JULY 2021 THE RIDER /49


Riverdreams Llc & Monnington Farms LLC Announce World Champion Saddlebred ‘Marc Of Charm’ Selected As Breyer


®


Seven-Time World Champion & World Grand Champion Chestnut Stallion,


‘The People’s Horse,’ to be Immortalized as a Breyer Model


(Tuesday, July 13, 2021 - Louisville, KY) Owned by Gary and Carolyn Koch of Riverdreams, LLC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and trained and shown by Lionel Ferreira of Monning- ton Farm in Simpsonville, Kentucky, beloved Saddle- bred Champion Marc of Charm, ‘The People’s Hors,’, has been announced as a Breyer horse model. “To say that we are


thrilled to be one of the lat- est Breyer model horses is an understatement,” says Ms. Koch. “For our beloved champion to be immortal- ized as a Breyer model is an incredible honor and one that cements his status as one of the most iconic horses of the Saddlebred in- dustry.” She adds, “This is a dream come true for all of us, and we look forward to sharing the beauty and majesty that is Marc of Charm with Breyer fans and collectors worldwide.” Marc of Charm’s story


is indeed one that has the el- ements of a dream come true for all of his connec- tions. He was one of the first Saddlebreds Ms. Koch, a noted breeder of champion Pug Dogs, purchased after sseeinghim as a weanling in


Breyer #1847 Model, Wgc Marc Of Charm Saddlebred Stallion


a field. When Marc was just two years old, a young horse trainer named Lionel Fer- reira saw the colt and knew he would be an exceptional horse in his heart. Those two events converged to forge a truly unique bond between Marc, his owner, and his trainer.


When Marc was just


three years old, he and Li- onel won the Lexington Jun- ior League 3-year-old Five-Gaited Championship. That victory was only the first of many championship titles, blue ribbons, and red roses that the pair would go on to win together. During his final show ring perform- ance in August 2015, Marc won the Five-Gaited World Grand Championship at the Kentucky State Fair World’s Grand Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Ken- tucky. “For the American


Saddlebred, winning the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship is the pinna- cle of a horse’s career,” says Georgia Bulmer Ferreira, Lionel’s wife, and business partner. “On his way to win- ning that title, Marc became known as the ‘people’s horse’ in our breed because it took a few years for him to win. Every time he didn’t win, he got even more affec- tion from the crowd. When he finally won, the crowd was chanting his name!” After his historic vic-


tory in Louisville, Marc re- tired to stud at Monnington in 2015. To date, he has pro- duced 112 registered get, in- cluding 26 world champions and 74 horses who have earned first through eighth place ribbons, as well as nu- merous accolades. In addi- tion to sharing their sire’s skills and talents, many of


Marc of Charm’s offspring have inherited his mild- mannered temperament and beautiful coloring. “It does- n’t matter what division Marc’s babies are shown in. They are all very willing and able to be trained, and they enjoy a lot of success in the show ring,” states Ms. Ferreira. “All breeders want to produce a horse that’s useful, and as my husband always says, even if you’re not sure you’ll breed the next gaited champion, you know you’re going to breed a handy horse that a family can enjoy and be competi- tive with.” These days, Marc en-


joys the good life at Mon- nington Farm under the careful supervision of Li- onel and his breeding man- ager and best friend, Katey Smith. Marc enjoys getting scratches on his withers and drinking orange-flavored sports drinks when he’s not visiting the breeding shed or making special appearances at children’s events. Visitors to see Marc and tour Mon- nington Farm are always welcome; please phone (502) 722-8738 to schedule a visit.


About Monnigton Farm: Monnington Farm is a Pre- mier Saddlebred Breeding and Training Facility lo- cated in Simpsonville, Ken- tucky, and owned by Lionel & Georgia Bulmer Ferreira. Their goal is to breed and train top-quality show


Horse Model


horses, emphasizing quality in every aspect of their facil- ity. Lionel Ferreira has worked with Saddlebreds from an early age, and after leaving school, he went to Kentucky to work for some of the leading trainers in the industry to hone his craft. In 2010 Lionel & Georgia made the permanent move to Kentucky and opened Monnington Farm to the public. Lionel is well- known for his Selection, Breeding, and Training of top young horses and ama- teur horses alike. Georgia grew up around Morgan horses and is a lifelong en- thusiast and exhibitor, and a trained Interior Designer featured in the leading 40 designer’s directory of Lon- don. Michigan native Katey Smith is the farm Breeding manager and handles the Broodmare care and Breed- ing division. She has spent her entire career dedicated to the care and development of this breed, and her incred- ible attention to detail is at


the cornerstone of Monning- ton. New Hampshire native Sarah Mackenna handles the training duties alongside Lionel and is a graduate from William Woods Uni- versity, and has spent years honing her craft to develop- ing young horses and riders. For further information, visit https://www.monning- tonfarm.com/ and follow them on social media at https://www.facebook.com/ MonningtonFarm.


