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Alexis Poe

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An Unbreakable Partnership: Meet Paige Cianciulli & Dark n Handsome

A little over seven years ago, when Paige Cianciulli (pronounced Chinchilla, which we think earns her EN karma forever!) was just 11 she brought home a 6-year-old Thoroughbred named Handsome. With hard work and help from a great support team, the pair made their way up the levels, forging an unbreakable partnership along the way. Last weekend at Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. they completed their first Intermediate with no jumping faults and a bit of time. Congrats! Alexis Poe shares their story. 

Then and now. Photos courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

I think all of us can agree that surviving in the world of Covid-19 has been a bit of a struggle. Given the added stressors that come along with a global pandemic setting goals, staying focused and thriving can be a challenge.

One pair that has managed to thrive during these challenging times having just completed their first Intermediate at the Horse Park of New Jersey last weekend weekend is Paige Cianciulli and her heart horse Dark n Handsome.

Paige and Handsome’s story is one of hard work, persistence and dedication, proving that putting in the work and staying focused truly does pay off. Paige is 18 years old and Handsome is 13. When Paige’s family started horse shopping Paige’s mom, Carolyn, wanted to find a horse that could take Paige around Novice and potentially a couple of Training levels. They never thought Handsome would be the one to take Paige around her first Intermediate.

Photo courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

When they went to try Handsome, who was 6 at the time, he was a lot of horse for 11-year-old 4’9” Paige to manage. She couldn’t get him to stop. Even after a bit of a rough trial Paige bonded with Handsome and they decided to buy him.

Video of Paige trying him:

Handsome’s story before Paige purchased him is a bit of a mystery. Originally he was at a thoroughbred breeding farm. Handsome is most likely a Thoroughbred but has no tattoo or papers. Someone bought all the mares from the breeding farm and put them on a trailer. Somehow Handsome found himself in that mix of horses. From there he went to a farm in Virginia where he began his eventing career.

Then … 

Photo courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

… and now.

Photo courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

Handsome is always curious about the world around him and always keeps one eye on Paige. If he had it his way he would sleep in Paige’s bedroom. He is the chilliest dude in the barn. He doesn’t act like a wild upper level horse but more like a pony club pony. However, as soon as he sees a fence it’s all business. At 15.1 he may have been the smallest horse in Intermediate warm up but he left room to spare over all the fences. He is a horse full of heart that would do anything for Paige. The partnership Paige has with Handsome is extremely special. They grew up together, took risks together, and both saved each other a couple of times. Watching them in the barn is like watching two best friends.

Looking back to the Novice days it was a bit of a rough road for a while. She struggled to sort him out and they had their fair share of stops. It took some time but with patience a mutual trust and respect was formed. Initially Paige didn’t understand cross country time so the first time out they went way too fast and the next time they went way too slow. It took a bit of time for them to build their partnership, but once the bond was solidified they were unstoppable.

Photo courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

As the pair prepared for their first Intermediate this past weekend there was excitement, nerves, and anticipation. Dressage is not his best phase but he has shown tons on progress. Small but certainly mighty, he was all heart at HPNJ in his first Intermediate test. He was jumping out of his skin in the show jumping leaving room to spare over all of the fences. It was Paige’s best show jumping round she has ever had in her career with Handsome.

The duo finished clear with some time cross country. He was brave and bold and they helped each other get through the finish flags.

As we all know it takes a village to compete in this sport. Paige wouldn’t be where she is with Handsome today without the overwhelming support of her parents, family members, friends, as well as the help from many trainers over the years. Most notably coach Sara Gumbiner has helped the pair since their first Novice level event and has guided her through Training, Preliminary and now Intermediate move ups. Paige says she “Couldn’t have done it without Sara’s guidance.” Sara believed in them from the start and has put an unbelievable amount of dedication into the pair that helped them cross the finish flags last weekend.

Photo courtesy of Paige Cianciulli.

“Coming through the cross county finish flags with Sara, Alexis (fellow working student at Evermore), Brooke (an Evermore client), and my dad at my side all cheering me on, and being so pumped up by everyone around all the way back to the trailer where my mom was hiding was an incredible feeling,” Paige says. “I immediately started ugly crying and hugging Handsome when we made it back to the trailer because of how much heart handsome has, and the incredible amount of support around us.”

Keep an eye on this exciting pair as they continue thriving in 2020.