Hilltop News
Don Principe traveled along with Sternlicht for the long trip out to Chicago. Two open shows were being held the same weekend as the Young Horse Championships and we took advantage of that scheduling to finish off Don Principe’s qualifiers for the USDF Regional Championships. In their first test on Thursday, he and Michael laid down a very harmonious and correct test in the Intermediaire B and were rewarded with a 70%. On Friday, Don Principe and Michael Bragdell competed in their 2nd Grand Prix and finished in 1st place with a 65.5% even with an error of course factored in. On Sunday, they were back on ‘track’ and continued their winning streak, earning a 68.6% from judge Natalie Lamping in Sunday’s Grand Prix. These scores finished off Michael’s USDF Gold Medal – congratulations! It was a perfect end to a wonderful weekend and very special to have Maryanna and Wendell Haymon there to celebrate with us.
Stallion News
Hilltop Archives
Hilltop Farm's Christopher Hickey and Cabana Boy (Contucci-Bordeaux) attended the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions on August 6-8 at the historic USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. At only 8 years old, this was already Cabana Boy's 2nd trip to the Championships. It was especially rewarding to have Hilltop's owner Jane MacElree and her daughters Ann and Leslie on hand to enjoy the show.
Chris Hickey and Cabana Boy added another national title to their resume by winning the 2009 USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship on August 21-23. The past two years, Chris and Cabana had traveled to Kentucky to compete in and win the 5 Year Old and 6 Year Old National Young Horse Dressage Championships, making them the first pair to win all three.
Hilltop Articles & Interviews
A Sport Horse Handler, whether at a show, inspection or exhibition, constantly strives for that 'magical moment' as he guides a horse in hand around the arena, often negotiating a large triangle formed from flower pots and jump poles. Together the two lift off and eat up the ground, matching stride for stride -- the horse seeming to float, to collect and extend on his own, all in perfect rhythm. The handler is as discreet as possible so that all attention focuses on the horse looking his best.
For many Warmblood enthusiasts, just the mention of the famous stallion Riverman is enough to send chills down their spines. The stunning grey Holsteiner, who currently stands at stud at Hilltop Farm in Colora, Maryland, was the Reserve Champion at his stallion licensing, and was a Verband stallion in Germany for the first part of his life.
