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Perpetual Trophies
2020 PERPETUAL TROPHIES
Champion
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ROCKELLE
(Rotspon-Wiesling/Wolkentanz I) Owner/Breeder: Angela Mirarchi, Browns Summit, NC
HIGH TIME PHOTOGRAPHY
In July of 1998, the American Hanoverian Society saw the passing of two of its most prominent members in former President Hermann Friedlaender and long-time board member Dr. Reto Engler. Each in his own way served the Society with distinction for many years. That fall, John and Tracy Weyl, owners of Maplewood Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, approached the AHS with a generous offer to memorialize Mr. Friedlaender and Dr. Engler through the creation and donation to the Society of a unique perpetual trophy. Created by world-renowned artist Karen Kasper, the Engler-Friedlaender Memorial Trophy is a one-of-a-kind work of art. At the specific request of Mr. and Mrs. Weyl, the trophy is awarded each year to the Hanoverian mare that achieves the highest Mare Performance Test score during the annual inspections.
Each year, the AHS awards the Dr. Hartwig Prize to the best North Americanbred young Hanoverian mare. The award is limited to 3- and 4-year-old registered mares, conceived and foaled in the United States or Canada. The winner is determined by combining each mare’s scores from her studbook inspection and mare performance test, with mares 3-years-of-age having .4 point added to the final total.
IN 2019, ROCKELLE WON THE BARI VON BUEDINGEN MEMORIAL TROPHY by having the highest AHS inspection score of the year (8.33).
In 2020, she won the EnglerFriedlander Memorial Trophy by achieving the highest Mare Performance Test score of the year (7.83) during the annual inspections. As a result of her impressive scores in both the inspection and mare performance test, she also won the Hartwig Memorial Trophy which honors the top 3- and 4-year-old registered mares, conceived and foaled in the US or Canada. The winner is determined by combining each mare’s scores from her studbook inspection and mare performance test, with mares 3-years of age having .4 added to the final total.
Rockelle’s owner, Angie Mirarchi, has had an incredibly special relationship with her mare since birth. Though she may not always understand what’s being asked, “Rockelle tries her heart out and completely trusts me”. When her trainer, Susan Hopkins, broke her arm in February this special relationship allowed Angie to feel comfortable getting on Rockelle as a 3 ½ year old until Susan was out of her cast.
As a nurse anesthetist, 2020 was a rough year filled with incredible barriers for Angie. Covid had a life changing impact on her and her work requirements. For the first half of the year, it was hard to plan anything from day to day, let alone horse activities. Not only was it difficult to schedule and plan anything, but she was concerned about everyone’s health and safety around her.
Rockelle’s journey and awards have been very special to both Angie and Susan and they feel “it’s a miracle we got it done”.
Champion
FABIENNE QC
(Franziskus-Royal Celeste FH/ Royal Classic) Owner: Kimberley Dougherty Breeder: Jonathan Clark and Quinnten Alston
The Bari von Buedingen Memorial Trophy
Fabienne QC Wins Top Inspection Honors
The Bari von Buedingen Memorial Trophy was the first of the American Hanoverian Society’s perpetual trophies. It was donated to the AHS in the early 1990s in memory of noted breeder Bari von Buedingen, who, together with her husband Dr. Richard von Buedingen, developed their Graf Bae Farm broodmare band into one of the best in the United States. This award is given to the highest scoring Hanoverian mare seen during the American Hanoverian Society’s annual inspection tour.
“SHE’S THE KINDEST, SWEETEST, GENTLEST, MARE EVER,” quips Kimberly Dougherty, about this year’s Bari von Buedingen Memorial Trophy winner, Fabienne QC (Franzisku-Royal Celeste FH/Royal Classic). Fabienne QC earned high score at her 2020 inspection with a final score of 8.0, including straight eights for conformation, typiness and feminity, walk, trot, correctness of gaits, and overall impression. The 3-year-old mare was fortunately “at a good stage in her development,” laughs Dougherty. “She had some seriously awkward stages both before and after her inspection.”
