Empire HW so grown
up in the international ring. I remember his first Training Level Test like it
was yesterday.
We got to play with the Grand Prix movements in our lessons and he is showing
a lot of talent for Piaffe and Passage. Exciting!!!
Empire HW was
incredible in our lesson today, Little Grand Prix machine in the making!! I
couldn’t love this more!
El Chapo is well on his way to Grand Prix now and is also the most perfect
riding horse for his Amateur owner Tracy
Cook who bought him as a youngster.
Talent for the highest levels of Dressage and an exceptional character!
December 13th, 2024:
Gosh - how wonderful is it to open e-mails like this one, huge
congratulations to Five
Stars HW, his owner and trainer:
Hi Irene, Wanted to
give you an update on Wes
and Freddie. Equine Canada just announced the National Rankings and Wes and Five
Stars HW have been ranked #1 in Canada for First Level Test 2.
They also were just awarded Champion of British Columbia, see attached
picture.
We have had the most unbelievable summer winning:
- 4 shows
- 4 Championships
- Scores to 78%
- 5 x 9 in one test
- High Points
- Champion of British Columbia
- Ranked #1 in Canada for First Level
- EC Bronze Medal for First Level
Incredibly honored to together with Sotto
Voce (aka Sir Niro HW) have been selected as a demo rider for the upcoming
Ingrid Klimke - Eventing and Dressage Masterclass 2024 at Texas Rose Horse Park
the weekend of December 7th and 8th.
Thank you and all my love to Blackies owner Susan
Ellis - none of this would be possible without you and I’m so blessed to
be on this journey with you and our Prince.
As it turns out I’m also so so so lucky my parents will be here from
Portugal to come support us. After 7 years of me living here they sure picked a
good time to come visit Texas!
Wes
and Freddie (aka Five
Stars HW) were the First Level Open Champions at the Pacific Regional
Championships this past weekend with scores in the mid seventies.
The weather on Friday was very wet and windy so conditions were very
difficult but Freddie
just kept going to deliver a 74.69% . The rest of the weekend was beautiful
weather. This was our last Show of the season and it was super fun!
Freddie has
been to four big shows this summer and has been the Champion every time. He also
has now earned his Equine Canada Bronze Medal with honors so these are just
amazing achievements for a young 5 year old horse in his first year of showing.
We have had just the best summer with this beautiful boy and amazing comments
from all the different judges and everyone who has watched him.
It goes without saying, of course, that Wes has done a fabulous job with
Freddie so we are looking forward to the future. As soon as I get the pictures I
will send the gallery to you.
Lynk (aka Bezos Boy
HW) and I haven’t shown in a LONG while, and it was so wonderful to dance
with this big guy again, this was our first time ever showing 1st level, and i
couldn’t be more proud of how far this guy has come within the past few
months, showing up with mid-60%’s for both tests!!
This, of course, wouldn’t AT ALL be possible without the amazing and
talented Cyndi
Jackson , aka real-life superwoman!!
I know this journey has not been easy, but the amount of what Lynk
and I have learned within only a few months of being at bar-a with her has been
so incredible and rewarding!!
6th place for Sotto Voce in the GAIG Open Prix St George Regional
Championships for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.
Huge thank you to Blackie and his owner Susan
Ellis - this was an absolute highlight of my career and it has been so fun
to be on this journey with you 2 for the past 7 years.
Thank you to all my friends who showed up to come support us yesterday and
today - when I entered the main arena this morning I couldn’t believe what an
amazing turnout we had.
Thank you to my husband Johan
Yokay who is the best cheerleader and partner anyone could ever ask for. I
love you babe and we did it!
Time to celebrate
October 4th, 2024:
Congratulations to Pamela,
this is amazing to see, she purchased Satisfaction
HW sight unseen several years ago and brought him all the way up the levels:
Fantastic result for Pamela
Roberts boys, Satisfaction
HW is reserve Champ I1 Freestyle and Brunello reserve Champion Grand Prix
Freestyle. Thank you to her sister in law Keli
Ward-Harrelson for sharing the pictures and cheering them on!
And check out this gorgeous fly sheet by sponsor Jani King!
September 22nd, 2024:
Team Valerius HW
Shine Bright! Oh - I love messages and posts like these, congratulations to team
Valerius HW (aka
Vinny) and look at that, even a 10 on his score sheet!!!!
From his owner, Dr. Helle
Vistrup Madsen Stewart: Hi Irene - yet another fun show with Vinny last
Saturday. A trailer-in - and out with 2 blue ribbons and high score 1st level,
high score open at Rose Mount in Spottsylvania. He of course is qualified in
training and 1st now.
