Wearing his High Point Back on Track Saddle pad presented by Markel’s and DressageDaily’s Mary Phelps Hemmingway the Oldenburg stallion by Hofrat/Gribaldi x SPS Alsonara/Archipel high point CDI Young Horse at the KDA Spring Show 2014 (Photo: Theresa Schnell)

Hemmingway the American-bred Oldenburg stallion by Hofrat/Gribaldi x SPS Alsonara/Archipel is growing up and moving on, as evidenced by his clean and impressive performance in the Six-Year-Old CDI Markel/USEF Young Horse Class held during the 28 Annual Kentucky Dressage Association giving him the high score for the CDI Young Horse hopefuls with a combined score of 78.6, and maintaining his position as one of the top ranked young horses in the country. Hemmingway stood as a stallion at Hilltop Farm for two years. Under the skilled piloting of Michael Bragdell he won the The 2012 Markel/USEF Four-Year-Old Young Horse Champion and continued to maintain a consistent ranking in both the Young Horse 5-Year-Old division as well as being the Region 1 1st Level Champion.

Photo – Hemmingway the Oldenburg stallion by Hofrat/Gribaldi x SPS Alsonara/Archipel high point CDI Young Horse at the KDA Spring Show 2014 (Photo:Theresa Schnell)

Owner Theresa Schnell has owned Hemmingway from a baby at a month old. When she purchased him from the breeder the late Angela Barilar from High Point Hanoverians.  He is American bred and part of Schnell’s breeding program with foals on the ground at her farm in Boonville, Indiana Rock Solid Warmbloods. Wanting her “boy” closer to home she moved him to Angela Jackson’s Rhine River Farm in Henderson, Kentucky Farm in November. Jackson had been riding, training and competing Schnell’s other stallion Rock Solid 2006 (Rosenthal/Rubenstein x Parabola/Parabol/Efendi) for several years. It was decided to send the two to Florida where Jackson developed a relationship with him while competing “Rock” who is currently ranked 5th for the Markel/USEF Developing Horse Championship at Prix St. George.

Jackson and Hemmingway clicked winning all of his classes at his first three shows: two 3rd level classes with a 70.1 and 75.8% and high score for both at 2 different shows.  With three six-year-old Markel/USEF Young Horse classes at three different shows under their belts his highest score was an 85.6% at Harmony in the Park show just a week before the KDA CDI show. While his score in the CDI Selection at KDA fell just short of the required 80% to qualify for Verden, the stallion’s future looks bright as he maintains his top rankings heading toward the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships in August.

USEF Information on the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships