Tag Archives: Premier Equestrian Award

Awards, Championships, JRPR

Sisters Win Premier Equestrian Award at IFSHA World and Grand National Championships

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Brin and Gracie Fairband (Photo courtesy of Avalon Photography)

Springfield, OH (November 11, 2016) – Excellent riding skills earned the young Fairband sisters Championship titles at the 2016 International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) World and Grand National Championships, but it took even more for the girls to win the title of Premier Equestrian. The Premier Equestrian Award is presented at horse shows across the United States to equestrians who go above and beyond to make a positive impact on the equestrian community by showing good sportsmanship attitudes and kindness toward their horses and fellow competitors. The award is named after its presenter, Premier Equestrian, which is a prominent company known for its world-class footing, horse jumps, and quality dressage arenas.

Brin Fairband won not only the Premier Equestrian Award but also two World Grand Championships and two World Reserve Champion titles at the IFSHA World and Grand National Championships. “Often people do not see the bonding, care, and effort that go into these Friesians outside the show ring,” Fairband said. “These things are what made our wins in the Championships all the more special.” Brin’s sister, Gracie Fairband, shared in the Premier Equestrian Award and also won three World Grand Champion titles. She credited her success at the show to the reliability of her champion mount, Hugo.

These two exemplary young ladies truly understand the importance of always putting their horses first and supporting fellow competitors, which they showcased at the Springfield, Ohio competition. As Brin accepted the Premier Equestrian award, she explained, “Offering help and friendship to other competitors and devoting attention to the horse I competed with do not seem like amazing feats to me; it doesn’t even seem significant. I think that all of us should live naturally without any thought or motive behind it. Every kind action, no matter how small, is significant, large, and beautiful to the one receiving it.” Gracie agreed, stating, “Being polite and acting modestly are two actions I hope to encourage every competitor to display because it doesn’t cost anything to do so, yet it gives so much in return.”

Premier Equestrian was proud to present the two young sisters with an official tri-colored Premier Equestrian Award ribbon, an engraved plaque, a three-step mounting block, and the title of “Premier Equestrian.”

At the IFSHA World and Grand National Championships, Brin and Gracie rode under the guidance of Nathan and Erin Miley, owners of Miley Friesians in Greenville, Ohio. Both sisters lent a hand to fellow competitors of all ages by offering their help and sharing snacks behind the scenes. “We may be competing against one another in the ring, but we are humans and friends first,” Gracie said. Premier Equestrian congratulated their sincere sportsmanship, horsemanship, and efforts to create a positive show atmosphere – all crucial elements for an enjoyable horse show experience.

“We are both very grateful for not only receiving this special award, but for the whole amazing experience we had at the Friesian World Show,” Brin said. “Thank you to IFSHA and Premier Equestrian for recognizing us and for inspiring us to continue to always give and do our best.”

The girls’ mother, Sandi Fairband, also thanked Premier Equestrian, IFSHA, and Miley Friesians for the wealth of opportunities that her two young daughters enjoyed throughout the competition. “People I didn’t even know told me how polite, kind, and funny my daughters are. It always does a mama’s heart good to hear these kinds of sentiments. The Miley family is the real deal in terms of kindness and wanting to promote this amazing breed and show format. They truly believe in what they live, and they were huge role models to my girls during the entire week of the IFSHA Championships in how they treated and interacted with all other competitors.”

Premier Equestrian takes great pride in recognizing stellar sportsmanship, and in offering affordable choices for first-rate American-made products that enhance horses’ and riders’ performances. For more information about Premier Equestrian and its full line of products including footing, dressage arenas, and horse jumps, please visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 1-800-611-6109.

For more information contact:
Heidi Zorn, Premier Equestrian
1-800-611-6109
www.PremierEquestrian.com
Heidi@PremierEquestrian.com

Awards, Community/Charity, Dressage

Ann Romney Honored by Premier Equestrian at 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

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Ann Romney (Photo courtesy of JRPR).

Wellington, FL (February 8, 2016) – Attendees at the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival Week Three National Horse Show would be hard pressed to find a more deserving recipient of the Premier Equestrian Award than Ann Romney. The wife of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Ann Romney balances a hectic schedule and her equestrian life with grace and enthusiasm – despite also dealing with multiple sclerosis.

This past week, Romney’s zealous attitude, seemingly boundless energy, and sincere love for her horses and the sport of dressage were recognized by Premier Equestrian, a leading provider of dressage arenas and world-class footing. The company presented Romney with a tri-colored Premier Equestrian Award ribbon, an engraved plaque, and the title of “Premier Equestrian.” Awarded each week of the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the Premier Equestrian Award honors competitors who demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship and admirable qualities.

Despite Romney’s upbeat spirit, she has experienced difficulties that many equestrians cannot imagine. Romney turned to equine therapy after being diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 1998. She became involved with dressage after finding that the subtle motions of the sport, such as leg squeezes and weight shifts, helped her to gain lasting muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Since then, she has owned and worked with a number of horses, and is currently competing in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate II classes with her horses Donatello and Darling. This past week at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Romney placed first with Donatello in the FEI Intermediate II.

“This was the second time I’ve gone down the centerline with Donatello in an Intermediate II class, and he was really, really good,” Romney explained. “I was really pleased. He had great changes and pirouettes. He was a little tense with the passage and piaffe, so he wasn’t as good as usual, but he was still pretty great!”

She added, “Darling is new to me and I am just learning to ride him. Yet he is terrific, and he is my next up and coming horse that I’ll be riding.”

Getting to know her horses can be a bit of a challenge, Romney explained, because her intense schedule means that she is not able to consistently spend time with them. Her political and medical endeavors, including the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, which she launched in 2014, keep her traveling across the U.S. multiple times a week. After receiving the Premier Equestrian Award Friday, Romney said she would be flying to Washington, D.C. for lunch and dinner appointments the following day, then flying to Boston on Sunday for a meeting about her research center’s new partnership with Google.

“We’re rolling out the fact that Google is going to help us with research, and they are going to attach me with all of these instruments and watches that I will wear for months and they will track,” she explained. “We’ll do this with 2,000 MS patients.” The Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases uses a collaborative approach to accelerate treatments, prevention, and cures for five of the world’s most complex neurologic diseases, affecting about 50 million people in the U.S.: multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s disease, and brain tumors.

“Tuesday, I fly back to D.C., where we are hosting an event for the hospital center, and Wednesday I come back here and I have a show the next day. That’s my schedule,” she laughed. “So the fact that I can even do any of this is amazing. I am always like that, in and out – I’m never consistently with my horses, and when I finally get going with them and get connected, then I have to go again. But I love it!”

As an official sponsor of the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Premier Equestrian is excited for the opportunity to show its support for the world of dressage. The company offers high-quality and affordable products to dressage riders – including premier dressage arenas, world-class arena footing, revolutionized horse jumps, and accessories. For more information about the presenter of the Premier Equestrian Award, visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 1-800-611-6109.

For more information contact:
Heidi Zorn, Premier Equestrian
1-800-611-6109
www.PremierEquestrian.com