DRESSAGE DAILY
Vita Flex Victory Pass Award Winners: Dawn Bernardo and Rubinero II
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Posted by
WELLNESS
Wellington, FL - Since the beginning of this Year of the Horse, prestigious Vita Flex Victory Pass Awards have been recognizing winning performances at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and introducing some of the best horses and riders in the world to its leading performance products. Thanks to Dawn Bernardo and her beautiful black stallion, Rubinero II, the final Vita Flex Victory Pass Award winners of this Wellington winter season gloriously exemplified why great horse care is at the core of great horse performances. Equine Imports LLC's Rubinero II (Rubenstein 1 x Faola x Ex Libris) and his Adult Amateur rider left no question they were there to win during the 12th week of the 2014 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, earning a 72.500% score of assent from the FEI Prix St Georges' Ground Jury. The pair returned the following day to demonstrate their aptitude at the FEI Intermediare I and claim reserve honors with a 66.842% flourish.“Everything just went fantastic. They were so elastic, Dawn brought out his brilliant extended trot and really showed off his rideability,” Bernardo's trainer, Rick Rockefeller-Silvia of Dream Street Stallions, said about the ride. That “rideability” not only earned them the Victory Pass Award but has been among the leading assets behind the high demand in his breeding services; the horse had a full book for 2014 of more than 100 mares. The Floridians (Bernardo is from Wellington, Rockefeller-Silvia from Palm Beach) operate a Dream Street Stallions summer facility just 25 minutes from downtown Chicago.
The 16.3 hand, 14 year-old black, approved Oldenburg stallion, who received a 10 for Rideability at his stallion licensing in Neustadt/Dosse, was imported to the U.S. at the beginning of the year, just in time to begin what would prove to be winning ways at Wellington, with a 67.763% FEI Prix St. Georges victory during AGDF5. Closing out the AGDF season with scores in the low 70s proves this Victory Pass Award-winning pair are on the path to more wins ahead.
“Seven weeks ago, this was a new combination,” said Rockefeller-Silvia. “Dawn had only ridden Rubinero for two months. They were just getting to know one another. Their winning was impressive then and is just as impressive now.”
"I'm so pleased with Rubinero. I'm incredibly blessed to have such an amazing stallion as my competition partner,” Bernardo said of the opportunity she was given through Gudula Vorweck to purchase the horse.
Nurturing long careers full of victory gallops for horses and riders like Rubinero II and Dawn Bernardo is the commitment behind Vita Flex and its animal health supplements. For more information about Vita Flex Nutrition products, visit www.vitaflex.com or call (800) 848-2359. Vita Flex is a registered trademark of Farnam Companies, Inc.
