Celebrating Draft Horses!

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Submitted by Jennifer K. - FHF Super Duty - Registered Belgian

Draft power!!  This month on YourDressage, we are celebrating the mighty Draft Horse and Draft Crosses of all kinds.  Dressage riders who choose Drafts as their mounts are eligible for many Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards as there are several Draft organizations on our Participating Organization list.

We recently asked our social media followers to share photos of their Drafts, and let us know what makes them so special. Below, you can see some of their photos and stories.  Keep an eye out for more Draft galleries throughout the month of August.

Do you want to share a photo of your Draft or Draft Cross? E-mail us at yourdressage@gmail.com for your chance to be featured! Stay tuned to YourDressage all month long as we celebrate #DraftPower, with photo galleries and exclusive stories from Draft enthusiasts across the country!

Submitted by Anna C. – Here’s my draft cross nurse mare baby, Classic City – aka Waylon!
He was found in a huge field in Nicholasville, KY, and now is learning the Third Level stuff!
Submitted by Alayna J. – This is Plane Jane, an 11 year old Belgian cross mare.
Submitted by Alayna J. – This is Echo a 20 year old Belgian cross gelding. We were all signed up for the 2020 season with membership and everything before Covid. So we’re waiting a little while yet before we hit the dance floor again.
Submitted by @ashmariez – My Clydesdale mare Midnight Dreary (aka Raven) has wings, I swear. She’s an amazing horse. This was our very first show back in the spring and she handled it like a pro!
Submitted by @bighoovesbiggerheart – My shire, Bella Noche – aka Belle, was a livestock auction rescue. We had to restart her and now we are starting to show and scored a 69% at our first show!
When my livestock auction rescue, Bella Noche, arrived, skinny and scared of everything.
Submitted by Emma S. – This is my Irish Sport Horse/draft. We currently compete dressage and he is the definition of a gentle giant! His name is Guinness and his show name is Guinness On Draft!
Submitted by Virginia G. – My beautiful Belgian Paint cross gelding. PMU auction baby now showing third level!
Submitted by Pam K. – This is All Jazz’Dupp (aka Jazz), my Warmblood/Draft cross and I love him beyond measure. My trainer rescued him from a kill pen when he was 3 (he’s 14 now) and he’s just a true gem. I’ve owned him for 5 years now and he’s given me my confidence back. Without him I would have hung up my boots for good. Such a sweet soul and I’m so lucky.
Submitted by Tricia C.
Submitted by Tricia C.
Submitted by Tricia C – Fritz is 1/4 Clyde and has 100% of my heart. I’ve had him since birth and he is now 10 yrs old❤️
Submitted by Julie S. – My Suffolk Punch gelding, Hercules. 10 year old, riding 1st Level.
Submitted by Cassidy H. – This is Herman, I have had him for five years now. He was an Amish horse and a trail horse before I got him. When I got him he didn’t know much about dressage or how to really pick up his feet, but he has come a long way, and has tried his heart out every step of the way!
Submitted by Erin ZW.
Submitted by Erin ZW.
Submitted by Erin ZW. – I wanted to send you some photos of my horse Aeris! She is an 11 year old Percheron cross. We are qualified for regionals in PSG, I1 and I1 freestyle, and we are schooling Grand Prix!
Submitted by Devyn T. – Here is my draft cross – a Percheron/TB!
Submitted by Devyn T.
Submitted by Jessica C. – I compete with my 7 year old purebred Clydesdale stallion, Towerview Theo (“Nitro”), in region 6 as an AA.
We’re wrapping up First Level this year and schooling 2nd and 3rd. We were the ’18 World Clydesdale Show Champions in English Pleasure, Res Champs in Dressage, and 5th in the World in Hunters OF.
Submitted by Jennie B.
Submitted by Lou D. – I wanted to send my Drum mare, MFF Echo of the War Horse
She is 5 years old and stands 17 hands tall
Echo competes in high school equestrian team, breed shows, gaming, cows, and more!
Submitted by Olivia N. – here are some pictures of me and my Percheron, Belle.
We are teaching her dressage. She just learned to leg yield 🙂
Submitted by Hilary R. – So this guy actually isn’t mine, but he’s mine for the time being. I found myself mid-pandemic unemployed, at my heaviest weight far too close to 300lbs, and honestly probably depressed. My friend recommended I start riding again, something I hadn’t done in over 3 years. I wanted to say yes, but all the horses she had were your average horse and I absolutely refused to get on them at my weight. She told me to find something big enough I felt comfortable with.
Within a week or two, someone posted on Facebook looking for someone to lease a safe dressage mount that would be good to build confidence for an adult amateur. His owner posted a video of him and I had to have him! I instantly reached out and he was at my friend’s barn within a week on a free lease.
I was insecure and terrified to get on, but this 1700lb, 17.2 Percheron cross was certainly big enough. However, catch with finding one big enough is actually getting your butt up there. With the kindest of encouragement from barn family, I got on & haven’t looked back! Since then, I’ve lost over 60lbs and still going! We’re going to our first recognized dressage show later this month and we will see if we qualify for regionals.
