We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].
Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance at Red Hills. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Last week we met Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance, a coming 8-year-old Trakehner mare owned by Don and Anita Leschied of Ontario. After an excellent showing in the indoor eventing at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto last November, “Blue Eyes” had some time off before starting up her competition season again this year. After placing 17th in Ocala last month in a very competitive intermediate division, she performed incredibly well at Pine Top Advanced, where she placed seventh in her open intermediate division.
“She’s always been a super cool horse, but she always jumped at whatever level you were going,” Jessica said. “The first time I thought this horse could go Advanced was when I took her around the intermediate cross-country course at Pine Top. It’s a beautiful galloping course with maxed-out tables. She stepped up to the plate and covered all the distances.” Blue ran her first CIC2* this month at Red Hills, where she showed once again how competitive she can be at the upper levels. She finished eighth there and stepped up even more last weekend with a fifth-place finish in a large CIC2* division at Poplar Place.
Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance at Red Hills. Photos by Dove (www.photosbydove.net).
“She has definitely lived up to my expectations,” Jessica said. “I’m a big believer in doing what the horse is ready for. I will move them up and down the levels as they need to. She does everything we’ve asked her to do so easily.” Jessica hopes to take Blue to the CCI2* in Ocala next month and possibly the CCI2* at Fair Hill this fall. “I think she’d be a great candidate for the Pan Ams in Toronto,” Jessica said. “Our overall goal is to just take her as far as she wants to go. Who knows if that will be the Olympics or World Equestrian Games or the Pan Ams.”
A Little Romance is hardly the first baby by A Fine Romance, the Thoroughbred stallion better known as “Fred,” to compete successfully in eventing. Selena O’Hanlon’s A First Romance completed the Fair Hill CCI3* last fall and most recently finished 12th in the CIC3* at Red Hills. Jacqueline Mars owns two stunning fillies by Fred, Landmark’s Legendary Romance and Landmark’s Ginger Rogers. Leah Lang-Gluscic owns A Novel Romance, who is just starting his eventing career and reportedly has extraordinary movement. Peter Barry, Lauren Kieffer and Allison Springer also have horses in their barns sired by Fred.
Blue undoubtedly gets much of her lovely movement and scopey jump from Fred, as well as her dam, Samlandfurstin, a Trakehner mare sired by Donaufurst and owned by the Leschieds. “Reegan” competed successfully at training level, but a suspensory issue kept her from moving up the levels. She was first bred to Aberjack before producing a foal by A Fine Romance. “I’ve seen a lot of really fantastic babies by A Fine Romance,” Jessica said. “I have a couple of students at home riding some of his babies too. They are very good jumpers that have a reputation of being a bit challenging on the flat in the beginning. But they all have the movement, scope in their jump and heart to gallop. It’s an exciting future for Blue and the rest of A Fine Romance’s offspring.”
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll meet FR’s Trust Fund, a talented 6-year-old homebred gelding owned by Kyle and Jen Carter, who seems to draw a crowd at each of his events. Finn is by Tinka Too, a Dutch/Irish stallion with Olympic show jumping lines, and out of a Thoroughbred mare Kyle competed at Rolex in 1993. The horse has now run four intermediates and is showing incredible potential to be a superstar at the upper levels. “Everybody thinks they have a special foal, but it’s what they grow into that really matters,” Kyle said. “When he was 3, he really started to look like he could be something. He would just float across the field. People who would come to the farm to school cross country would always notice him and ask about him” — including Bruce Davidson and David O’Connor.
