Dancing Horse Challenge | PVDA Ride for Life

PVDA Ride for Life Dancing Horse Challenge

DHC Performer Yvonne Barteau

Information regarding the 2012 Dancing Horse Challenge is coming soon! Check out the recap of 2011 below for a taste of what you can expect for this year.

2011 Dancing Horse Challenge Recap

Did you miss the 2011 Dancing Horse Challenge? Don’t worry; we have short
clips coming soon in addition to the one we have posted. If you want to watch the show in its entirety, you can do so at Dressage Training Online. (You must join in order to watch the entire show)

The 2011 DHC was definitely one to remember. The non-stop action began with the Saddle Guys and Gals Drill team, decked out in red, white and blue, carrying American flags during the National Anthem.

Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, Director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center moved the audience with facts about breast cancer and how it affects all of us. She also introduced Johns Hopkins fellow Rosemarie Hardin whose training in the latest treatments and techniques of breast cancer will be partially funded by the money raised by the Ride for Life.

Sons of the Wind and Vitor Silva wowed the crowd with demonstrations of longlining and Haute Ecole including the extremely difficult capriole movement. Vitor’s beautiful Lusitano horses demonstrated these high school movements flawlessly and readied the crowd for the fast paced first half of the show.

KYB Dressage trainers Jamie Lawton and Jessica Starck engaged the audience with an East Meets West, Boy meets Girl routine showcasing dressage and bridleless reining. This great routine included a tribute to the music of Michael Jackson.

Shannon Dueck and her beautiful mare Ayscha nearly brought down the house with their incredible freestyle to the music of Lady Gaga. Shannon and Ayshca were decked out in pink in recognition of the event. Their performance was a moving tribute to breast cancer survivors and those lost to the disease. Shannon, a breast cancer survivor herself rode in honor of her mother and aunt whom she lost to the disease.

Julio Mendoza and Lindsay Winkler absolutely mesmerized the audience with their dramatic flamenco routine. Both horse and dancer moved in unison with the lively music, truly embodying the beauty and control of both dressage and flamenco dancing.

Silva Martin and Charish Campbell’s off the track thoroughbred Sea Lord were dressed as jockey and racehorse for her fantastic freestyle which highlighted the elasticity and suppleness of Sea Lord. Silva really got the audience going with her “down the stretch they come” gallop down centerline to a perfect halt concluding their freestyle. It was really a joy to watch a horse excel at a new career and have fun doing it!

The beautiful Fresian stallion, GP Boater, reprised his amazing liberty routine with Kim Barteau and Hudi Barteau. This year Boater played the “Phantom” of the Opera with Hudi. Without fail, Boater and Kim demonstrated the unique training of a horse at liberty and again brought the audience to their feet with the magnificence of their routine.

Cade Whittle closed the first half of the show with fast paced reining demonstration showing the audience what western reining is all about. Cade even removed his horses’ bridle at the end of the ride and did some awesome spins bridleless, brining loud applause from the audience.

As if the first half wasn’t action packed and entertaining enough, the second half just got better!

Jane Hannigan opened the second half on Mr. President, dressed in black and pink, with a tribute to her long time student Susan Karsch who is currently battling breast cancer. Jane rode to the music of Mission Impossible with the thought that anything is POSSIBLE if you put your mind to it. Her performance was not only entertaining, but inspiring.

Michael Barisone dressed as a bad boy rocker in sunglasses and a cut off t-shirt, rocked the house with an incredible freestyle to rock and roll music. His partner Timeless was impressive to watch and the pair really showed the audience what dressage is all about.

Sons of the Wind rode a beautiful quadrille to classical music demonstrating dressage movements and the intricacies of quadrille riding with four pairs in the arena at once. Again the beauty of the Lusitano horse drew in the audience and the precise riding impressed.

Julio Mendoza and his Friesian stallion Ivan made an impression with pink leg wraps and saddle pad against the true black of Ivan. His active and engaging freestyle got the audience clapping and the power of Ivan really accented the music. It was a great picture of the fun of dressage.

Bent Jensen really did bring down the house dressed from head to toe as Lady Gaga. He rode without stirrups because his high-heeled platform boots wouldn’t fit in the stirrups. His freestyle was a sight to see! Bent even rode on a borrowed horse, Orlando, who belongs to his student Vanessa Swartz. Bent and Orlando were a hit to music from the Black-eyed Peas.

KYB Dressage again entertained the audience with a gypsy dance routine. Jessica Starck and Hudi Barteau danced on the ground while Yvonne Barteau and her partner GP Raymeister danced around them. As usual, their costumes and routines were beautiful and the audience saw both horse and human athleticism at its best.

Martin Audet of Chapman Reining horses closed the show with another fast paced reining routine. His music from Top Gun really kept both horse and rider going, getting the audience involved, and maximizing their performance of awesome sliding stops and incredibly fast spins.

Not only did the audience get a taste of high quality dressage and western reining, but they also saw some fantastic horse training from fabulous trainers. It really was the best Dancing Horse Challenge to date. Mark your calendar for next year so you don’t miss it!