 |
USDF Horse of the Year, Grand Prix
by D.J. Carey [USDF Connection March 2004]
Not long after George Williams came to Gypsy Woods Farm he and Gypsy Woods
owners, Chuck and Joann Smith began looking for an international prospect for
him. They'd already made three trips to Germany, then Williams says, "I happen
to be at a U.S. Equestrian Team Dressage Committee meeting and mentioned to
Guenter Seidel that we were looking. He said he thought that [U.S. Dressage
Team Coach] Klaus Balkenhol knew of a couple of horses that were for sale,
so he would call Klaus. He did, that afternoon. Our fourth trip to Germany
was already planned, but at the end we stopped and looked at the horses that
Klaus knew of - and Rocher happened to one of them.
The mare was at the German Olympic Training Center; she'd been ridden by a
young rider who, Williams says, had show her once or twice in the special Grand
Prix that's open to riders 21 to 25 in Germany. We looked at her, and at first
we weren't really sure. She has big ears, which she's famous for, at first
you couldn't help but notice the ears. But we stayed, and I rode, and at the
end of three days we were convinced she was the right horse.
By the time Rocher arrived in the U.S., in February 2001, Gypsy Woods was at
its Florida winter base, so the mare came there first. "She'd lost a lot of
conditioning," Joann Smith remembers, "So we were concerned, but it was extremely
exciting - kind of being on the brink of something. You wanted to wrap her
in a bubble wrap and keep her protected."
For the first six months, along with reconditioning Rocher, Williams rode her
with five-time Olympian Robert Dover, who was a Big help in the transition,
helping me get comfortable with her and get to know her, and to prepare for
the selection shows, leading to the national Grand Prix championship at Gladstone,
where they finished fifth. He then received a training grant from the USET
that enable him to go to Germany and work with Blakenhol that fall. That's
really what I think helped in the relationship with her, and with really bringing
her to an international standard. {They've gone back to Balkenhol in both years
since, They've also had help here from both Balkenhol and trainer Patrick Burssens.}
Asked what's most enjoyable about working with Rocher, Williams says, When
you have a horse like this, you can work on the little things, the refinement.
It's very challenging but very enjoyable; you constantly see tings you know
but see them in a new light. She gives you such wonderful feelings when everything
is right and right there; to me, that part is a lot of fun. And then her temperament
is very likable; ;she's level-headed, she likes her work , and the success
she's had has been the icing on the cake.
Looking toward the selection trials for the 2004 Olympic Games, Williams says "Certainly
all the work we have done since 2001 has been geared toward that goal. But
workwise, there's nothing special; just trying to improve her throughness,
make her more elevated in her way of going, and overall trying to make each
time we go out better and better."
© 2009 Gypsy Woods Farm.
|
