Top left: Champion Half-Arabian Sport Horse Mare Dressage Type ATH Hotstepper RTA (Sandor x Flame Dance), owned and shown by Renee M. Kramer, Elk Mound, Wisconsin. Top right: Champion Half-Arabian Sport Horse Gelding Hunter Type, Champion Half-Arabian Sport Horse Gelding Hunter Type ATH, Champion Half-Arabian Dressage First Level AAOTR and Reserve Champion Half-Arabian Dressage Training Level AAOTR De La Noir (Delaurentis x Bey Ebony Rose), owned and shown by Jennifer K. Jeffreys-Chen, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Champion Half-Arabian Sport Horse Gelding Dressage Type Raayder (Rosenthal x Afirelight by Afire Bey V), owned by Signe Kay Smith, Joliet, Illinois, and shown by Tim Schaap. “I just wanted to say how nice it was to be back at Sport Horse Nationals!” says Signe Smith. “The last time I was there as an exhibitor was in 2009 when my two-year-old Half-Arabian went National Champion in-hand. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and then in 2011, suddenly lost my National Champion Half-Arabian. I bought my current Arab-Oldenberg gelding from the same breeder as my previous horse, right after he went top
ten as a yearling. There were times I thought I would have to sell Raayder, but I fought not only for my life, but to keep Raayder. In addition to his championship, he brought home a National Reserve Championship in Half-Arabian Sport Horse Under Saddle Junior Horse, and four Top Tens dressage and in-hand “Also, the breeders of my horse, Susan and Dave McAdoo, are small time breeders but they had another Half-Arabian who brought home numerous titles and they also bred the National Champion Half-Arabian two-year-old in-hand gelding who also went Supreme In-hand Champion. Almost all of their Half-Arabian Warmblood horses have national titles who show at Sport Horse Nationals and the ones that show USDF have won at Devon, etc. — pretty amazing people!” 107 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ JANUARY 2016