Submitted by Kate Seufer: Theodora is my eight year old Percheron/Thoroughbred cross. She's a massive 18.2h and had a tricky start due to a fractured coffin bone. We're catching up now and she debuted at Training Level this year! She's a very special horse - she has a ton of personality and is extremely brave. She converted my husband into a horse person too, so she's worth her weight in gold! 😂
Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with.
Vivaldi is my lovely 1/2 Friesian 1/2 spotted draft. 🥰 – Darby S.My lovely 19yr old shire cross. Fracture her leg before I got her and now has a fused hock in that leg but continues to get better and better everyday. Ended our season this year at our local schooling show championship with a 79.44% in our freestyle and already has one scores towards our freestyle for USDF regionals 2026. – Paige E.Does a Gypsy Haflinger cross count?? (Pending registration) He just competed in his first USDF show, my first in over 13 years, at 2nd level. Due to my son’s baseball we only showed on Saturday, but received our first qualifying score for regionals and two first places. We weren’t even cantering this time last year 💪 – Brooke J.Meet Jaegers Platinum aka Plat. He is a 14yr old 18.2 Percheron registered with the Percheron Horse Association of America. He has shown up to first level and been featured in the Percheron News magazine twice!! Once on the cover and once in a brochure advertising the USDF all breeds programs to recruit more Percherons into the dressage world! – April B.Chapman is my 17.3 HH Dutch warm blood, Belgian cross competed through 4th level dressage and earned my bronze medal on him. He is now 20 and still competing, we did our first freestyle this fall at third level. – Kiersten V.My heart horse La Fancy (Percheron / QH cross ) is a jack of all trades! We compete in eventing and dressage. But Our favorite is doing the freestyles ! We just recently starting seriously competing in dressage. We were able to participate in the second annual AA championships for region 3 and placed 4th in the freestyles with a 1st level test ! If I could I would clone a million of her 🥰 – Stacy M.Spotted draft, percheron. Name is Wilson. 17.1 hands of sparkling dapples .
His amazing rider is my friend Karen Vaughn. She has done most of his training, and still rides at 78 yrs. Young. I believe Wilson is 14.
– Kris H.17 yr old Triple Pines Kelly, Belgian hitch mare. We have played at home and did one W/T eq. class at a schooling show while I was in between horses. These pics and stories are so amazing! It’s so nice to see so many do so well in the sport. – Kelly M.Premarin kill pen rescue. Belgian/paint x. Trained through fourth level. Love of my life. Purchased as a husband horse and then took me to the moon. – Talulah W.Sir Henry – He was my Percheron/TB dance partner who sadly passed away last year at 18yo. We went from neither of us knowing Dressage to showing Third Level. He was the best partner in and out of the arena! – Kristina R.This is Joey, we’re working on our Bronze medal, have our 1st and 2nd level scores, working on our changes for 3rd this year! I have had him since he was 3, he’s 8 now and the biggest teddy bear. – Sarah C.Meet Bonnie — a rescue Clydesdale x Arabian “oopsie” baby turned true wonder mare. This was her very first season competing in USDF after dabbling in a few intro-level schooling shows last year. Our only goal was to give her a safe, confidence-building season… and she absolutely blew those expectations out of the water.
Bonnie finished the year 83rd in the All-Breeds standings at Training Level, helped earn rider achievement awards at both Training and First Level, collected four scores toward her riders’ bronze medals, and even brought her mom into the USDF circuit for the very first time.
We lovingly call her the “wonder mare” because she continues to amaze us — not only by holding her own among the traditional dressage types, but by thriving.
When she came to us, Bonnie carried both physical and emotional baggage. But with time, patience, and consistency, she has grown into the horse she is today. She absolutely loves to show and turns on the charm the moment she steps into the arena.
Bonnie proves every day that it doesn’t matter the breed, what matters is the heart! Q2 Photography image – Brooke K.Meet Obsidian, my 13 year old Percheron Appendix cross! I purchased Sid in 2022 as “just” a horse to enjoy and do whatever we wanted to do. We landed at a dressage barn and started taking lessons with our amazing trainer. Sid really stepped up to the plate – I went from never wanting to show again due to past trauma to chasing my USDF bronze with him. I’ve done all of his training and am so proud to share that we earned our Bronze in 2024! This year we got our 4th level scores towards my silver and I’m crossing all my fingers we are ready for tails next year! 😬
While dressage does not come easily to Sid and he’s a mediocre mover at best – he makes up for it in his try and his heart. He works hard for me and every time I doubt he can go any further he says “watch me”. We will never be winning regionals, but we will be having a blast and learning together as we keep working toward our goals! This guy weighs in at almost 1700 pounds – definitely a heavy hitter but out here knocking it out of the park and making things I never even dreamt of come true! 🥰 – Katie G.My 8 year old Friesian/QH cross, Tío! He is 16 hands and extremely wide! He has the BEST personality, he’s a hard worker but also hilarious! The ladies at the barn call him “Uncle Fabio” because he has a lovely long mane and tail. He’s my best friend and has helped to heal my heart after losing my horse of 22 years. – Kris L.Bentley is 1/4 shire, 1/4 QH, & 1/2 TB. He is a former prelim eventer as in 2017 he broke his pastern bone. This year we earned our bronze! – Katie R.-M.Dakota, a 17.3 Percheron/Hackney cross who has spent most of his life as a lesson and therapeutic riding horse, and in his late teens has also become my part-time dressage and eventing buddy. – Eliza H.The Chick Magnet. 14.1hh draft cob. 2 top 10 2nd level placings (AA and AA FS) this year at USDF nationals. USDF all breed 2nd level GVHS champion this year. – Vasiliki H.I’ll Have Another Cosmo, Percheron TB x, Premarin foal. Brought me back to showing after a bad fall, now doing third level dressage. ❤️ – Lindsey M.In Pursuit, affectionately known as “Chase,” is a 9 year old Gypsy cross who just started his dressage career after a previous job chasing cows!🐮 Chase brings heart, brains and a formidable mustache to the dressage ring! (Zoom in to see the ‘stache! 🥸) – Liz L.Jace is an 8 year old Percheron/QH owned by a client of mine. She bought him from a sale called best of the west and came from a ranch working farm. Now he’s successfully showing and is about to figure out his lead changes! – Helen L.Elvis – Belgian TBX he came to me as a 6 yr old. We are schooling GP bitless ( tried with a bit, wasn’t pretty 😅) I am learning SO much from this horse. . GRATEFUL! – Alison A.Horse I used to lease, Immortal Thor, Warlander (Friesian x PRE). Successfully trained and competed him through 3rd level. We learned and grew together. I will always have a special place in my heart for him. SusanJStickle.com photo – Renee S.
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! […]
[…] Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy horses and heavy breed crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite heavy breed or heavy breed cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these gentle giants. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with. […]