Off Centerline

Jeannette Sassoon and her blind dressage horse Valiant performed a moving demonstration at the Reining World Freestyle Championship, part of the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, which took part during Rolex in Lexington, Kentucky. (Check out the feature story on Jeannette and Valiant in the June issue of Sidelines). In addition to their demonstrations and upcoming documentary, Jeannette wrote a song for Valiant, “Follow My Heart,” which has been recorded by new country Nashville artist Veronica Taylor. We can’t wait to hear the song on the radio.
Photo by Mandy Su – amsphotography.com

Europe here they come! Welly World is empting out with so many of the summer crowd heading to Europe. Not surprisingly the list-of-leavers looks like a who’s who from the winter season including Caroline Roffman taking two horses for her maiden competition voyage to Europe, along with Tuny Page, Susie Dutta, Shelley Francis and Euro veterans Mikala Gundersen and Lars Petersen.

Meanwhile some of the Dressage Gang have rather exotic itineraries, Global Dressage’s sponsorship guru, Meg Kruger is heading for Mongolia for a horseback journey with a spiritual twist. And while she doesn’t have a farm in Africa, Lisa von Martels is “out of Africa” after returning from a safari and a tour of Cape Town with 7 friends.  Meanwhile Tami Hoag is making plans to head to Africa for a safari later this summer.

And speaking of Tami Hoag, her long awaited book has finally arrived and she is kicking off the fun with a book signing at Show Chic for all her horsey fans. She will start her book tour around the US this summer, too.  Word is we should look for her on the cover of Horseback Magazine out of Texas. Editor and fellow equestrian and author, Steven Long, has a lot in common with Tami!

It’s official! Heather Blitz, her husband and horses have arrived at Cutler Farm in Massachusetts. Attorney and Cutler Farm owner, Donna Cameron, told us that Heather bought a house in the area, but there was a contingency in the sales contract – Heather has to give a lesson to the seller!  That’s some fun negotiating!

Congratulations to Colombia’s Cesar Torrente, FEI 3-star judge, who is the first judge to be promoted through the new FEI judging program. And while Cesar is traveling to the US and beyond to judge, US judge, Lisa Hyslop, just returned from a judging assignment in Colombia and had lots of good things to say about the horses and the hospitality in South America.

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