USDF is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! In November & December, we are shining the spotlight on riders who have also reached this milestone. Follow along all through November and December for inspiring and heartwarming stories of trials and triumphs, and fabulous photo galleries!
Here, a USDF Region 5 Vintage Cup rider shares the story of purchasing a Lusitano stallion sight unseen, and how he has turned into her perfect partner for dancing and working equitation!
By Tania Radda
When I was 40 years old, I was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia that requires the use of a pacemaker. This condition also poses some physical limitations on my tolerance for exercise. The Lusitano is a perfect horse for riders who are looking for smoother and easier to sit and ride gaits.
Meeting Imperio
I came upon Imperio seven years ago, through Andre Ganc, a breeder of Lusitanos – as well as a clinician and dressage judge – in Brazil. Andre became a regular clinician for us here in Arizona, and one day I asked him if he had a horse who he thought might match my riding goals. At that time, he had a beautiful 4-year-old Lusitano stallion for sale. Andre assured me that Imperio would be a great fit for me.
Imperio had one of the best dispositions that Andre had seen. He had the brains, the trainability, and the talent to be a competitive dressage horse, as well as a horse I could have quite a bit of fun working with and showing. That was all I needed to know. I purchased Imperio, sight unseen. Why not? We only live once.
At the time I bought him, Imperio had only a few months of training under saddle, and I decided to leave him in Brazil for a few more months to continue his training before shipping him to the US. Six months after purchasing, I traveled to Brazil and finally met Imperio in person. He was everything I hoped and more. Nine months after I bought him, Imperio arrived at my doorstep. Two months later, we took our maiden voyage down centerline, at First Level, and we have been traveling down centerline together ever since.
Working Equitation
Note USDF strongly recommends all riders wear protective headgear when mounted
When I bought Imperio, I was also learning about the sport of Working Equitation, a dressage version of the working cow horse in Europe. I was fascinated about the sport; the way the riders dressed, the way they presented their horses, and all the celebration that surrounds the Iberian horses in Portugal and Spain. I wanted Imperio to not only be my dressage horse, but to also be a horse I could take to some of our Working Equitation shows.
Luckily for me, I had a wonderful trainer, Miguel Undabarrena. He was the perfect fit for Imperio. Miguel has his USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals, and he is also a master level rider in Working Equitation, successfully showing horses in Working Equitation in the US and overseas. He works with stallions, and his specialty is the Lusitano and PRE breeds.
Miguel and I took Imperio to breed shows, including the Andalusian World Cup, where he was Senior Stallion Champion two years in a row. We showed him in Working Equitation where he was champion several times, as well as National Champion. Imperio has been shown successfully to Level 6 in Working Equitation with Miguel. Imperio and I were National Champions in 2022 at Level 5. We had quite a bit of fun showing Imperio. We dressed him in full Portuguese tack and Miguel would do the dragonera style braids. Wherever we went, Imperio was always a crowd favorite.
Dressage
We worked on developing Imperio’s dressage career. In dressage, Miguel and I partnered at the shows, Miguel always showing a level above me. We kept moving Imperio up the levels. Imperio has been shown successfully to Prix St. Georges with Miguel on board. He has won several classes, and has been quite competitive in the show ring. Imperio has won several titles in the USDF All-Breeds Awards with United States Lusitano Association (USLA) as Champion and Reserve Champion. He has won Year End Awards from our Group Member Organization, the Arizona Dressage Association, and has always placed at our State Championships, even earning as high as Reserve Champion.
When I tell you I have a room full of ribbons, coolers, trophies, medals, and swag that this horse has won, I am not exaggerating. He is the “little engine that could” horse!
We have earned high scores and we have earned low scores. He keeps you humble and shows you that you have to do your share of the work. He will not give anything for free but if you ask correctly, he will show you he is quite capable. Imperio is not a flashy mover or an easy horse to ride, but when you ride him correctly, he will definitely please the judges. He teaches me that I must always go back to basics in my training; that I must work on my seat, my hands, and my legs. He reminds me that there is a purpose to the training scale of dressage.
Current Goals
A year and half ago, I brought Imperio home. My husband and I bought a 5-acre lot and built our little piece of heaven. We built a beautiful barn, a dressage arena, and we brought the horses home.
Since Imperio has been home, I have mostly been working on my own. I continue to ride in clinics with Andre, who has been very influential and helped me improve my relationship with Imperio, and we have developed an even stronger partnership. While working on our own, we earned the title of National Champions in Working Equitation for 2022, and it looks like we might once again be National Champions in 2023. We were Reserve Champions at Fourth Level for the Arizona State Championships in 2022, and we will be riding again in a few weeks at the 2023 State Championships.
