"I would not recommend for anyone to buy a four year old, barely broke, redheaded, Arabian as their 13 year old kid's first event horse" LK
But then again, it's apparently one way to get to Rolex. I don't know if there have been other Anglo-Arabs (half-Arab) at Rolex, but how exciting that one of the entries this year is a 15.2H dish-faced chestnnut! His rider, Lauren Kieffer, is from Mount Carmel, Illinois and she rides with the O'Connors. The story is that Snooze Alarm came to her barn as a youngster, and she rode him for her trainer while her trainer was pregnant. They didn't instantly click, but they eventually formed a partnership and her parents bought her the horse. Lauren tells their story the best (see the Eventing Nation series) so I won't recount it here.
They have been recognized for their achievements in eventing. In 2007 they won the Arabian Horse Association's Ambassador Award and the USET Markham Trophy in 2008. In 2009 and 2010 they were named on the Eventing Developing Rider list.
A sad aside...
Lauren was also in the news several years ago when, at Jersey Fresh 2008, she was aboard Tigger Too when he experienced a sudden abdominal aortic rupture on course. He died moments after falling as he landed from a jump, and Kieffer was pinned underneath him for a short time. She was uninjured.
RESOURCES
Anglo-Arab Snooze Alarm and Lauren Kieffer win Ambassador Award, Eventing USA blog
Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm Chapter 1 from Eventing Nation (see also Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)
Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm at Jersey Fresh (pictures)
Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm (pix from Hoofclix)
Lauren's sponsor, Equestrian Services LLC (article on Lauren)
Feature on Lauren on the O'Connor Web site
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Snooze alarm! An Anglo-Arab goes to Rolex
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg)
I hope you get to see them and tell us about them.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see variety on the course. Haven't Anglo Arabs been good cavalry horses in the past? I wish them luck.
ReplyDeleteArabians are my breed of choice and I competed my 3/4 Arabian mare in open hunter shows (mainly non-rated schooling shows). So I know they can jump. They are the breed of choice for endurance racers (along with mustangs). I've wondered why eventers don't use Arab crosses more often. Maybe this pair will change that!!
ReplyDelete(Just to be picky, according to AHA, an "Anglo Arab" is strictly an Arabian-Thoroughbred cross.)
Rolex is on my Bucket List. *sigh*
That is one good-looking horse!
ReplyDelete