Spotted sporthorse Danash’s Northern Tempest (AKA Dani) turns heads at the show grounds. PHOTO BY GIANA TERRANOVA
Daring To Be Different: Wellington’s Spotted Sporthorse Dani A Sight To See
Unique Horse BY HOLLY JOHNSON
When you venture to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, one thing may stand out to the casual observer: few horses actually catch your eye, at least in terms of coloring. Bays, chestnuts, grays and blacks are the widely seen coat colors, even in the jumpers, where the only judges are the clock and the rails. In fact, in most of the upper echelons of equestrian sports, traditional colors seem to be favored over bright palominos, flashy paints and especially leopard spots. But that paradigm seems to be shift-
ing toward the colorful, even in the more conservative hunter and dressage worlds, where human judges can be biased or favoring toward solid, traditional coat colors. In show jumping, scope, speed and staying power have always taken precedence over coat color, but even then it is somewhat rare to see a Grand Prix horse with a bald face and high stockings like Paulo Santana’s Taloubet, or a brilliant tobiano paint like Brianne Goutal’s Mon Gamin. In dressage, where tradition and de-
Rider Laura Reece aboard Dani. PHOTO BY GIANA TERRANOVA
wellington the magazine | september 2020
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