The advantage of riding at home on your own is that it gives you time to work on the things you learn in lessons. The bad thing about riding on your own is that you develop bad habits. My goal for 2024 is to move up to Prix St. Georges. It is a big leap, and one I know I should not be taking on my own. I decided to go back to taking lessons on a regular basis with Beverly Rogers, and we are once again working on the basics. As she says, “he knows the ‘language’ he just needs to be reminded how to speak it.” So do I, and more so than him!
A Special Horse
The special thing about Imperio is that he has an amazing soul. As a stallion, he is super well behaved, and I tell everyone that anyone who knows how to ride could get on him. I take Imperio everywhere completely on my own. I haul him for lessons, for clinics, for shows, I tie him to the trailer, and no matter where we go, he is always the same. I do not need to worry about his behavior. We go places together and we have fun. He is also a crowd pleaser, and has friends everywhere. People always stop to meet, pet, and just be around him. It helps that he is beautiful. He also has a modeling career, and has been in front of the lens of some well-known photographers.
The Freestyle
Another dream of mine was to dance with Imperio in a freestyle. I wanted to be able to go down centerline to not just music, but music that matched this amazing horse. I was lucky to find Leslie Goldman Berro. We talked over the phone and I shared with her all the stories about Imperio, including the one where, in September of 2021, I had given the go ahead to euthanize him as he was struggling with a crippling melanoma in his rectum. Yes, this is when I almost lost my unicorn. But everyone adores this horse, so no one was ready to let him go.
The surgeon on his case went above and beyond the call of duty, performing an unorthodox surgery that not only saved his life, but continues to provide him with a healthy life. I am forever grateful to Dr. Christine Moyer for saving this horse, and to be able to continue to celebrate him.
I shared this story with Leslie, and I added that I was not particularly interested in Spanish, Portuguese, or Brazilian music for Imperio. That I wanted something special and upbeat. She had free reign to create what she thought would highlight him the best. She matched him to the soundtrack of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! How fitting is that? She said she saw him as a romantic hero. We are riding to “Inside the Case” for our trot work, “Newt says Goodbye to Tina” for our walk, and “Kowalski’s Rag” for our canter work. We have ridden the freestyle only twice so far, and the judges think the music is a fantastic and perfect match for him.
My goal now is to continue with this freestyle, and improve our dance in the ring. Riding a freestyle is challenging, and it will help me with my other goal of eventually going down centerline in the Prix St. Georges.
Share the Experience
I was asked what advice I would give other senior riders for their riding goals and what I would say to those looking for a dressage prospect. My best advice is to first find your true partner. It makes a difference to have a horse you love working with, that you are not afraid of, and that brings you happiness. It is all about the partnership, as a truly matched pair will always keep working and advancing together, whereas an ill-matched pair will continue to struggle.
If you already have a true partner, remember to have fun! Keep exploring, learning, and challenging yourself. Remember too, that there are other things you can do with your horse beyond competing in the sand box.
Look for a form of cross training that will help you strengthen the connection you have with your horse. Recognize that we are at a different stage in our lives. We can have lofty goals, but we should not be hard on ourselves when things don’t quite go the way we planned. Seek help from others, find a group of like-minded people that support you and your goals, and get involved with your local dressage club and community.
Adequan®/USDF Vintage Cup
USDF and many other clubs have a Vintage program – at least they are not calling us old! We might be past our 50s, but our brains are still in our 20s, if perhaps a bit wiser. If you have not yet declared for the Vintage Cup recognition, I recommend you do. I signed up when I turned 50 and I am now 58 years old. It is a great opportunity to be recognized by Adequan and USDF for Year-End Awards. If your horse can be registered under one of the All-Breeds Participating Organizations, make sure to do that too, as it will also help you earn recognition. Imperio and I have been receiving awards from USLA since they became one of the organizations recognized under the USDF All-Breeds program three years ago.
Get Involved
I close this letter with insight I want to share with others passionate about dressage. Become involved with your local clubs and help promote the sport. Seven years ago, I joined the Arizona Dressage Association board, knowing I could offer some help to our community. It also gave me a chance to learn about the other side of the sport – managing it.
Six months later, I was elected president of the board, and I’m still serving. Not sure how that happened, but here I am. It has been my mission as President to support our sport and to provide our members with educational opportunities. It is challenging times for our GMOs, but becoming involved and helping your local club will go a long way. Please take the time to volunteer and help promote our wonderful sport!
Such a great article and inspirational for us older riders. I just came back from the Golega’ Horse Fair in Portugal and the Lusitanos were eying amazing!