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Tuesday, February 28 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature

Alex Granato: Living the Life He Only Dreamed

Story and portraits by Lindsay McCall

Becoming obsessed with the equestrian sport while he was young was easy for Alex Granato. He loved animals, enjoyed the competition and he was talented. He began by taking opportunities and making sacrifices so he could live a dream equestrian life. There were setbacks, triumphs and one chance in front of the world that he will never forget.

Alex began riding at a young age in Salt Lake City, Utah. By 13 he was the youngest person to win the Utah Hunter Jumper Association Medal Finals. He was accomplished, a horseman, and had the equitation and technique that got him noticed.

Alex spent his teen years competing on his own horses and gaining catch rides, and by the time he was 16, he knew this sport was his future. “With the greatest support of my parents, I spent the summer before my senior year in Colorado showing and riding,” Alex said. “I gained so much experience in the competitive circuit world, but what really validated my interest was doing the first-ever Young Rider team there. After a summer that really set my dreams in motion, I went back to Utah and left my horses in Colorado. I tried the long commute and dual-tasking, which included going to school, but doing it that way wasn’t going to effectively work.”

Balancing Life

Alex put his education and riding at the forefront. He enrolled in a newly established online school and returned to Colorado to ride. This would be his first experience balancing two important parts of his life, which would benefit him for years down the road.

“Once I graduated, I put my focus toward the horses,” he said. “Once again, my parents were incredibly supportive of the aspiring rider I wanted to be. However, they also wanted the best for me and said, ‘If you’re going to do this life you dreamed of, you need to find a way to do it well and a way to make a living at it.’ With that goal in mind, when I turned 18, I became a professional. I started getting more catch rides, and found some less-expensive horses to purchase and made them up to sell to make my first income in the equestrian sport.”

Alex was getting noticed for his proper riding and his ability to create nice horses that were happy and willing to do their jobs. His easygoing nature brought him business, and it also gave him lifelong friendships in the equestrian world. He also had his own horse, Mad Season, that he was putting his time into, and in 2004, Alex and Mad Season competed successfully in their first FEI competition.

“Mad Season was my first Grand Prix horse ever,” he said. “I got him inexpensively because he was difficult, and through advice from other trainers, he and I developed an understanding and bond. We really learned to jump bigger classes together and to be competitive together. He put such a stamp on my career.”

From Colorado, Arizona and California, Alex logged a lot of miles in the saddle, the car and in the big leagues. He spent almost 10 years putting in his time, learning and growing. Many of the horses he was making up he would compete in the Midwest at the Grand Prix and national levels. As he made his way east, his goal was to get to Florida for the winter circuits. “Riding in Florida felt like a dream, and it was nice to get that winter training opportunity each year and keep my horses in great shape. Ocala was such an eye-opener for me, and being in Florida was a huge step and milestone in my life.”

Ocala was a start to Alex’s winter showing regimen, but in 2013, a client from Colorado led Alex further south to Wellington, Florida. That winter, Alex started his company, Mad Season LLC, named after his horse that helped get him started on the international stage. Alex went on to spend winters in Wellington and base his business in Lexington, Kentucky, outside of the winter season.

With everything going very well for Alex and competing in many five-star events, he and equine partner Carlchen W, owned by Page Tredennick, made their FEI debut in Wellington in 2017, winning their first Grand Prix that season along with other top placings.

Lucky Chance

In 2018, Alex headed to Barcelona, the former Olympic stadium, to compete in the Grand Prix. With some team changes, he was selected to compete at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final. Alex and Carlchen W had a flawless round, coming in clean and fast helping the U.S. team secure the runner-up position.

“Those were the moments I wanted to remember forever,” Alex recalled. “As a kid growing up, it was always a dream to ride in those events, but I never felt like it would be within my grasp. My favorite two memories of my riding career include helping the team in Barcelona with clear rounds and bringing home the bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Carlchen W was such a superstar. I feel lucky to have had him as a partner all of these years.”

After the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic season, Alex re-examined his goal of staying at the top of the sport. During the week, he takes dressage lessons, gallops in the fields, and gives his horses the pasture time and top fitness they deserve. He has also taken on clients and additional horses.