His trainer Hannah
Pierucci Schmidt at HPS Dressage posted: There are few 5 year olds in their
first year of showing I would opt for bringing the day of the show to ride at a
facility they haven't been to, but Vinny you're just something else!
Valerius HW,
owned by Helle
Vistrup Madsen Stewart, finished out qualifying for first level with a 71.5%
(and a 10 on his first lengthening). So proud of this goofy boy, didn't bat an
eye at anything. Good boy Vinny!
September 14th, 2024:
Huge congratulations to this team, Flore
De Winne with her Eleven
HW, she posted the following, not surprised by the scores at all, well done:
O.M.G. What did just happen today??
Took my little Eleven to his first official competition ever.
With a smile from ear to ear I did my final salute.
90.2% was the result in FEI 5yo Final test. Crazy how fluently he cruised
through the whole test.
Rewarded with 9.2 for his walk, 9.1 for canter and 9 for trot.
Now he gets all time in the world to grow stronger.
Five Stars HW,
affectionately known as Freddie, and his skilled rider, Wes
Schilds, have emerged as true champions in the equestrian world. Freddie has
consistently delivered exceptional performances, earning him the title of
Champion in each of the three shows he has participated in. Despite challenging
weather conditions that included heavy rain and a flooded arena, Freddie's poise
and athleticism remained unwavering. His graceful movements and remarkable
agility have captivated spectators, earning him high scores and accolades.
Wes
Schilds, Freddie's rider, is a master horseman with an unparalleled ability
to connect with his mount. His exceptional riding skills have enabled him to
guide Freddie through intricate courses with precision and finesse. His ability
to anticipate Freddie's every move and react accordingly has resulted in a
seamless partnership that has consistently produced championship-winning
performances.
According to Freddie's owner, the horse's remarkable temperament and
willingness to learn have been instrumental in their success. Freddie's calm and
collected demeanor allows him to remain focused and perform at his best, even in
challenging situations. She attributes their triumphs to the exceptional
qualities of both the horse and the rider, who together form an unbreakable bond
that has led to extraordinary achievements.
Red ribbons stand for victory (in Canada!), check this out, huge
congratulations to the whole team, 5 x 9's - wow!
From FiveStars HW's
owner, he is also known as "Freddie": I just returned from the Canada
Cup Dressage Festival last night @Wes
Schild and Freddie were the champions once again, earning the top score for
the entire event.
It was an absolutely fantastic weekend, with Wes
and Freddie delivering another outstanding performance. All of their scores were
in the high seventies, with an impressive 78.6% on Saturday. The judges were
highly complimentary, awarding them five scores of 9 and describing Freddie as a
"beautiful, expressive horse with wonderful gaits" who was "very
well ridden."
We are all so proud of this truly special horse. Freddie is truly in a league
of his own. And just to note, in Canada, the red ribbons indicate first place.
The one of Freddie's dad Jack telling Freddie how much he loves him made me
cry!!!
Congratulations to the dedicated team for their outstanding achievement.
Wishing you both continued success and happiness.
July 14th, 2024:
Valerius HW, the
exceptional equine athlete, once again showcased his remarkable abilities under
the skilled guidance of Hannah
Pierucci Schmidt.
Together, they triumphed in their class, earning an impressive score of 73%
and they were HIGH SCORE Champions as well!
This extraordinary achievement is a testament to Valerius
HW's innate talent and the unwavering dedication of his team. Heartfelt
congratulations are extended to Hannah, the rider who guided Valerius
HW to victory, and to Dr.
Helle Vistrup Madsen Stewart, the horse's proud owner.
Their unwavering support and superb quality of horses available at HWfarm.com.
Valerius HW was
sold sight unseen, we love the trust and confidence that clients have in
HWfarm's hand-selected, top-quality horses.
With a wide range of horses available, HWfarm.com
caters to the needs of discerning equestrians seeking exceptional equine
partners.
Hi Irene: I just want you to know that Sunny aka Sandjour
HW is now retired albeit still being ridden at home. He is 20 now and
competed through being 19. We made it to Grand Prix and showed at very
respectable shows. They were my mistakes not his that kept us from Gold. As you
know he is an extremely talented horse. I do not regret a single moment with
him. He still has his buddy, Laddie, who is 33 now.
