores on both horses. In Wellington her new trainer Juan Matute Sr. pushed her beyond her wildest dreams and, with the addition of two more horses, Boston Strong and the 2015 Oldenburg under-saddle licensing champion stallion Boreas, she was on her way. Tese horses have all been ridden by Christina from the time they were three or four. Her learning curve, as well as that of her horses, has been a steep, progressive one. Folke- stone is now a serious Intermediare 1 horse and rising, win- ning Devon in 2015, and was Developing Horse PSG champion and Intermediare I champion, while Donna Carina will be hot on his heels. Te two younger ones are both working and competing brilliantly. Te knowl- edge she has gained from working with these talented young horses is something she never would have at- tained with older schooled horses. She instead invested in herself by learning how to ride and train dressage, a gift that these young Oldenburgs have given her.
AMY SWERDLIN A
Christina Vinios and Folkestone, an Old- enburg gelding she bought at the Vechta auction. Tis past winter they competed successfully at Prix St. Georges and Inter- mediare I.
nother rider whose skills have grown beyond her wildest dreams is Amy Swerdlin. Her schoolmaster
Epikur was a challenge with his quirky temperament and was therefore instrumental in her delving into breeding. Her goal was to produce the horse of her dreams without outlaying millions of dollars that is now the seeming norm. To say that this venture was a success would be an understatement. Her homebred youngsters have proven to be very, very talented, with several more in the pipeline. Amy has had her homebreds backed by an Argentin- ian who started them in a most unconventional way. With a saddle pad and surcingle, a polo pony led the
youngsters teaching them to go forward! Tis also taught them to trust. Life was fun for them and fear and misunderstanding were never part of the equation. Although an unusual way to start her horses, one reason that it worked was because there
SPECIAL Oldenburg SECTION Warmbloods Today 51
Oldenburg Horse Breeders’ Society
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