“I’m very honest with my clients. I want them to succeed and reach their goals, and I want them to know that I’m focused on my goals as well,” he said. “I love my clients and the horses I get to work with every day.”

In 2021, Alex found success around the country, but it was his first five-star Grand Prix win in July that defined that summer, capturing the Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) $230,000 Grand Prix CSI5* at Traverse City in Michigan. He and Carlchen W were selected for the U.S. Jumping Team at the BMO Nations Cup during the 2021 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament CSIO5*. Unfortunately, Carlchen W had lost shoes during the week and it was not the outcome Alex hoped for. The team went on to win second place in the Nations Cup, and Alex understands that with horses, you have setbacks, lost shoes and some tears even at the big shows.

On Top in Two Disciplines

In addition to show jumping, Alex has developed and ridden some of the top hunter horses in the country. “I really do enjoy the hunters,” Alex said with a smile. “Most of my younger riding years, I had a couple of horses of my own to earn some prize money, and the other side of my income was catch rides and developing and selling hunter horses. I enjoy it, and it’s a different aspect of the industry than the jumpers with a political avenue, technique and riding for different judges. It’s not black and white like the jumper ring, and there’s something really intriguing and fun about having a spectacular hunter, especially a derby horse, and campaigning it that way. Having the international derby division the last decade has made the hunters more special in the industry.”

Alex is thrilled to be living the dream of any equestrian and a life beyond what he expected at 16 in Colorado, now working with his clients, showing in Wellington, competing at five-star show-jumping competitions in Europe, working with exceptional people and owning a farm of minis, dogs, goats and more. “I want to make an impact and give back to the industry so other people can have the same experience I have had,” he said.

For more information, visit www.alexgranato.com

 

Photos by Lindsay McCall

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Tagged under: alex granato, horse rescue, Mad Season LLC, miniature-horse, show jumper

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Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Sho The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Show is happening now! Don’t miss another second by streaming it live! 🐴

📹👀HOW TO VIEW THE LIVE STREAM
The WPCSA will again be streaming footage live from the ring at the American National Show next week. You will need two free passes to get to the feed this year.

1️⃣�The first is a USEF fan membership which you can get through this site:
Join or Renew | US Equestrian (usef.org)

2️⃣ Once you become a fan member, you will need to log in to the USEF Network on ClipMyHorse. A video demonstrating how to do this can be found here:
Existing USEF Fan - Watch the USEF Network - YouTube 

📸Pictured- Grand Champion Section B under UK judge. 
Owner-Barbara Chappell
Handler-Paul Maye /Maye Show Ponies Fairfield, VA
A note from our editor. It's here!! The October is A note from our editor.
It's here!! The October issue of Sidelines Magazine! So happy to have the fabulous Amelia Newcomb  on our cover. Amelia is a dressage rider with over 100,000 students! You read that right! Amelia has a very popular YouTube Channel where riders from around the word can learn and improve on their dressage - and it's not just dressage riders who are benefitting from Amelia Newcombe Dressage on Your Tube but riders of all disciplines - don't miss her story! Thanks to Sidelines photographer Lindsey Long for the beautiful photos. This issue has so many great stories! Catch up with eventer Zachary Brandt Equestrian (make sure to see how much he loves his dogs), and meet show jumper Katherine Anne Brewer and her horse Super Bunny, artist Samantha Dawn, equestrian Megan Smith who teaches Pilates 4 Equestrians; and Ela Ladwig a dressage rider and trainer who's multi talented because she's also a talented artist also. We have an amazing story on hunter-jumper rider Lisa Mooney who has a story you don't want to miss!! We also have a story on Tyler Held who's passion for eventing has taken her on quite the journey, and we catch up with Jimmy Toon in our Unbridled column. This issue also features our Save The Date section where you can check out show dates for this year and next from horse shows around the country! So get out your calendar!! And don't miss our great columnists, hunter-jumper with Rob R.L. Jacobs, eventing with Liz Halliday Eventing and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. And check out the photos of riders at the 2023 The Hampton Classic Horse Show also! It's another great issue! Make sure to subscribe to Sidelines also - one year for $14.95 and the magazine is delivered right to your house or barn!! 
Enjoy the October issue: https://sidelinesmagazine.com/app/#/reader/50029/1767167

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