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Work Hard, Play Hard |
Many great tales begin unexpectedly; Dacia Peters can attest to that. A trainer at Mattango Farms, where she runs her own program Stepping Stone LLC, Dacia went to Germany in 2007 to look for a suitable horse for a client. She found a great horse for her, but before she could leave the barn another horse captured her attention, For Play. Known around the barn as Player, he is an Elite Hanoverian stallion that had won his 30-day stallion test. In fact, he won his test by such a large margin that he was exempted from the conclusion of the 70-day test so he could stand at the Celle State stud and participate in their jumper breeding program.
For Play. Dacia had no intention of purchasing the flashy liver chestnut, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ride him. “He wasn’t the horse I had gone to look at, but he was the nicest horse I had ever seen,” says Dacia, with a smile in her voice. “Afterwards I couldn’t get him out of my head. I sat down with my client, Debbie Sibilio, and we went over everything. She stepped up and agreed to be my 50-50 partner, and we purchased For Play. In Dec., 2007 Player was imported to the U.S. and we couldn’t be more excited.” Though Dacia and Debbie are easing the 8-year-old into the United States show ring, and really taking their time schooling him up, Player had several wins as a young horse in Germany. Most recently he won in the 1.40 meters as a 5-year-old. He also earned the privilege of qualifying for the Bundes Championate, and is showing promise of following in his esteemed sire, For Pleasure’s, hoof prints. For Pleasure was the long time mount for Olympian and Grand Prix jumper, Marcus Ehning. For Pleasure contributed to four championship victories over the last eight years of his career with the German show jumping team, and has won team gold four times. He won 75 S-level classes with Ehning and Olympian Lars Nieberg, winning his last Grand Prix at the 2004 World Cup in Liepzig, Germany. He was 18 at the time. Dacia and Debbie purchased For Play from a friend of Robert Diestel, who also bred his legendary sire. “What I didn’t truly appreciate when I first looked at Player was that, in addition to being very talented, he also has truly extraordinary breeding,” says Dacia. “With a background in show jumping I recognized his jumper bloodlines, but not all of his dam’s lines. He has some wonderful dressage lines on his dam’s side including Accord II and legendary Grand Prix dressage stallion, Grundstein.” Accord II is widely regarded as an important contributor in Europe. He won his 100-day test with a score of 138.26 in dressage and 148.47 in jumping, for an overall score of 146.04. As of 2003, Accord II produced 60 dressage competitors and 404 jumpers (52 that achieved advanced level) with combined earnings of 736,000 euros.
Dacia Peters & For Play. Two Rings To Conquer Dacia feels Player’s dam lines have greatly improved his overall movement and the way he uses his shoulders over fences. At their first United States Dressage Federation (USDF) competition this fall, For Play and Dacia scored at 73.667. They won their First Level test and were high point for the show. Out of his first crop of foals in Germany, For Play produced a licensed German Hanoverian stallion and all his foals inherited his flashy head, jumping ability and scope as well as his lofty, suspended movement. For Play’s first crop of foals in the U.S. are due in February. He settled 12 mares in 2008 and had a 100 percent conception rate for fresh cooled and frozen semen. Impressive considering the average stallion in the U.S. typically only covers five to seven mares a year. But even with his busy breeding schedule, Player’s mental work and show ring focus has never faltered. With the help of Dacia’s German jumper trainer, Maik Ristedt, and dressage trainer and retired Grand Prix rider Diana Muravez, they expect Player to reach the national Grand Prix levels in jumpers and the USDF upper levels in dressage. For Play is currently schooling at Grand Prix heights at home and in 2009 they plan to venture back into the jumper rings at HITS Thermal. The clinic was a resounding success. In addition to Maik’s coaching, riders, auditors and guests watched demonstrations by horse message therapist, Cindy Handcock from Absolute Movement Message Therapy, listened to nutrition advice from Sandy Brunet of Chaffhaye Westcoast and got free evaluations from human massage therapist, Christy Sica. Also on site was Dr. Clint Dennison, who chatted with guests on the importance of sports medicine, accomplished dressage rider, Diana Muravez, who spoke about the importance of dressage in show jumping and Lori Nelson, from Equestrian Balance Pilates, who conversed with riders about proper stretching and exercises for developing perfect equitation and independent seats. Lastly, Horse Haven mobile tack store offered special clinic closeout prices on tack, apparel and stable equipment. “It is going to be a very busy winter,” says Dacia. “We are very exited about For Play’s first crop of foals, and I want to be there to see them born. We are trying to plan his show schedule around that. But everyone had such a good time at the clinic that we are definitely going to work another into our 2009 calendar.”
For more information on For Play or Dacia Peters visit www.mattangofarms.com, e-mail equifit@aol.com or call 951-226-4986.
Dacia Peters & For Play.
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