AN EXCITING NEW ENTRY— An Introduction to Arnell Equine Sports
Joining the World of Three-Day Eventing
The Arnell Equine Sports Division was first formed in 2013, with the launching of a long-envisioned, new business activity focussed on the business of competition horse development.
This begins with designing, sourcing and developing a highly specialized international supply channel of select, young and promising, competition horses, originating from skilled breeding within the well-seasoned European theatre, and resulting in their export from Great Britain into California, where they can be raised and developed in a specialized training program.
This prepares them to be managed through a focussed competition trajectory, designed to lead to the following specific and ambitious outcomes:
Mission
- Sourcing, developing, and building up a specialized stable of select sport horses which can form the basis of producing and developing a fine line of quality competition horses, that can be successfully competitive - both regionally in California and throughout the West Coast, and eventually go to Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana each summer, and ultimately to the World-class, Rolls Royce event of this sport, the Rolex Invitational, which takes place each Spring in Lexington, Kentucky; all driven by the purpose of both building up the reputation of our new development stables, while at the same time producing high-performance, champion competitors able to help carve out and define a leading edge in the exciting world of Three-Day Eventing.
- Secondly, it has been the desire and intention of key members of our Equestrian Team, to simultaneously develop a specialized school and training facility, co-located as part of a suitable facility for attracting and developing select young riders - initially between the ages of 10 and 25 years old, to both work with and bring along the company's complement of premium competition horses, while being trained as competitive riders for their own reputation, benefit, and evolving success. Home base for this operation is currently in San Luis Obispo, California.
- Thirdly, it is the intention of this business division to provide for and allow the transfer, trade, and sale of a number of these finely-bred and meticulously developed horses to both our own riders, as well as to outside members of, and serious competitors within, the equestrian community, and in so doing, to provide a channel of high-quality mounts that could help move them up through the highly competitive world of Three-Day Eventing, beginning from the starting point of being specially selected and highly trained promising studs, mares, and/or geldings, that is otherwise not generally, readily, nor widely available here in the United States, having come from select stocks of long lines of high-performance, European competition horses and champions.
- Along the way, it is anticipated and envisioned that additional pertinent and associated business activities will emerge from the activities and momentum of the primary mission summarized here, that could provide for expansion in the areas of quality products and services that concentrate on providing high-quality elements and accoutrements that are relevant for both aspirants as well as active participants in the three Three-Day Eventing community.
History
The real first step in the realization of this vision began in the fall of 2013, with the launching of a search team from California to the British Isles for the purpose of identifying and exploring promising sources for potentially high-quality sports and eventing horses, whose mission included researching breeding farms, high-performance riders, coaches, and trainers, and developing an initial network of sports horse brokers that could work with our team - both initially as well as on a long-term basis - for breeding, screening, identifying, and studying and/or guiding their early pre-competition training and initial formal event showing, all originating from and/or arising and appearing in such target locations as England, Germany, Holland, Ireland, and Scotland.
That trip resulted in the identification, screening, "vetting," acquisition, and exporting from Great Britain of two fine candidates named "Great Bourton," a six-year-old Zangersheide gelding who had already shown great promise in competing at the Training and Preliminary level in England; and Arnell's Bugatti, a young and yet unproven five-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, who showed outstanding promise with a magnificent capability in the event known as dressage, or equivalently, equitation. By contrast, Burt was a large muscular 1,800 pound horse, that was not originally brought up with appropriate finesse for equitation, but had the muscularity and athleticism for jumping and especially for the cross country steeplechase events, and our experts predicted, as it turned out correctly, that he could nonetheless be trained to become competent at dressage. These fine candidates were nicknamed "Boo," and "Burt," respectively.
From late 2013 and on into early 2014, both horses were specially trained to convert their potential to comport with the conditions, environment, and characteristics of West Coast and American competitive eventing, and they saw their first formal appearances starting in that period. Their results were impressively successful, exceeding our team's own expectations.
In the late spring of 2014, an American-bred gelding, known as "Counterpoint," came to our attention, and after certain due diligence, became seriously considered for being added to the new stable of Arnell steeds. "Count," as he became known, rather quickly began showing more promise than expected in the hands of our specially-assembled professional team, consisting primarily of Gina Miles, the United States 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist, who had become our primary professional trainer, and her right-hand assistant, Rebecca Braitling - a highly talented rider and a proven skilled trainer - who was "imported" from Australia where she had acquired her early training and then began her initial career. During the 2014 competition season, Counterpoint, under the steady hands of Lauren Galle, Arnell's principal competition rider, very quickly rose to become a well-recognized and respected competitor in key U.S. west coast events, and brought all three steeds to Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana in June 2014 for the largest challenge of her and their still youthful lives. As a result of Count's smoothly trotting away with first place in his class at that event, which is the largest amateur/professional event for all classes that is held in the United States each year, he propelled our rider, Lauren, to being named sixth in the country for 2014.
In late 2014, Arnell's Bugatti had attracted the attention of a very fine rider from the eastern United States, Mr. Connor Husain, who acquired him and brought him back to Florida for the winter season, to be then transferred to Virginia, where he will be based, in preparation for the upcoming seasons. Boo is now already producing remarkably successful results under the guidance and hands of his new owner/rider.
Recent Results
"Great Bourton":
- 2nd Place - Intermediate - at Copper Meadows
- 4th Place - CCI* - The Event at Rebecca Farm
- 1st Place - Preliminary at Galway Downs International Event
- 1st Place - Preliminary - Copper Meadows HT
- 2nd Place - CCI* - Twin Rivers Spring International Three-Day Event
- 1st Place - Novice - Twin Rivers Ranch HT
- 1st Place - Training - Copper Meadows
"Arnell's Bugatti":
- 2nd Place - 2013 USEA Area IV Training Champion
- 1st Place - Open Preliminary - Woodside International HT
- 1st Place - Training - The Spring Event at Woodside
- 1st Place - Training - Galway Downs Spring HT
- 1st Place - Training - Horse Championships at Copper Meadows
- 1st Place - Open Novice - Woodside International HT
- 1st Place - Novice - Horse Twin Rivers Three-Day
- 5th Place - 2013 West Coast YEH 5-Year Old Championships
"CounterPoint":
- 8th Place - CCI** Galway Downs International
(next closest Amateur: 14th Place)
- 5th Place Intermediate at the Twin Rivers Fall Horse Trials
- 2nd Place - Intermediate at "The Spring Event" at Woodside
- 5th Place - Intermediate at Twin Rivers Winter Horse Trials
- 5th Place - CIC* Fresno County Horsepark CIC
- 9th Place - CCI** Galway Downs International Event & Horse Trials
(Awarded "Highest Place Amateur", and a custom Voltaire saddle)
- 2nd Place - Preliminary at "The Fresno Horse Park"
- 1st Place - Preliminary at Copper Meadows Horse Trials
- 1st Place - Preliminary (Open) at "The Event at Rebecca Farms"
- 2nd Place - Preliminary at Copper Meadows Horse Trials
VIDEOS:
CCI** Galway Downs Cross County
CCI** DRESSAGE Galway Downs
CIC** Show Jumping Copper Meadows
CIC** Cross Country Copper Meadows
Intermediate Dressage Woodside Horse Trials
In November 2015, Arnell's Search Team departed for Europe in the third annual quest for both young and "raw" equine talent, suitable for importing to the U.S. and for entering Arnell's Training & Development Program back at Templeton Farms, in Templeton, California.
Watch here for news on any promising findings that meet our strict standards, and that may result in promising new Ameican equine "citizenship"!
|
|