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Dreamcatcher Meadows ends year with more firsts

Pemberton dressage stable's horses win seven major awards, now ranked third in North America
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John Dingle of Dreamcatcher Meadows in Pemberton and Ballerina DMV at the USEF/ Markel Young Horse Dressage Championships held at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, in August 2012. Photo submitted.

Pemberton's champion dressage stable, Dreamcatcher Meadows, has finished its best-ever year in 2012 by coming in third place in the category of Dressage Sport Horse Breeder of the Year in North America by the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) — and three of their horses are ranked in the top 10.

The stable was ranked eighth at the end of the 2011 season.

And its Hanoverians won seven individual awards through the USDF. The team will receive their awards at the USDF's national year-end awards ceremony in New Orleans in early December.

"They do symposiums, there's lectures and demonstrations. It's a really cool weekend. It's an educational opportunity, the awards are just a pleasant byproduct," said Jill Giese, who co-owns the stable along with her husband John Dingle.  

"The team effort from everyone at Dreamcatcher Meadows, especially those caring for the animals on a daily basis, staying at home to allow the others to compete, has resulted in these wonderful placings. We cannot thank the team enough, including the owners (of the horses)," Dingle said. "It's very rewarding to have our horses ranked this high, considering the exceptional quality of the horses in these competitions," Giese added.

Ballerina DMV, the four-year-old filly bred and trained at Dreamcatcher Meadows, led the way as she has all season, winning Materiale Horse of the year for four and five year olds with 88.5 per cent, and she also won the Mare of the Year award, won for her performance "in hand", or without a rider.

"In the year's rankings she's ended up ahead of all the horses she's competed against in that division, and she's got the highest score for all Materiale Horses, three, four and five year old, geldings, mares, stallions. All breeds," Giese said.

"It's very unusual... Usually, a horse will do one thing or the other. I couldn't believe she won that (Mare of the Year). It is really contested by breeders coast to coast. I didn't see that coming."

Giese said it was thrilling because they did not simply want a horse that performs nicely, she also wanted to know that they had gotten close to the ideal of the characteristics and qualities they've been bred for, the genetics, build.

And Ballerina's owner Bus Fuller, who has financially invested in the mare along with his restaurants Earl's, Joey Restaurants, and the Cactus Club, is "thrilled."

Another investor has come on board as co-owner to a Dreamcatcher stallion, Lordsley DMV. Tony Ma, president of the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange, has been delighted with Lordsley's results, Giese said, including his first place in Hanoverian Breed for his age category.

Overall results from the USDF:

Dreamcatcher Meadows as a stable: Third place for Dressage Sport Horse Breeder of the Year;

Ballerina DMV placed first as Materiale Horse of the Year, for four- and five-year-old mares (highest score out all Materiale age groups and sexes: 88.5), first place mature horse gelding/maiden mares in hand, score 80.75, and third place for U.S. Equestrian Federation four-year-old test (score 8.1);

Lancelot DMV placed first, American Warmblood Society, three-year-old Materiale (score 76.4);

Lordsley DMV placed first place in Hanoverian Breed, for his age category, and second in two-year-old colts and geldings Hanovarians;

Lady of the Dance DMV placed ninth, overall, three-year-old mares Materiale

Dreamcatcher Elite placed ninth, Intermediare I level, vintage division, overall, first place, Intermediare I level, vintage division, American Warmblood Society, first place, Intermediare I level, open division, American Warmblood Society, first place, Intermediare I freestyle, open division, American Warmblood Society; and

Jill Giese as a rider, placed first place, Intermediare I freestyle, open division, American Warmblood Society (score 70.625); first place, Intermediare I level, open division, American Warmblood Society; first place, Intermediare I level, vintage division, American Warmblood Society.