So he will be with me forever. Thank you. Holly
B. Chernoff, Attorney/Mediator
In addition, Jamie
Shortz posted: Happy retirement sweet Sunny!! What an incredible memory of
riding this special boy in the Robert
Dover Horsemastership Clinic in Florida and getting to ride with
Robert, Debbie McDonald, Shelly Francis, and Jan Ebeling. I would never have had
this opportunity without the generosity of his owner Holly
B. Chernoff and the connection made by Adrienne Lyle. It was an experience I
will never forget. I’m so thrilled to hear him and Holly
made it to Grand Prix together. Congratulations to his breeder Irene
Hoeflich-Wiederhold who has bred and sold so many wonderful horses like him.
Thank you Irene for sharing this nostalgic picture of Sunny and I together!
Love looking back on these memories
June 21st, 2024:
Not an easy feat, with huge, quality competition and still - wohoo,
Synergy HW and For
Glory HW qualified yesterday for the Bundeschampionships in Germany, with
super scores. Synergy HW,
8.2 for walk, 8.0 for trot and 8.5 for canter, 8.2 for overall impression (he's
also known to score up to 8.8 overall in the past!). For
Glory HW, 8 for walk, 8 for trot and 8 for canter, 8 for overall impression.
So excited to see these horses progressing just phenomenally, huge
congratulations and thanks to the super team who made it possible.
I just don't have words to tell you how beautiful they looked and how hard
Freddie tried.
He was absolutely spectacular in every way and didn't put a foot wrong the
whole show. Quite amazing for his first show. So rideable and well behaved.
Saturday and Sunday it rained and it was very difficult to ride in extremely
wet conditions.
He was also the High Point.
His scores were 76.9%, 72.0% and 73.4%. Also, Cesar Torrente our judge on
Friday and Sunday fell in love with Freddie and came to speak with me. He said
he is a beautiful horse and I love, love, love that horse! Congratulations on
owning such a beautiful horse.
He has a huge future! Wes did a fabulous job as always and we had such a fun
time despite the weather. Sue
Super I1 debut for Empire
HW. I have ridden him every level from Training to I1 so far.
And he is schooling all of the Grand Prix movement now.
He is a phenomenal horse!!
June 2nd, 2024:
Super Secret Dream HW qualified yesterday for the Bundeschampionships in
Germany, with super scores, including a 9 for walk, 8.5 for trot and 8.2 for
canter (he's also known to get 9's for trot and canter), what a good boy.
Congratulations and thanks to the super team who made it possible. So excited
and happy for this boys future.
May 28th, 2024
Festival HW, so much fun to get tagged in videos showing off what he all
learned.
He was purchased sight unseen, many years ago and collected many
ribbons/victories/high points with Donna
Gatchell Dressage and made his owner super happy at the same time.
Donna
Gatchell Dressage: Love this !!! Such a super horse. Always loved doing his
ones. He looks super Ana. We miss him but he has the best home.
Ana
DiGironimo: We’re finding all the gears which is so fun! Like any newer
partnership going through the process, but it’s coming together!
Congratulations and a shoutout to
Michelle
Rozzano Gerlach for not only her expert eyes and coaching this weekend
but for earning a 68% in the open I-1, with her self trained and ridden Forbes
HW.
Well, well, Sir Niro
HW (aka Blackie), not only is he a really successful dressage horse, he now
is also officially a “husband class” horse, thanks to his rider Erik
Yokay, that looks like a lot of fun. Congratulations on all your success, he
is clearly loved and appreciated.
March 19th, 2024:
BonFire HW (owned
by Tyra Vernon),
3 victories and smiles all the way! Congratulations to the team.
Soaring across the sandbox on BonFire HW is one of the best feelings. He
truly is one of the most spectacular horses...how lucky am I to be on the BonFire
HW Journey!?
I took Sandor down centerline in the 1-3 to win one of our classes and 2nd
place in the other. BonFire
HW & Brie
beat us by .5 but it’s not hard to swallow when it’s your own horse!
Both Boyz were awesome! Onward to doing a freestyle next show. Brie
Seltser Haskins & BonFire
HW took first in all their classes scoring up to 76.5% in the freestyle and
75.1% in the 1-3 test!
Blackie (aka Sir
Niro HW or Sotto Voce) wins his second Prix St-George today while also
becoming Reserve FEI High Point Champion.
Good day to celebrate life!
Thank you trainer Nikki
Taylor-Smith for all your help that’s been the key to our success and to
owner Susan
Ellis - love being on this journey with you and our Prince. Thank you to all
my team members at The
Equestrian Center At Twinwood and well done everybody. Video soon to come.
Now did I hear Champagne?
Please use the column on the
left for reviews of previous years,