Fabienne QC’s story started when Jonathan Clark and Quinnton Alston, who own and operate Quantico Sporthorses out of Coatesville, PA, leased her dam, Royal Celeste, from owner and breeder Eliza Rutherford of Foxwood Hanoverians. Royal Celeste FH (Royal ClassicDlorienne/Diamond Hit) was winner of the 3-year-old filly class, filly champion, and young horse champion at the prestigious Dressage at Devon show in 2016 as well as the winner of the AHS’s Devon High Placing Perpetual Trophy. Watching from the sidelines that year, Kimberly Dougherty, the head trainer at Canterbury Stables in Cazenovia, NY, fell in love with the mare. So, when she heard that she had a foal on the ground, she had to investigate. The fact that the foal turned out to be a chestnut mare sealed the deal.
Fabienne QC, who’s barn name is now Fig, stayed at Quantico Sporthorses until she was weaned, then joined Dougherty in New York where she remained until she was three. Dougherty sent the mare back to Quantico Sporthorses to get started and complete her Hanoverian inspection. When describing Fig, Alston and Clark refer to her as “correct in her conformation with a harmonious topline, a well-constructed hindleg, and a compelling type. She typifies the key goals of our breeding philosophy.” Alston and Clark did all of the preparation work for Fig’s inspection, backed her, and got her started under saddle, citing “a high degree of rideability with three very good gaits under a rider.”
Today, Fabienne QC is back in New York with Dougherty learning the fine art of dressage. “Fig is very balanced and light off the ground,” says Dougherty, “She’s also quite sensitive without being hot.” It will be exciting to see how the now 16 hand, liver chestnut does in the arena but with a background and a start like hers, how could she do anything but excel?
Champion
PRIMA NOCHE HU
(Pikko Del Cerro-Noble Destiny/ Noble Champion) Score: 8.75 Breeder: Horses Unlimited, NM
The Benchmark Farm Perpetual Trophy
Prima Noche HU wins highest combined jumping score for mares.
The Benchmark Farm Award goes each year to the mare with the highest combined jumping score in her MPT. This award was anonymously donated in 2004 and is named for the farm owned by the sculptor, Phyllis Hamilton.
PRIMA NOCHE HU IS FULL OF SURPRISES. Her dam was trained to Prix St. Georges and her sire competed successfully at Grand Prix CDI competitions and yet here she is winning a major jumping award. In another unusual turn of events, she was sold right after her inspection to a new owner, Amanda Goodman, without Amanda ever seeing Prima Noche in person.
Prima Noche’s Breeder, Horses Unlimited/Anne Sparks, is certainly known in the Hanoverian breeding world but what you may not know about her is she is one of only twelve breeders in the US to be a USDF Gold Breeder of Distinction.
The Benchmark Farm Perpetual Award, named for the farm owned by sculptor Phyllis Hamilton, was donated anonymously in 2004.
Champion
DUCHESS PRINCIPE (FIG STREET’S DUCHESS)
(Don Principe-Comtessa/Contender) Owner: Cynthia Hallman Rider: Cynthia Hallman Breeder: Jerry Alexander
The Premonition BHF Perpetual Trophy
Duchess Principe takes home the first Premonition BHF Perpetual Trophy
SHE WAS BRED FOR DRESSAGE, but it quickly became obvious that Duchess Principe (Don Principe-Comtessa/ Contender) had a penchant for jumping. That, along with her cool head, put her squarely in the hunter arena—winning. She’s done so well that she’s the first recipient of the AHS’ Premonition BHF Perpetual Hunter Trophy.
Owned and ridden by Cynthia Hallman of Fig Street Farm in Alabama, Duchess Principe–her registered name–is known as Fig Street’s Duchess on the circuit and Gracie, Gracie Louise, or Lou Lou in the barn. “I didn’t even know she had a registered name until I got her papers about a year after I purchased her,” says Hallman. But it didn’t matter what her name was, Hallman was hooked on her as a three-year-old when her trainer suggested she take her out for a hack. Just for fun, she also took a pack of the barn dogs along for the ride. Gracie was 16.3 hands at that time and quite confident already. “Along the way, I asked her for a haunches-in and a shoulder-in and she was perfectly comfortable with all of it—the hack, the dogs, the movements—nothing phased her,” remembers Hallman.
