Darren Chiacchia is continuing his steady recovery from the near-fatal fungal meningitis he contracted last October by winning three blue ribbons at the White Fences Dressage Show in Wellington, FL on February 23 and 24. Now head trainer for The YARD Sport Horse Center, also in Wellington, he is training a solid group of both young and advanced eventing, dressage, and show jumping horses.
Darren and Ballzauber. Photo by Bob Carey
Aboard his own black stallion, ‘Ballzauber‘, Darren took two Second Level Test 3s, and one Second Level Test 2 at the scenic and well respected horse show. Ballzauber is a 7 year-old Trakehner by Axis who is by the very influential EH Sixtus (half brother to Windfall) out of Ballgefluster by EH Itaxerxes.
Darren Chiacchia. Photo by Bob Carey
Darren Chiacchia is a 2004 Olympic eventing bronze medalist, 2003 Pan American Games individual gold medal victor, and a winner of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. At the White Fences Horse Show, Chiacchia also rode Ann Clements’ Oldenburg gelding ‘Freddie Mercury’ to a 4th place finish in the Prix St. Georges.
At The YARD, Darren has some students focusing on dressage, others showing in the jumper divisions at Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) as well as many eventing clients. “I began my career cross training in Wellington in the early 1980s. I would come and train in dressage with my coach of 30 years and second ‘Mom‘, Jessica Ransehousen, as well as working closely with Conrad Homfeld and Joe Fargis while assisting with the great show jumper, Abdullah,” Chiacchia stated. “I have not begun doing something new, but rather have gone back to my roots. The availability of high level coaching and competition is a great motivation to be here in Wellington area.
To contact Darren Chiacchia, please call (352) 895-3694 or see www.teamchiacchia.com.
