Did you know… dressage riders who compete with a member of this stunning breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program? The Friesian Heritage Horse & Sporthorse International, Friesian Horse Association of North America, Friesian Horse Society, Friesian Sport Horse Registry, and Friesian Sporthorse Association are all participating organizations!
After feeling his potential early in their partnership, this trainer from Region 7 tells us about her current Friesian partner, Enzo, and how he is fulfilling his prophecy at the highest level of the sport.
By Blair Niemcziek; Terri Miller Painting and Photo images
My name is Blair Niemcziek, and I am a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist from Chino Hills, California. I have made my home here in “SoCal” for the last five-plus years after moving from Washington state by way of Utah. I run a successful dressage training and sales business at one of the most beautiful facilities in the Inland Empire region of Southern California.
Lord Hof, aka Enzo, came to me about two years ago when his owner, Nicki Lucas, was looking for a new program for her herd of Friesians. Enzo and I clicked right away. At the time, he was leased by a lovely adult amateur rider who was in search of her own horse. After a few months, I matched that client with her own perfect horse. From that point forward, Enzo and I were a team. I knew he was special when I first saw him, but I had no idea just how cool he would come to be in the upcoming show season.
As a hardworking dressage trainer who came from a very middle-class family living in rural Washington, I rode just about every type of horse you could imagine. Even now, years later, with a beautiful string (of mostly warmbloods) in training, I absolutely do not discriminate. And Enzo has turned out to be exactly why I don’t!
Special horses come in all shapes and sizes. The horses that excel in the upper levels have a special feel. And to be quite frank, it’s hard to describe. They have to be hot and sensitive – but sensible. Reactive and quick – but only in the right moments. They have to be able to be molded into a neat, athletic package, and then stretched out to relax at a moment’s notice. All while presenting themselves (and their rider) in a way that looks enjoyable and happy.
Enzo has all of that. He’s trainable, he’s sensitive, reactive, he has suspension, loft, and cadence. He’s got an absolutely incredible ability to collect and “sit” (8s and even 8.5s for canter pirouettes). And on top of all of that, he absolutely loves his job, and you can clearly see that on his face every ride.
Enzo’s owner, Nicki, has an affinity for Friesians. She developed this “affliction” (I say this in jest) 20-plus years ago, and she’s never looked back. I had the pleasure of riding three of her Friesians at one time, and I have truly never seen so many talented horses all belonging to the same person! They aren’t just fancy and gifted for Friesians; they are fancy and talented horses all around, far beyond what we normally see in the dressage world.
I take a wide variety of horses into my program – from barely under saddle, to schooling and showing Grand Prix. I’m happy to develop and train any horses that are willing to learn. Enzo is special for so many reasons, and I knew right away that he and I would get along just fine. Of course, it has taken time to understand each other the way we do now, but his talent and work ethic were apparent right away. His gaits are far above average, with the canter being an absolute highlight. He has a quick and powerful hind leg with an uncanny ability to “sit” and collect. This is obviously very important in the FEI levels.
I wasn’t specifically looking for Friesians. But as I mentioned, I certainly don’t discriminate! Enzo is not just a talented Friesian, but a talented dressage horse in general. He is sensitive and reactive, but typically very rideable. He does have moments where he can become over-stimulated (noise often gets him at shows), but that is part of what makes him such a viable FEI candidate: his energy.
Oftentimes, successful upper level horses are quirky and a bit “over the top” in terms of their energy and go power. The trick is to be able to harness that power in a productive way and direct the energy where you need it. It’s a lot like riding a firework! But with harmony and balance. Enzo displays all of these attributes and in a Friesian body, which is pretty remarkable! His owner, Nicki, has such a keen eye for quality sport Friesians. I admire her for that! It’s not something I’ve ever had experience with, so I was thrilled to meet her and these amazing horses of hers.
Currently, we are schooling all of the Grand Prix movements. Our goal this year is to debut at Intermediate 2 and possibly Grand Prix by the end of the season. We are working on collection and tempo in the piaffe and passage, which takes an incredible amount of strength (and practice!). Of course, my ultimate goal is to keep Enzo happy, healthy, and fit for as long as possible. And so far, we are doing just that! It’s an added benefit that he’s incredibly talented and loves to work. So, we will keep training and moving up!
To date, I think Enzo and I’s greatest accomplishment is our incredible Intermediate 1 Freestyle to disco. We scored over 70% all season, and I had the most fun with this music. We are basically celebrities around the local Southern California dressage scene! Everyone loves our freestyle music and how well it fits Enzo.
Nicki was our biggest inspiration for music choice. She loves 70’s disco music (and so do I), and it’s always been her dream to see her Friesians dancing in the ring! We finally made that happen in 2025, and we cleaned house all the way to the Great American/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships in September with a Reserve Champion (by a very slim margin) at Intermediate I, and were named California Dressage Society Horse of the Year for Intermediate 1 Freestyle Open!
It’s a technical floorplan and the environment was very electric. So much so, that the first day we attempted our Freetyle, we had to excuse ourselves! Enzo was on fire, a little too much. We redeemed ourselves the following afternoon with a score of over 70% and a Reserve Championship placing. This certainly isn’t where the story ends – we are heading our way to the Grand Prix, and Nicki and I are both so excited for the future!
I’ve certainly opened my eyes more to alternative breeds since welcoming Enzo into my program and recognizing the difference in quality within those breeds. I find myself saying more often now that, “A good horse is a good horse.” It doesn’t matter what that horse is! Enzo has opened the door for recognition amongst other Friesian enthusiasts that I might not have seen previously. Enzo makes me look good as a rider and trainer; I owe him a lot for that.
I received a high compliment last spring during the Dressage at HITS Del Mar CDI 3*, where we rode at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate 1 for the first time in a CDI competition. Frederio Pinteus, an international FEI judge, made compliments about my riding and ability with a beautiful horse (outside of the test), and two different people mentioned this to me. I owe these compliments to Enzo, for allowing me to display my riding and training abilities to this level! He and I make a great team, and I am forever grateful to him for this.
The most special thing about Enzo is his amazing ability to always look so regal and beautiful! Enzo stops people everywhere he goes. He truly has a fan club, and they notice when he’s not at the shows with us. He has such a big personality and is so confident in himself. We should all be more like Enzo!
I am immensely grateful to his mom, Nicki Lucas, for supporting us and being our biggest cheerleader. I am honored to ride and showcase her beautiful horse for her. It brings me great pride to represent the Friesian breed with such an incredible example of what they can become, with a horse like Enzo. I will never be able to thank Nicki adequately enough for allowing me the ride on her special guy, but I will continue to do my very best to make her proud!
If you are on the fence about a Friesian as your next dressage partner, I’d tell you to ask Nicki to go shopping with you! 🙂 However, the most important thing you should focus on is work ethic and temperament. If you have those two things, you can develop just about any horse. A positive attitude and a horse that trusts you will serve you well in the dressage world.
