54 SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Jan Westmark-Allan
Most riders spend their lives hoping to fnd that magical equine
partner – the one who will help them fulfll their dreams. Brandi
Roenick, 17, has already discovered her magic in the form of one
superstar double gold medal winning Pan Am horse, who just
happens to be named Magic – Weltino’s Magic that is.
Brandi, a high school senior who lives in Del Mar, California, trains
with Olympian Steffen Peters who competed Weltino’s Magic on
the Gold Medal U.S. Pan Am Team in 2011. Brandi began leasing
Magic only a few short months ago and so far the results have been
pure magic! Brandi and Magic showed off their magical union at
the 2012 North American Junior & Young Riders Championships,
riding away with three Gold medals -- the Young Rider Team Gold,
Young Rider Individual Gold and Young Rider Freestyle Gold.
Sidelines caught up with Brandi while she was in London,
where she had the opportunity to watch her trainer Steffen and
his equally famous partner Ravel, compete in the 2012 Olympic
Games. “Steffen made me so proud. It was so awesome to go
and watch him compete in such a wonderful venue. It was such
an amazing experience. He has made a huge impact in my life.”
What do you call Weltino’s Magic around the barn?
Magic has many nicknames, I change it everyday; but it
usually stays around the same four. I usually call him M&M for
Magic Man or just M.
Have you bonded with Magic?
My bond with Magic is absolutely incredible. He will stick
his head out his window at the barn waiting for my car to pull
up and when I open my door he goes nuts. He is very attached
to me and I am to him. We have only been partners for three
months; but we have adapted to each other so well. I love him
as if he were my own horse, he really is an incredible animal.
Congratulations on three gold medals at NAJYRC, are
you still on cloud nine?
Being able to achieve such an accomplishment is truly an
honor. I am still on cloud nine. I couldn’t be happier because it has
always been a dream of mine to sweep the medals at NAJYRC.
I am happy that I have been fortunate enough to compete with
three different amazing horses and have been able to achieve
what I have accomplished the past four years in the Young Rider
division.
What was it like having your mom train you at NAJYRC?
(Steffen had already left for London and the Olympics.)
My mom used to own her own training facility but sold it when I
started traveling and started to get competitive in 2008 with Pretty
Lady. She gave up her career and her dream for my dream and
my riding. I couldn’t thank her enough for it.
What are your goals with Magic?
My goals with M are the 2012 Young Rider World Cup. I’m not
sure how long our partnership will last; but I would love for it to go
on forever!
What is it like training with Steffen?
Steffen is such a father fgure in my life. He is such an amazing
The “Magic” Life of Brandi Roenick
e
Dressage
Brandi shows her enthusiasm after securing her position in the
World Cup with a 76% in their freestyle
Photo courtesy of Jennifer M. Keeler, Yellow Horse Marketing
person to live with and train with. We have a great friendship in
the arena and out. He is funny and always knows how to keep me
entertained in a lesson. There is never a dull day with him. He and
Shannon have been so amazing and I couldn’t ask for any better
of a situation. I live with them and in exchange for living with the
Peters, I do household chores like cleaning foors, laundry, folding
towels, emptying the dishwashers and helping Shannon make
lunch and dinner. I am very fortunate to have them in my life and I
look at them as if they were my own parents. I love them both very
much and they always make me feel at home.
What has been the best advice Steffen has given you?
Steffen is a man of great advice and he has taught me so much
to enable me to keep my head in the game. It’s not so much what
Steffen tells me. I am a very visual person and Steffen is my idol
and I look up to him more then anyone could ever imagine. I watch
how he is with the horses and how great of a horse person he is,
how he is always amazingly kind with competitors and generous
to those around him. That’s all he needs to do for me to let it click.
What has been the most diffcult thing of taking over on
a horse that was ridden by Steffen?
Probably the pressure of their past success; but I have taught
myself to let that sit in the past and not exist. When I am on Magic,
it is Magic and I, not Steffen, Magic and I. What the pair has
accomplished in the past was amazing; but I think of it now as
how am I going to make what I accomplished with Magic amazing.
I have always trained myself that if you think about things it will
take away your focus and keep you from being successful. I have
a dream with Magic, I need to make that happen by focusing on
our future and nothing more.