Tag Archives: IALHA National Championships

Karin Hansen Wins Champion Honors at 2016 IALHA National Championships

October 3, 2016 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Photo courtesy of IALHA.

South Jordan, UT (October 3, 2016) – Amateur rider and handler Karin Hansen’s generous spirit was recently rewarded by Premier Equestrian, a leading supplier of high-grade footing, striking dressage arenas, and horse jumps. At the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) National Championship Show in South Jordan, Utah this September, Hansen excelled in the competition arena, exhibited exceptional sportsmanship, and demonstrated true horsemanship. Premier Equestrian values outstanding competitors such as Hansen and strives to recognize their exemplary character by presenting them with the Premier Equestrian Award.

At the IALHA National Championships, Hansen competed with her two Andalusian horses, Padre and CDC Corazon. One-year-old filly Corazon, affectionately called “Cora,” competed in-hand and won the National Championship Spanish Fillies, 2 Years & Under. Cora also took top honors in the Get of Sire and Produce of Dam. Padre was honored with Reserve National Champion Geldings All Ages (Amateur to Handle) and Reserve Champion Andalusian Western Pleasure (Amateur). Padre also earned National Top 5 honors in Working Equitation.

Premier Equestrian – an industry leader in manufacturing world-class footing, stylish horse jumps, and quality arenas – strives to recognize competitors whose efforts in competition match their exceptional attitude and horsemanship. Known as “Premier Equestrians,” winners of the Premier Equestrian Award are presented with a striking tricolor ribbon and engraved Premier Equestrian Award commemorative plaque.

“The IALHA National Championship Show has such a positive vibe,” commented Hansen. Her bright personality was appreciated by her fellow competitors on more than one occasion during this year’s competition. For each of the classes, there are specific pieces of equipment that each horse and rider are required to wear. Hansen explained that a fellow rider forgot her required chaps, and was going to have to miss her chance to ride for a championship. Hansen stepped up and offered the chaps she was wearing. “Her class was right after mine. The minute I got out of the class, I just sat down, ripped off my chaps and put them on her. It was really cool to be able to share.” Later in the day, another rider wasn’t wearing a broach and was going to be held out of the class. Hansen noticed the conversation happening and offered the broach she was wearing, saving the day for another competitor.

Additionally, Hansen was extremely proud of her two mounts. “Not only are they beautiful horses and kind of fancy, but they are so, so smart,” said Hansen. “Padre has overcome so much. It is super fun competing on him. He was like a little show pony at the Nationals.” Hansen has been working with Cora since she was a foal. Of their work together, Hansen remarked, “It’s really fun. When Cora sees a pole on the ground, she knows she is supposed to go sidepass. I really love the intelligence that they show.”

Premier Equestrian wishes for all disciplines of riders, such as Hansen, always have an enjoyable experience with their horses, in or outside the show ring. The company is proud to offer an affordable choice for first-rate American-made products that enhance the equestrian performance of its customers. For more information about Premier Equestrian and its full line of products including footing, dressage arenas, and horse jumps, 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

Championships, Dressage, JRPR

Zerbino Interagro Proves Talent and Temperament at IALHA National Championships

September 19, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Zerbino Interagro with rider John Zopatti (right) and handler Gary Yeager (left) (Photos courtesy of JRPR)

Lexington, VA (September 18, 2015) – Lusitano gelding Zerbino Interagro proved his breed’s athleticism, talent, and versatility in a variety of classes at the recent International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) National Championship Show in Lexington, Virginia. The 12-year-old gelding, owned by Johnny Robb and bred by top Brazilian breeder Interagro Lusitanos, excelled in dressage, dressage hack, show hack, halter, and leadline classes.

“It shows a lot about the disposition of the Interagro-bred horses,” Robb said. “They’re bred to be talented sport horses but, most excitedly, they’re bred with a disposition that is second to none. This horse proves it over and over and over again.”

Zerbino and North Carolina-based dressage rider John Zopatti won the National Championship title in the Andalusian/Lusitano Dressage Hack Open. The horse also won the Best Movement medal and placed in the Top Five in the Andalusian/Lusitano Senior Geldings 4 Years and Over class with Gary Yeager handling. In the USDF Dressage Sport Horse Prospects in-hand class, Yeager and Zerbino earned a 70.6000 percent.

As a tribute to the horse’s winning disposition, Zerbino and Yeager’s six-year-old son Ethan won in the Exhibition Leadline Class Riders 8 Years Old and Under class. It was the young Yeager’s first time competing, and Robb said the youngster was ecstatic with his win.

