2010 Sport Horse Nationals — A Glimpse
by Jeffrey Wintersteen |
Supreme Champion Sport Horse, Champion Sport Horse Stallion Open and ATH, Champion Working Hunter, Champion Sport Horse Under Saddle, and Champion Hunter Hack *Oration (Dormane x Ortie), shown and ridden by Michael Desiderio and owned by Stephanie and Ricci Desiderio, Chester, NJ. |
The eighth annual U.S. Sport Horse Nationals recently concluded under cloudless skies and pleasant weather with just under 400 horses participating in the day three event at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, Idaho, September 22-25. Sport Horse Nationals is divided into four divisions, dressage, hunter/ jumper, driving, and sport horse, with the sport horse division serving as an evaluation of suitability for the other divisions. The Sport Horse In-hand Supreme Champion was *Oration (Dormane x Ortie), winner of six national titles the previous year in Lexington, Kentucky, who was easily the most decorated horse of the 2010 Nationals. The 2004 bay stallion was bred by successful American racehorse breeder Diane Waldron in France and is owned by Stephanie and Ricci Desiderio. *Oration also won national championships in Stallion In-hand, both Open and ATH. He proved to be a fitting choice for the "suitability under saddle" class as he was also named U.S. National Champion Working Hunter, U.S. National Champion Hunter Hack, and U.S. National Champion Sport Horse Under Saddle - both open and ATR. He was shown to open championships with Michael Desiderio and the amateur championships with Alexandria Desiderio.
Other successes in the In-hand classes were U.S. National Champion Mare Sport Horse In-hand EK Monarchs Jewel (Gai Monarch x Focus Fanalima), shown to the championship by delighted, owner and handler Rhonda Roos, and AMF Tamara Rose (TFA Domingo x Saharan Breeze) who won the Reserve Championship with owner-handler Anne Machler. Reserve Champion Stallion was Mirage V (Desperado V x Misti V), who was also Reserve to *Oration in the Sport Horse Under Saddle championship. Mirage V is owned by Elizabeth Conti. U.S. National Champion Gelding Sport Horse In-hand went to AM Star Ofhonor (AM Good Oldboy x Al-Marah Dorer) for Wendy Davis of Tucson, Arizona. Al-Marah Mighty Brite (AM Double Dream x AM Shining Friend) won reserve honors for Bazy Tankersley. In the two-year-old Jackpot classes, Al-Marah Lady Anne (Bremervale Andronicus x AM Winsome Steed), Al-Marah Swift (Al-Marah Quebec x Reem Al Fala), and C Sir Tyson (Sir Fames HBV x C Felicity) won the filly, colt, and gelding classes respectively. For Half-Arabian Sport Horse In-hand, Isabella Featherdance (Jelle Van A x Stage Tu) was Champion Mare, DSF Foolin With Firre (Ohadi Indian Fire x DSA Aurrianna) Champion Stallion, and MJ Dot Com (MJ Fusion x Solnika) Champion Gelding.
The dressage classes were well attended and took place in spacious arenas east of the main facility. The Grand Prix Champion was KB Omega Fahim (Amir Fahim x Amyrah Adhemah), ridden by Chelsey Sibley for owner Elaine Kerrigan of Eureka, California. The purebred black stallion won the intermediate championship last year in Kentucky. In the final section of Sport Horse Nationals, driving, VPF Nite Reign (Royal Knightfyre x MAS Knight Wind) won the Carriage Pleasure Driving Working Championship for Chris and Sonya Bickford of Sherwood, Oregon, with Sonya Bickford at the reins. Overall, it was a great championship show with some spectacular performances from our beloved Arabian horses. We all look forward to next year!
more show results at www.arabianhorseworld.com