Regardless, Moose has been the constant in my life this past year amongst so much loss. Some good, the weight loss & fear… others bad, a job & my beloved french bulldog of 10 years. I’m eternally grateful to his owner for sharing him with me. Her only request was love him like your own, and that has been the easiest request ever. He may not be perfect or the fanciest dressage horse, but he was quite literally the perfect horse for me the past year 💖🦄
Submitted by Samantha C. – I own two of the DCBOA grand and reserve champions through the FEI levels. Rubeus Hagrid (Friesian/Belgian draft) and I have turned heads everywhere we go as he is 18hh and quite the half giant! Hagrid was undefeated at Second Level in 2020, high point at every show, and we go over 70% twice.
Submitted By Samantha C. – I own two of the DCBOA grand and reserve champions through the FEI levels. Sir William (Clyde/TB) and I earned our Bronze and Silver USDF medals and made it half way to our gold together.
Submitted by Naomi H – Here is our 5 year old Clydesdale Windsor Road Beau. He is in training with Heather Willson Roller and has started competing this year.
Submitted by Valeska D.
My Clyde x Morab mare, Brisa
Submitted by Stefani W. – This handsome guy is Apollo doing first level. DNA testing says he is a Noriker, Percheron, shire mix.
Submitted by Tae E. – Travis is a Percheron/Quarter Horse cross and our resident wonder horse. He was purchased as a lesson horse, but has turned out to be one of the most decorated horses in the barn!
Submitted by Tae E.
Submitted by Tae E. – Not only has he taken care of countless students through lessons and schooling shows, but he has proven himself competitive in the open division as well. He has shown through second level earning scores over 70%, won year end awards in more than one GMO, and even earned a ticket to the 2021 US Dressage Finals! He is Owned by Marsha Harshman and resides at M&M Farm in Sullivan, IL
Submitted by Kathleen C. – Gustav, a Percheron x Hanoverian…he is amazing
Submitted by Dianne P.Y. – This is Ollie, my 16 year old Percheron Thoroughbred cross, at a Christmas schooling show. Look how handsome he is!!
Submitted by Victoria J.B. – Jadzia Dax, 24 years old, 1/4 Belgian, 3/4 TB
Rhonda P. – My PMU foal is now schooling Grand Prix – pic from 2019 USDF Region 8 I-1 championships – 4th place
Submitted by Rebekah V.D. – I ride a friend’s Percheron, Jack, occasionally
Submitted by Victoria W-M. – License to Chill – Tb x Belgian x Paint
Submitted by Courtney B. – Henry, my Irish Draft
Submitted by Pam W. – This is Elvis, my Belgian x TB. He’s 8 years old and a well loved character
Submitted by Wendy S. – This is Ted, a Belgian X, when he was 8 competing at Third Level! I have owned Ted since he was 3 and he is now 11.
Ted and Wendy training in Maryland
I’ve done most of the training myself with lessons from trainers. He’s extremely kind and has been so much fun to work with! He has successfully competed through Fourth Level. I haven’t shown the last two years, but I’m hoping to show Prix St Georges next year!
Submitted by Elizabeth M. – Registered Belgian, Lawn Rock Mario
Submitted by Dedra W. – This is Cheyenne, an Appaloosa x Belgian, my first dressage horse. He helped my earn my Bronze Medal and helped earn my Fourth Level scores towards my Silver medal. He has taken me to GAIG/USDF Regional Championships twice, and has since been retired from midlevel work, and my mother now rides him just simple WTC.
Submitted by Liz L. – Love my Belgian x Fjord cross! There is nothing like the draft cross work ethic!
Submitted by Teresa H.G. – My half Belgian Half Quarter Horse!
Submitted by Teresa H.G. – My sister Nina Mars and her draft cross
Submitted by Agnieszka J. – Pippen of GBF. Gypsy Cob Cross. All Breeds Awards Champion in Second Level in American Gypsy Horse Association. Training Third Level.
Submitted by Bridget B. – My clients super awesome Clydesdale x Welsh cross. He is so adorable and everyone just loves him
Submitted by Bridget B. – He’s got a full sister too!
Submitted by Brittany S. – Traci Lee’s Clydesdale cross mare Zivanka
Submitted by Amber S. – Bag of Bones, aka Bob, a Belgian Thoroughbred
Submitted by Crystal W. – Dulcinea – 1/4 Percheron
Submitted by Jeanne H – Do Irish Draughts count?
Submitted by Hayley G.
Submitted by Gayle P. – Valor – My 18h Perch x Shire x TB and successful FEI horse
Submitted by Laura W. – My Spotted Draft mare
This is my two-year-old imported Belgisch Trekpaard stallion, Viktor van de Kloosterhoeve. I call him Earl. Right now I do many fun activities on the ground, but he’ll eventually be my dressage partner. He’s presently 16.1hh, 1900lbs, and loves to play.
Submitted by Low Country Acres – Earl horsing around with one of his favorite toys. He settled two mares and is expecting two foals in 2022. He’ll have his first limited breeding season at LowCountry Acres next year.
Submitted by Jonathon P. – That’s our beautiful Charlie Horse

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