In the barn, Gracie, now 12 years old, has the Paw-When-Eating gene that shows up in many of Don Principe’s offspring, as well as an incredibly sweet personality. She loves the rain, will consciously seek out mud puddles, and eagerly heads toward any jump. “Her brain is so good,” says Hallman, “that some have offered to set a jump on fire to see if that will phase her.“
The last time she was measured Gracie stood 17.3 hands but “she’s had a couple of growth spurts since then,” says Hallman. “She’s turned into a ridiculous unicorn,” she continues, now jumping four feet regularly in competition and doing some training over five feet. “We were $50 shy this year of qualifying for the International Derby, but she had some time off to recoup from a bruised tendon sheath,” says Hallman, “On the plus side, she’s already qualified for next year!” Hallman, who’s recovering from a broken leg, shows Gracie up to 3’6” and lets her trainer do the higher levels. “Gracie has a huge jump, but she’s slow and elegant across the ground, which makes her a great hunter. That said, there’s no limit to her ability and I am really looking forward to the future with her.”
Brooklea Farm Overall Champion Eventing Award
Danito does it again!
The Brooklea Farm Overall Champion Eventing Award Perpetual Trophy is awarded to the horse with the most points, adjusted for difficulty, from the eventing winners. The award was conceived and donated by Jo Anne Balling and is named for her Barboursville, VA farm, Brooklea.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS ABOUT DANITO and his team which are noteworthy: • He won this award last year too • His dam was the dam of world class dressage stallion Desperados • His rider Tamie is a woman successfully competing at the top of the Eventing world from California • His owner Ruth also competes at the
Preliminary level in Eventing
When asked to describe Danito, Ruth says he’s “tenacious, gritty and just keeps getting better and better.” He earned another nickname, formerly Cheeto Puff and now Goldfish, after an amazing swimming recovery in the water while competing at Tryon.
Ruth hopes to continue seeing what this immensely talented pair can accomplish with Kentucky, WEG and Pan Am Games all a possibility in their future. Champion
DANITO
(Dancier-SPS Wie Musik/Wolkenstein II) Owner: Ruth Bley, CA Rider: Tamie Smith, CA Breeder: Herbert Schubert, Germany
Champion
BALOU MOON BHF
(Balou Du Rouet-EM Coquette/ Coconut Grove xx) Owner/Rider: Hanna Toering Breeder: Rick Toering
2020 PERPETUAL TROPHIES
Inner Bay LLC Perpetual Jumper Trophy
Balou Moon BHF wins highest score in Jumper divisions.
Neil and Mary O’Connor of Inner Bay LLC have committed to sponsoring this award for at least 3 years. They breed jumpers at their farm in Virginia and Mary has been active in the AHS and the MAHB, showing young horses in the Futurity, and having her mares and foals approved. They want to recognize and reward the top placing Jumper (in the USEF divisions) from our yearly Jumper winners. 2020 was the inaugural year of this award which is presented to the Hanoverian or Rhineland horse with the highest score in the Jumper divisions. The winner receives a plaque and a beautiful ribbon. AT APPROXIMATELY 15.3 HANDS, BALOU MOON BHF epitomizes the expression small but mighty. “Lucy” is now back in Virginia at Bent Hickory Farm, where she was born, for the summer. Hanna and her Dad Rick are hoping for some future stars from embryo transfer before Lucy goes back to work this Fall. Hanna has had the 11-year-old mare her entire life including starting her under saddle and bringing her up the levels to her current high level of success competing in Florida. Earlier this year, she beat a field of 39 entries in the $7,500 Futures Prix 1.40m during Week 4 at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala’s Winter Spectacular. When asked what makes Balou Moon so special, Hanna said “it’s her very competitive nature and always giving her best”.
Hanna is currently in Georgia working and riding with Terry Brown, Showcase Ltd. Toering chose to work with Terry because “she’s an amazing rider and has a really good eye for a nice horse” amongst other reasons.
We look forward to an exciting future for this wonderful pair.
