Lusitano and PRE Horses Lend International Flair
Week two is underway at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, one of the oldest and most prestigious shows in the United States and the first designated as a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Heritage show. Andalusians, Lusitanos and crosses of these bloodlines with other breeds have been part of this multi-breed show for seven years.
Pin Oak’s new international hospitality sponsor, Haras Dos Cavaleiros, brought its Lusitano Lounge from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky with wine, music and beautiful photos of their stables and horses. Owners Rafael Chávez Monzón and his wife, Carmina Zamorano González, are at the forefront of promoting around the world the new discipline of working equitation and are talking with the Pin Oak show about adding this competition next year. On Saturday, their international Champion Lusitano stallion, Oceano, provided the Pin Oak audience with a torch-lit demonstration of the working equitation obstacle course.
The honorable Jim Havelhurst pinned some well-known champions, as well as some impressive newcomers at this 66th Pin Oak.
Top honors for dressage sport horse in-hand went to Xperto, a Lusitano stallion born and raised by Haras Dos Cavaleiros. He was the Lusitano National Champion of Mexico in both 2004 and 2006. Reserve sport horse honors went to Lexi O’Dell of Texas with Bellatrix REA. O’Dell and Bella later would claim both High Point Horse and High Point Junior Exhibitor awards in the Andalusian/Lusitano division. O’Dell was the International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) junior exhibitor of the year in 2010 and Bella holds multiple national championships.
In the halter classes, was Dulcinea earned first-place junior mare, gold medal movement junior mare and champion mare all ages. Dulcinea was bred and is owned by Pam Hines. Bellatrix REA was reserve champion. Champion stallion was the Lusitano, Xperto, with the reserve championship going to Brillante RDL, who earlier captured first place junior stallion and the gold medal movement award. He is owned by Sheri Holmes, Donna Lindsley and Jan Neely. Half-Andalusian classes were well represented this year with about six horses in most classes. Sharon Lee’s Rihanna LHR took first place in all classes entered, including fillies, amateur to handle, and best movement. Saltador ORO took the senior stallion gold medal movement award and was Best Movement horse of show in a field of nine competitors. It was Saltador’s 17th Best Movement of Show win in seven years, including last year’s IALHA National title. He is owned by Walter and Judy Henslee and Gina Rae Hogan.
Under-saddle classes were dominated by the entries of Francine Dismukes and Malen Dell, with Farandola MC taking five championships in native tack and attire, dressage suitability, hunt seat, western pleasure and show hack. Reserve Championships under saddle were divided among Joyante H, Saltador ORO, exhibited by Michael Vermaas, and Ronnie and Carol Maroquinn’s Tar Ideal, shown by Deirdre Malburg.
Andalusians and Lusitanos also made the news. Fox News interviewed the Haras Dos Cavaleiros group, and featured perhaps the first-ever working equitation demonstration broadcast in the U.S. Linda Graham on her striking palomino National Champion Lusitano stallion, Amuleto VO, along with Francine Dismukes and Malen Dell in western tack and attire on National Champion Andalusians, Farandola MC and Joyante H, represented the breed in the parade of breeds for local television news Amuleto VO also was ridden by ABC affiliate reporter Andy Cerota for the cameras during education day.
Saturday night was punctuated with international flair by a wonderful exhibition in the BBVA Compass arena by Marta Renilla of the Woodlands Equestrian Center on the imported Spanish stallion, Viviano III, owned by Rancho la Passion. Marta, an international grand prix competitor and United States Dressage Federation (USDF) gold medalist, showed off numerous high-school dressage maneuvers that highlight why she is a favorite performer at regional and national shows.