Two years ago, Claire Robinson was traveling from her base in Georgia to attend the USEA Young Event Horse Symposium in Ocala, Florida with her 5-year-old Thoroughbred mare. Robinson’s parents were acquainted with Mike and Jennifer Keane through their common interest in Connemaras and arranged for Robinson and her horse to spend the night at the Keane’s farm. “On my quick trip, we drove by to see their young but aspiring Connemara stallion – he was bred in Ireland by Mary Gorham and is by the Connemara stallion Currachamore Cashel,” Robinson shared. “At the time, I admired this spunky stallion, having no idea that he’d be heading to Georgia just a few weeks later.”
Mike and Jennifer happened to be looking for a rider to start their stallion, and Robinson, having experience working with Connemaras, agreed to take him on and campaign him as an eventer. Doonhill Dancer, or “Dancer” as he is known in the barn, was a 4-year-old when he arrived at Robinson’s barn and had just been started under saddle. “He had the longest legs I’ve ever seen on a pony,” Robinson recalled.
“In the first year, Dancer started eventing at the Beginner Novice level, and then as a 5-year-old we moved him up to Novice,” Robinson said. “I say ‘we’, because the Keanes have been his biggest supporters. Competitions, clinics, body work – this horse earned the jackpot in owners! Whether the horse earned blue ribbons or stayed home to school, the priority has always been making the best decisions for Dancer. And as a result, he has brought home several blues!”
“Last year, I had the dream of getting him to the USEA Young Event Horse 5-year-old Championships at Fair Hill,” Robinson said. The Keanes agreed that Robinson and Dancer could shoot for the Championships, so Robinson hauled Dancer 10 hours to the Virginia Horse Trials in May to compete in the YEH qualifier. There they earned a score of 75.15, which qualified them for the Championships.
Robinson and Dancer competed at the Area III Championships at Poplar Place Farm the following month, where they were crowned the winners of the Novice Horse Championship division. Later that summer, they made the trip to the Kentucky Horse Park for the USEA American Eventing Championships, where they added a single rail to their dressage score in the Novice Horse division. Following their success at the Championships, Dancer made the step up to Training level.
“The week of Fair Hill was such a blur for me,” Robinson reflected. “Surrounded by so many top-level young horses and professional riders, we were pulling twelve hours from Georgia and the smallest pair on the field. But, I was backed by owners who believed in their horse!”
Robinson and his owners have made the decision to geld Dancer and offer him for sale. “We will see what the future holds for this game horse,” she said. “As a young professional, I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive pair of owners. They’ve pushed me as a young professional to be transparent, communicate, and given me further experience in developing the young horse that I’ll use for years to come. But, more importantly, Dancer was given the right tools to succeed, allowed to develop at the pace he needed to, and believed in.”
“Ours isn't spectacular or a huge comeback story, but I am so grateful for the amount of support I've received from this little horse's owners. His owners, breeder, and sire’s owner have been constant fans and supporters. Even though I'm just a little-time rider, they have been behind their horse since day one.”
The USEA is made up of over 12,000 members, each with their own special horses and experiences. The USEA's Now on Course series highlights the many unique stories of our membership. Do you and your horse have a tale to tell? Do you know someone who deserves recognition? Submit your story to Jessica Duffy at [email protected] to be featured.
After not running in 2020 and 2021, the MARS Bromont CCI Three-Day Event returned to the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Center in Quebec, Canada, in 2022. America's Jennie Saville (née Brannigan) and Twilightslastgleam won the CCI4*-L, as the chestnut Thoroughbred gelding (National Anthem x Royal Child) bred and owned by Nina Gardner moved up from eighth after dressage into the lead after cross-country with the fastest round on wet ground over the tracks designed by Derek di Grazia. Canada's Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge, a bay Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago x Lelia) owned by Patricia Pearce, finished second, and they are among four from the top-10 in the CCI4*-L in 2022 that return in 2023.
Hannah Sue Hollberg of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, was on a winning streak at the Essex Horse Trials on Sunday, claiming victory in both the $10,000 Open Intermediate and Open Preliminary divisions with two horses that are fairly new to her. Some difficulty on cross-country did not stop her mount Hachi from claiming victory in the Open Intermediate with a score of 101.6, while Open Preliminary partner Rockster finished on his dressage score of 27.3.
The great football coach Vince Lombardi said, “We win our games in practice.” With the goal of having the most effective practices possible for horses, their riders, and their coaches, Cathy Wieschhoff explains some signs that can indicate when horse and rider should repeat an exercise, switch it up, or be done with that activity. Wieschhoff brings perspective as a five-star rider that has competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and Burghley Horse Trials, a USEF “R” Course Designer for eventing cross-country and show jumping, a former Area VIII chair and member of the USEA Board of Governors, and a Level V USEA ECP Certified Coach based out of Carriage Station Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Poland CCIO4*-NC-S at the Strzegom Horse Trials (Poland) from June 21-25, 2023. The team will be under the direction of USEF Eventing Emerging and Development Coach Leslie Law.