Elly Schobel rode her Andalusian stallion Oyente to multiple wins at the Andalusian Championships in Fort Worth, Texas in early October. Schobel, who is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), collected blue-ribbon honors in three divisions. She and Oyente were proclaimed national champions for their efforts.

Elly Schobel and Oyente

Oyente's honors came in classes for Spanish Stallion 7 Years & Over, FEI Prix St. Georges Through Grand Prix, and Musical Kur FEI I & Grand Prix. Competition at this high level of dressage requires the horse to perform a series of difficult movements while maintaining rhythm, obedience, and forward impulsion. Great muscular strength and endurance are important, as is a horse's willingness to obey a rider's cues instantly throughout a long dressage test. 

To reach the show location, Schobel prepared Oyente for more than 24 hours in a trailer by following a good nutritional program supplemented with KER's Bio-Bloom and a double dose of Hemabuild. She was amazed at how well he handled the trip, saying that he had great energy and was ready to do his job in the top classes in which he was entered.

Hemabuild is formulated for use in horses under the rigors of training, racing, or competition. It is particularly suited to help horses maintain health and energy as they are being transported. Bio-Bloom's ingredients support healthy hoof growth and maintenance, aiding soundness in horses that train and perform at the elite level.

Riding her gray Andalusian stallion Oyente, Elly Schobel claimed a first-place finish in her FEI Freestyle competition and a fifth-place ribbon for her Grand Prix ride at Camden Dressage. Schobel is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Oyente, a breeding stallion, is a magnificent horse, but Schobel commented on the downside of owning a gray. "Right now, the biggest part of my day is taken up by washing this horse in preparation for weekend shows."  Her next competition is the Andalusian Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Schobel keeps Oyente on a strict conditioning program that is similar to an event horse's routine, and she likes to allow her horses to live outside as much as possible in good weather. She feels this type of program, in combination with the KER supplements, keeps her horses feeling and looking great.

• Champion Led Spanish Entire
• 2010 AHAA Dressage Horse of the Year-Novice
• 2010 AHAA Dressage Horse of the Yea -Medium
• Elementary Champion

What more could the team at Equestrian La Mancha have asked for at this year's Victorian State Andalusian Championships?  Along with numerous other awards throughout the weekend Manolo Mendez, professor of classical dressage and proud owner of KER-supported training centre Equestrian La Mancha, along with his right-hand woman Chantelle Matthews, won almost every major prize at this year's championships.

Chantelle has worked with Manolo for over five years as his head groom and rider, and has piloted the imported Pure Raza Espanola (PRE) stallion Dinamico XII to many great successes over the past year.  Chantelle and Dinamico made a big impression on the dressage world at the 2010 Victorian State Dressage Championships when they won the reserve champion award in the Preliminary championship. Other wins at Novice level throughout 2010 with scores over 73% put Chantelle and Dinamico in a commanding position to take out the award of the 2010 AHAA Dressage Horse of the Year-Novice.  

More exciting news from Equestrian La Mancha: Manolo recently purchased two warmblood stallions to campaign in the dressage arena. We will be sure to bring you updates on the imports as they settle into their new lives.

Ardverness Almira

Ardverness Almira, a two-year-old filly owned by Marie Kukawski, won the led part-bred Andalusian youngstock class at the 2011 Royal Melbourne Horse Show in Australia. The filly is by the national champion PRE (Pura Raza Espanola) stallion Pagan MF and out the Anglo-Arabian mare Abbeyance Almira.

Ardverness Almira joined stablemate Zorra MFI (also by Pagan MF) as a Royal Show winner. Zorra MFI claimed victory in the led purebred class and was also named the reserve champion led purebred at this year's event.

Both horses were given a variety of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) supplements in preparation for the horse show, including All-Phase, Equi-Jewel, Bio-Bloom, and Restore. In addition to these, they were fed Barastoc Groom, which is a blend of high-quality protein meals, oils, live yeast culture, vitamins, and minerals. Barastoc Groom is  manufactured by KER Team Member Ridley AgriProducts.

The broodmares at Kukawski's farm are typically fed All-Phase from the time they are bred through early lactation, and then are fed Low GI Cube throughout the remainder of lactation.

The Royal Melbourne Horse Show is the largest breed show in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 1,000 competitors to the annual event. The next major events for both horses will be The Victorian State Championships to be held in March this year.

Kukawski is employed by KER as the Australasia marketing manager.

KER Ambassador Marie Kukawski and her Andalusian stallion, Pagan M.F, have had a great start to the year taking out the Supreme Andalusian Exhibit at the 2007 Royal Melbourne Horse Show.

Following on from their success in Melbourne saw Marie and Pagan travel to Sydney to take part in the Australian National Andalusian Championships. The Championships attracted several hundred competitors from across Australia in a variety of led and ridden classes. Although expectations were not particularly high of the young stallion, being only his second time out under saddle, Pagan M.F. proved himself by taking the title of National Champion Ridden Pure Spanish. Continuing on over the weekend saw them also gain two more titles of National Champion Ridden Entire and National Champion Spanish Movement. From his success at the National Championships, Pagan M.F. has now qualified to compete in the SICAB International Horse Show in Spain.