2023 Show Season Summary

2023 was a wonderfully successful show season! We started the season in May at the Sorensen Equestrian Park. Suzette and Krystal made their debut at Prix St George scoring in the low 60s! Suzette and Opus Dei (Oops) made their debut at Third Level scoring in the low 70s! Maia Becken and Afires Spellbound +/ (Sven) jumped right in and not only did their first ever Second Level rides with scores to 70%, they also did First Level Musical Freestyle rides with scores to 74% Emily Disalvo and First Striped Edition (Eddie) showed together for the first time and scored 70% in Training Level. Eddie was a “project horse” that Emily bought and that description is certainly and understatement. Emily did a super job helping Eddie at his first show and like we always say, the first show is like six months of training. We couldn’t be more proud of this pair!

At the end of June Suzette and Krystal went to the Great Arabian Get Together along with Leah Witt and Hidden Meadow Neirin Checkmate (Fiona). Great scores and rides, Fiona and Leah got their best scores in First Level!

One of the biggest highlights of the summer was Maia and Sven heading to the Arabian Youth and Midwest Championships in Oklahoma (in July — so hot). Their first ride, Second Level nonetheless, they won Reserve Champion! They earned a Top Ten in every class they went in, both First and Second Level, coming in 3rd place three more times! It’s often more difficult at the big Arabian shows as the purebreds, which Sven is, compete against the Half Arabians, usually warmblood crosses.

Smart Start horses also showed at Alpine in June with the highlight of Maia and Sven earning a Champion and Reserve High Score in First and Second Level and showing at Sorensen again in August with all the horses doing a great job, scoring nicely.

The 2023 show year ended with the CSDEA Festival. Krystal earned Reserve Champion at Prix St George and Oops earned Reserve Champion at Third Level! The icing on the cake —- for USDF Year End Awards, Oops was Champion 3rd Level and 3rd Level Vintage (rider over 50 years old) in the American Warmblood Society and Sport Horse Registry and actually placed 6th in the country in the Open Vintage Level 3rd Level!! Krystal and I earned Champion Prix St George Oldenburg Vintage Cup!!