With more than 54 other four-year-olds competing in the qualifying classes throughout United States, Floris a KWPN (Florencio x Krack C) ridden by Lesley Eden and owned by Jacek and Yvonne de Haan hold onto the current highest ranking with an 8.870. From their home base in Orlando, Florida, they traveled to Venice, Florida (FL Dressage Concours I/II), Conyers, Georgia (GADS I/II)  and Hamilton, Georgia (Poplar Place) to qualify. With the Markel/USEF National Dressage Young Horse Finals to be held in August at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois August 20-24, the de Haan’s and Lesley continue to develop confidence, elasticity, and clear communication with this super up and coming horse for the future, which is what the Young Horse program is all about.

Photo – Floris – KWPN (Florencio x Krack C) owned by Jacek and Yvonne de Haan and ridden by Lesley Eden PFloris – KWPN (Florencio x Krack C) owned by Jacek and Yvonne de Haan and ridden by Lesley Eden (Lynn Eden Deer)

Floris – KWPN (Florencio x Krack C) and Lesley Eden (Photo: Lynn Eden Deer)

The team plans to design t-shirts “Team Floris” to share the fun with everyone at the Markel/USEF Young Horse Finals. Four-year-old Floris’ rider, Lesley Eden won the Individual Gold Medal in 2001 at the North American Young Riders Championships. Yvonne de Haan grew up in Holland and has a strong systematic training program to compete French Kist, a Hanoverian gelding (Fabriano x Prinzessin) this year at the Intermediare II and Grand Prix Level with scores well into the 70%. Currently, the training is overseen by Henk van Berg who comes from Holland four times a year.

Lesley Eden shared, “Floris is one of the most talented horses I’ve ridden. He’s sensitive, reactive, smart, and very willing in his work. He is, at times, a little ‘too’ reactive, but this will become an asset as we move up the levels. On the ground, he is very sweet and very people oriented. “

Preparing for the Markel Young Horse Finals 2014 in The Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program (for 4, 5, and 6-year-old horses) promotes the importance of selective breeding and correct training of horses in the United States, and encourages participation of breeders, riders, and trainers of young horses in dressage competition. The purposes of this program are to encourage the properly structured development of young dressage prospects through the training scale; to identify and recognize outstanding talent and the training of international-caliber horses; and to prepare these horses for future careers at the FEI level and participation on U.S. High Performance teams.