Tag: All-Breeds Awards

As the Lead Photographer for the Tempel Lipizzans, I am familiar with this view. May at Tempel Farms has always been time for our annual marketing shoot. I have loved this magical place since the first day I set foot here in June of 2013. I used to live a mere 20 minutes away and spent many hours and days here. This is where I first heard the word, “dressage”. This is where I learned how to properly photograph moving horses. Over the ensuing years, I have traveled with them, photographed the clinics they hosted, and was welcomed into the Tempel Farms fold.

There are certain memories from my childhood that stand out. From my earliest moments in life, I remember being totally obsessed with horses. By the time I came along, my parents had started to build a farm in South Carolina with some acreage, raised cows, and procured a couple of pasture puff horses that were mostly feral. I rode every chance I could. My mind was constantly daydreaming of a certain racing Arabian black stallion (thanks Walter Farley) and numerous dancing grey Lipizzaners in formation from Miracle of the White Stallions!

As we built our partnership, we accumulated a number of accomplishments, but I would have to say our greatest accomplishment was obtaining all six USDF Rider Medals and USDF Freestyle Bars together - all before I turned 21. We are one of only a small number of US riders to accomplish this feat in general, let alone an even smaller group to do so at such a young age and all on one horse.

Back in 2008, a Florida breeder of Lipizzans for 40 years welcomed a bay colt into their Lipizzan family. He was the only non-gray Lipizzan foal born to this breeder, and he was promptly named Chester. Tradition requires male Lipizzans be named in a certain way for the registry, so Chester’s fancy name was Siglavy Presciana II-II (Siglavy Aga x Presciana II).   He was backed at five-and-a-half-years-old, and when I met him in 2015 at 7, he was a recently-gelded, sassy, but beautifully started 15.1 hand powerhouse.  It was love at first sight, and I had to buy him.

The Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards Program is designed to provide recognition of the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage. Any horse that meets Adequan®/USDF Year-End...

The mighty Friesian! We are celebrating this fairytale-looking breed as our May Breed of the Month on YourDressage!  Join us all month long as...

It’s easy to pick a Knabstrupper out of the crowd.  The Danish breed is an instant head-turner, featuring beautiful and unique coloring from solid...

By Heather Benedict This story is part of the series “Clear Eyes, Sound Mind, Halt, Salute.” Focusing on equestrian mental health, these articles come from...

The President of the American Trakehner Association shares about the fascinating history of this breed, and why you should consider one for your next competition mount. By Matthew Boyd

All those years ago, I never imagined that I’d have two wonderful Trakehners that have introduced me to some wonderful people. Both the people and the horses have made me a Trakehner fan for life.