When Robb took the reins, she ran the horse in a halter class and placed in the Top Five in the National Championship Andalusian/Lusitano Geldings All Ages – Amateur to Handle class. The pair also placed in the Top Five in the Andalusian/Lusitano Show Hack Amateur class, and won the Reserve National Dressage Championship in both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle.

“Interagro specifically breeds for performance and disposition, and he shows that,” Robb proudly said of Zerbino. “He is a different horse in the Grand Prix with me than he is with a leadline class with six-year-old Ethan. He really does the full gamut, from being a very up horse and doing his job at the highest levels, and then becoming a kind schoolmaster for the very youngest rider.”

As a former die-hard Warmblood fan, Robb said she never expected to fall in love with her gray Lusitano – but he quickly won her over. “If anybody told me five years ago I would be riding Lusitanos, owning several Lusitanos, and going to the IALHA Nationals, I would have said, ‘You need to get a new crystal ball!’ But, indeed, they would have been right, and it’s such a joy,” she stated.

Robb not only thanks Peter van Borst of Interagro Lusitanos for introducing her to Zerbino, she also lists a team of trainers, vets and other professionals for helping her along the way. “It really takes a village,” she said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with three excellent trainers in Kerensa Muller, John Zopatti, and Jaime Amian. I also have to give credit to Zerbino Interagro’s farrier Jim Crew. I’m also thankful to Laura King, the eminent hypnotherapist, who really helped me overcome some of the issues that were in my subconscious. In addition, the Knopp family invited me to train for the summer at IDA Farm in Wellington. Having the covered riding arenas and all the world class amenities including a TheraPlate and Horse Gym treadmill –really helped our fitness and socially it was so much fun there”.

Robb said that her bond with Zerbino, whom she calls ‘Zill’ (short for ‘Zillionaire’), is strong. “Having a horse like this, with a heart like this, and with the ability and training he has, makes me feel like I’m a zillionaire, too,” she said.

Robb has a word of caution for anyone interested in Lusitano horses, and especially those bred by Interagro. “My advice to anyone who starts with these horses is to beware,” she said. “They’re kind of like potato chips. You can’t just have one.”

Interagro is the largest breeder of Lusitano horses in the world, with 40 years of experience breeding Lusitanos. Interagro Lusitanos is committed to preserving the pure bloodlines of the Lusitano breed, and producing star horses like Zerbino Interagro. Interagros own bloodlines include some of the most respected of the breed: Faraó (JHC), Nirvana Interagro, Ofensor (MV), Xique-Xique (CI), and Yacht (SA). Lusitanos from the Brazilian farm have excelled in top world show rings and have graced the covers of international magazines over twenty times. Interagro is one of the most accessible and respected breeders in the world. To learn more, visit www.interagro.com.br.

Contact: Johnny Robb
johnnyrobb@mac.com
561-753-4608

Championships, Competitions, Dressage

John Zopatti and Zerbino Interagro Win Dressage Hack National Championship

September 4, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

John Zopatti on Zerbino Interagro, with owner Johnny Robb (Photo courtesy of Rob Hess Photography)

Lexington, Virginia (September 4, 2015) – Grand Prix dressage rider John Zopatti and Zerbino Interagro, owned by Johnny Robb of Wellington, Florida, claimed an unexpected victory at the 2015 International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) National Championships on August 25-30 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia. The pair entered the Dressage Open Hack class, where sixteen riders vied for the judges’ attention and the championship title. It was Zopatti and Zerbino, a twelve-year-old Lusitano gelding, who claimed the 2015 IALHA National Champion Show Hack crown – in their first time ever entering a Hack class.

“It was quite different,” Zopatti explained. “It was a coliseum with bleacher seating all the way around and a giant judges’ booth set up in the middle with computers, tabulators, and announcers. The judges watched you go around and around as a group on the rail.”

With no prior show preparation as a team (Zerbino was training the Grand Prix with his owner in Wellington, Florida, while Zopatti of Pinehurst, North Carolina was summering at Will Faudree’s Gavilan Farm in Hoffman, NC), they took a chance in entering the class. Zopatti said it was the first time he had ever competed in a catch ride type of situation, and so he was pleased add the National Championship title to his already impressive resume.

The USDF Gold Medalist and four-time Gold Coast Dressage Association Trainer of the Year was also successful a few days before, when he showed Robb’s gelding Uwannabeme WH, a KWPN/Arabian cross, at the August 25 IALHA Virginia Open Dressage Show, also held at the Virginia Horse Center.

