LUGANO Owner: Trainer: Breed:
Alexis Meadows BARN NAME: Joie Gatlin and Morley Abey Belgian Warmblood Age: 9
ea: When were you born? nick: I was born April 2006 in Switzerland, near the city of Lugano, which is how I got my American show name. ea: Where did you grow up? n: I grew up in Europe, where my trainers tried to teach me how to be a jumper, but I decided I didn’t want to go that fast, so Chris Payne and Dave Belford of New Hope Farms imported me when I was five to be a hunter. ea: What is your specialty? n: I do the Amateur Owner Hunters and International Hunter Derbies – strutting my stuff in the show ring and being the center of attention is my favorite thing to do. ea: Tell us about your mom or dad… n: My dad is Toulon, a Belgian Warmblood stallion out of Heartbreaker and my mom is Cabrera Sitte out of Chellano Z. I think my parents really wanted me to be a jumper like my brothers and sisters, but I like my job better. ea: What’s your favorite show ring story? n: I really liked going to Indoors a year and a half ago and winning a class with my owner, I call her mom, in Harrisburg and getting ribbons at Washington too. They took lots of pictures of me and there were
Nick
buckets of apples and carrots at the in gate. We did have some early mornings though!
ea: Who’s your best friend in the barn? n: Myself, since I’m super cool and handsome. My owner is pretty cool too. ea: What’s your favorite treat? n: Honey Teddy Grahams. I can go through a whole bag in a day. Don’t you love them? So delicious. ea: What do you like to do when you’re not showing? n: I like to go out and explore on the trail, sunbathe in my paddock, and eat as much as I can. Oh, and I’m a great camera ham – when I hear a camera click I will pose for pictures. ea: If you could be any superhero, who would you be? n: You mean I’m not a superhero already? My mom always says I am when we finish a class… ea: What are your dreams for the future? n: To compete in more International Hunter Derbies and go back to Indoors again to show that I am, in fact, a superhero or superstar, I’m good with either... But I’ll need to train my mom a lot more until then. I f H o r s e s C o u l d T a l k | 59