About Breyer: The world’s leading brand of horse-in- spired toys, gifts, col- lectibles, and live events and founded in 1950, Breyer celebrates the beauty, power, and inspiration of horses with a dedicated commitment to authenticity, quality, and realism. Breyer is one of America’s most iconic toy and collectible brands, and its ‘portrait’ models of horse heroes like Secretariat and Black Beauty have been inspiring children and adults alike for


generations. Breyer is devel- oping original programming with Imagine Entertainment and has partnerships with major studios, publishers, and licensees. Breyer’s an- nual convention BreyerFest is one of the largest fan gatherings in the world cel- ebrating the horse every July. Breyer is a division of Reeves International, a fam- ily-owned, New Jersey- based manufacturer. Discover the world of Breyer at www.Breyer- Horses.com.


About Breyer #1847 Model, Wgc Marc Of Charm Saddlebred Stal- lion: Coming Soon - An Ameri- can breed developed in the late 1800s, once known as the Kentucky Saddler, the Saddlebred is known for its smooth and showy move- ment. A Saddlebred show horse extraordinaire, WGC Marc of Charm, is known as “the people’s horse.” The chestnut stallion is a 7-0time world champion and world grand champion and was named the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion in 2015 for his excellent gaits and exuberant personality. Now retired from the show ring, he passes on his ath- leticism and attitude to the next generation of superstar colts and fillies—Breyer specs: Traditional, 1:9 scale, Ages 8+.


Hometown Win for Kelley Robinson in $20,000 Open Welcome Show Jumping Competition Returns to Ottawa’s Wesley Clover Parks


Grafton for owner Ariel Grange. When the first fence of the jump-off course came down, the victory went to Robinson. “I was a little worried


because there were some faster horses in the jump-off but he got the job done,” said Robinson in praise of Blue’s Yer Daddy, her 14- year-old Belgian Warm- blood gelding (Mr. Blue x Lys de Darmen) that stands 17.3hh. “He has a big stride, and he is the king of the leave-out. He’s a big horse and he loves this big ring. He was wonderful!” Finishing in second


Kelley Robinson of Russell, ON, won the $20,000 Open Welcome held Thursday, July 15, during the Ottawa Summer Tournaments at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography


Ottawa, Ontario – It was a hometown win as Kelley Robinson of Russell, ON, claimed victory in the $20,000 Open Welcome held Thursday, July 15, at Wesley Clover Parks in the nation’s capital. The first of two weeks


of back-to-back show jump- ing competition comprising the Ottawa Summer Tourna- ments attracted a starting field of 20 entries for the $20,000 Open Welcome.


Competing over a track set by course designer Mike Pegg of Uxbridge, ON, six horse-rider combinations produced clear rounds to ad- vance to the jump-off. Three other competitors – Paul Halpern, Canadian Olympic team silver medalist Jill Henselwood, and Susan Horn – left all the jumps in place but incurred time faults for exceeding the 89- second time allowed. As the fourth of six


riders to return for the tie- breaking jump-off, Robin- son moved into the lead with a clear round in a time of 40.92 seconds riding Blue’s Yer Daddy. Francois Lamontagne of Saint-Eu- stache, QC, was next to challenge with Chanel du Calvaire but one rail down meant that Robinson re- mained at the top of the leaderboard. It was all up to Hyde Moffatt of Brantford, ON, as the last to go riding


behind Robinson was Mof- fatt with his first jump-off entry, Donjo. Moffatt and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood


gelding


(Zirocco Blue VDL x Ahorn) were clear in a time of 42.38 seconds. Adrien Lemieux of Granby, QC, produced the only other double clear round perform- ance to place third riding Elle PS, a nine-year-old grey Oldenburg mare (Eldo- rado vd Zeshoek x Canabis Z) for owner Mark Samuel’s Chadburn Holdings Inc. One of the main draws


for competitors is the oppor- tunity to compete on Wesley Clover Parks’ grass grand


Hyde Moffatt of Brantford, ON, finished second riding Donjo for owner Ariel Grange in the $20,000 Open Welcome at the Ottawa Summer Tournaments. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography


prix field, the only one of its kind in eastern Canada. “The course was


nicely built, pretty friendly, but still difficult enough that the course designer didn’t get too many clears,” said Robinson of the track for the $20,000 Open Welcome. “We really thank this horse show for having this beauti- ful ring; it’s so nice to be on grass. Competing in front of my friends and family in this beautiful grass ring are my favourite things. I love


coming to this show.” Robinson and the stu-


dents from her Cimarron Show Stables have a total of 16 horses showing at this week’s Ottawa Summer Tournaments, plus she helps train several other competi- tors from the Ottawa area. Her fans will have lots to cheer for when she and Blue’s Yer Daddy take to the field for Saturday’s $50,000 Steel-Craft Grand Prix be- ginning at 4 p.m. As access to the com-


petition site is limited to es- sential persons only, specta- tors are not permitted at this year’s Ottawa Summer Tournaments. Fans can fol- low the action on-line as Saturday’s $50,000 Steel- Craft Grand Prix will be live-streamed by CBC Sports, and viewers can catch all the action from the grand prix field via Face- book Live. Live streaming is presented by Mark Mo- tors Group.


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