Zopatti used the IALHA Virginia Open Dressage Show as an opportunity to prepare Uwannabeme WH – lovingly known as “Slim” – for the Arabian Sport Horse National Championships to be held on September 15-20. Uwannabeme and Zopatti are qualified in dressage for Second, Third, and Fourth Levels at the championships, so the pair competed at Second and Third Levels at the IALHA show.

“The Virginia Horse Center is a very similar venue to the Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. Horse Complex in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is where the Sport Horse Nationals will be held,” Zopatti said. “It was great to take Slim to a venue and simulate what’s going to be happening in a month. At the show there were screaming babies, screaming stallions, beautiful mares, carriages and all kinds of mayhem going on. He got an eyeful and an earful! By the last day, he was pretty well relaxed.”

With Uwannabeme WH and Zerbino Interagro, Zopatti showed that he can ride a variety of horses across disciplines and emerge on top. Zopatti rode Uwannabeme to a 65.854 percent for the win in Second Level Test Three, and tied with the winner to place second place in Third Level Test Three with score of 67.949 percent. The pair seems to be well on the way to success at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals.

“I’m not just a one trick pony,” Zopatti laughed.

To learn more about John Zopatti’s news, events, and sale horses, go to www.johnzopatti.com.

Contact: John Zopatti
www.johnzopatti.com
jzopatti@aol.com
561-722-7555

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Dressage

Zerbino Interagro to Compete at Grand Prix at IALHA National Championships

August 24, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Zerbino Interagro and Johnny Robb (Photo courtesy of Susan J Stickle)

Lexington, VA (August 24, 2015) – Zerbino Interagro’s journey from the famed breeder Interagro Lusitanos in Itapira, Brazil to the prestigious dressage circuit in Wellington, Florida will next lead to competing for the title of National Champion. Zerbino and his rider and owner Johnny Robb are scheduled to compete in the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) National Championships in Lexington, Virginia this week. After a successful Florida circuit in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Musical Freestyle, Robb and Zerbino Interagro hope to continue their winning ways in the National Championships.

Robb, a Loxahatchee, Florida resident, purchased Zerbino Interagro through Peter Van Borst of Interagro Lusitanos approximately three years ago. The talented 12-year-old gelding is accustomed to being in the spotlight – including having competed in the 2014 Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida, ridden by Robb’s Dutch trainer Kerensa Muller.

Robb believes that being surrounded by a great team of supporters is what helped her and Zerbino Interagro qualify for the IALHA National Championships. “It really takes a village,” she said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with three excellent trainers in Kerensa Muller, John Zopatti, and Jaime Amian. I also have to give credit to Zerbino Interagro’s farrier Jim Crew. Linda Parelli of Parelli Natural Horsemanship also really helped Zerbino Interagro and I gain confidence and develop our partnership. Laura King, the eminent hypnotherapist, really helped me overcome some of the issues that were in my subconscious. I wouldn’t be here at Nationals without all of these wonderful supporters.”

Kerensa Muller, who rode with Dutch National Team Coach Sjef Janssen and is now based in Wellington, Florida, has been an important part of Robb’s success in moving up the levels. John Zopatti, a USDF Gold Medalist and four-time Gold Coast Dressage Association Trainer of the Year, has also been a long-time member of Robb’s team. Spanish Grand Prix rider Jaime Amian has studied under many dressage legends, including Juan Manuel Munioz Diaz, Klaus Balkenhol, and Han Bemelmans. Amian has been coaching Robb this summer from his base at IDA, a well-known farm in Wellington, Florida. IDA has been the summer home for Zerbino Interagro, where Robb was able to beat the Florida heat by schooling in either of the two full-sized covered arenas. Zopatti and Amian will both attend the IALHA National Championships to cheer Robb and Zerbino on.

Zerbino Interagro’s superb disposition will lend him to not only showing in the Grand Prix with Robb, but also competing in the leadline class with six-year-old Ethan Yeager at Nationals. Zerbino Interagro will also be shown in the halter classes by multiple Grand National Champion Gary Yeager to demonstrate Zerbino’s excellent confirmation – a result of the successful breeding program at Interagro Lusitanos. Interagro is the largest breeder of Lusitano horses in the world, with 40 years of experience breeding Lusitanos.

Interagro Lusitanos is committed to preserving the pure bloodlines of the Lusitano breed, and producing star horses like Zerbino Interagro. The facility’s own bloodlines include some of the most respected of the breed: Faraó (JHC), Nirvana Interagro, Ofensor (MV), Xique-Xique (CI), and Yacht (SA). Lusitanos from the Brazilian farm have excelled in top world show rings and have graced the covers of international magazines over twenty times. Interagro is one of the most accessible and respected breeders in the world. To learn more, visit www.interagro.com.br.