Very
few stallions compete at the top level in eventing - let alone at the Olympics. Windfall did just that, winning a team bronze medal under Darren Chiacchia for the USA in Athens in 2004. The fact that Windfall now has not one, but two, sons due themselves to
compete for the same country as their sire, the USA, in Tokyo really does make him one in a million.
Both
Tsetserleg, Boyd Martin’s Tokyo Olympic ride, and Doug Payne’s Vandiver are sons of Windfall, the handsome almost-black Trakhener who retired from eventing, sound, at the age of 17 in 2009.
Windfall was bred in Germany by Heinz Lembke, by Habicht - who evented with Martin Plewa and who completed the CCI5* at Burghley, as well as winning Achselschwang’s CCI4* - his dam was a thoroughbred. She both raced and evented, and was accepted into the Trakhener studbook as an approved mare.
Windfall
went to the great German rider Ingrid Klimke as a four-year-old and was very successful with her, first in dressage and show jumping and then eventing. He was short-listed with Klimke for the German team for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but Ingrid chose to ride
another horse, Sleep Late.
Later that year Windfall was sold to Tim Holekamp for Darren Chiaccha to ride, and also for the Holekamps to breed from. With Chiacchia, Windfall enjoyed an outstanding career, with multiple wins at Advanced level and top placings at CCI4*-Ls such as the Foxhall Cup and Fair Hill. In 2003, they won the individual gold medal at the Pan Am Games, held that year at Fair Hill.
The highlight of their career together, however, was Athens. In 2004 they became the first winners of the first event - Rolex Kentucky - to run under the new short-format (without roads and tracks and steeplechase), and earned their selection for the U.S. Olympic team. Chiacchia and Windfall joined Kim Severson with Winsome Adante, Amy Tryon (Poggio), John Williams (Carrick), and Julie Richards (Jacob Two Two) and, clear inside the time across country, they were one of the three scores that counted towards that bronze medal.
The pair continued competing, and in 2006 won the second of their two World Cup qualifiers at CCI4*-S level. Windfall also competed with Cheryl Holekamp to Grand Prix dressage and performed at recognized shows to scores well in the 60s, proving to be one of the only upper-level eventing horses capable of going to the Grand Prix level in dressage.
Eventually
Windfall retired to Tim and Cheryl Holekamp’s farm in Ocala, Florida, and enjoyed hacking around the property. In 2015, the popular stallion was given an official “retirement” ceremony at the Kentucky CCI5*, where his many fans were given another chance to see
him.
Now
if Tsetserleg and Vandiver could emulate their sire’s bronze medal - or better it - in Tokyo, that would be the most fitting end to this remarkable story possible.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to have renewed our partnership with Equilume for the 2022 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC). Equilume will join once more as a Bronze Level Sponsor and will provide four gift certificates for an Equilume Cashel Light Mask. The four gift certificates will be awarded to the Champions of the Advanced Final, the Preliminary Amateur, the Junior Young Rider Preliminary, and the Training Amateur divisions. This year’s AEC will be held August 30-September 4 at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana.
There are so many things to love about the USEA Classic Series: the way the conditioning and preparation strengthens your bond with your horse, the educational opportunities to enhance your skills as a rider, and, of course, your chance to experience the rush of the classic long format three-day event. There are eight Classic Series events taking place across the U.S. in the 2022 season and they are a great goal for many horse and rider pairs to work towards. Featuring the traditional long-format phases of roads and tracks and steeplechase in addition to the three regular phases of a horse trial, a USEA Classic Series event puts partnerships to the ultimate test. For riders who have already ticked off completing a long-format event from their bucket list, looking back on the thrill of steeplechase before heading out on cross-country often comes with fond memories. Check out what these USEA riders had to say about their favorite steeplechase moments!
After traveling the world last year and campaigning on the East Coast to start this year, Julianne Guariglia’s 11-year-old Argentine Sport Horse mare Solaguayre California (Casparo x Solaguayre Calandria) returned to competition in the home state of her rider, Tamie Smith, to win the Advanced level at the Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials held over Fourth of July Weekend in Paso Robles, California.
The USEA Member Rewards Program has been rewarding USEA members since 2016 with offers ranging from car rentals to hotel stays. Now there are two more exciting offers available for USEA Rewards members. Introducing eHealth and TripPlanet!