Saturday, July 1, 2006

Dressage Star Jazzman Dances Again
By Charlene Strickland for DressageDaily.com

Donna Richardson and Jazzman Returning to Grand Prix

Donna Richardson bought Jazzman (Amethist, Eronica) after seeing him on a videotape. She had asked Steffen Peters to look for an older, trained horse for her. He and partner Norbert Gieling bought Jazzman in Holland, as a three-year-old stallion.

Richardson said, “He was a gorgeous chestnut, white face and white feet, naturally engaged and uphill. He had presence and a natural energy.”

Her gamble paid off, as the colt was easy to train. With Dutch carriage horse (the Tuigpaard type) in his background, the 16.1 Jazz has a regular, elegant trot. Richardson called him, “as light as a feather. Everything is easy for him. He has fabulous gaits and good attitude.”

She was his only trainer and rider up through the levels, saying “He’s all my creation.” In the 1990s, Jazzman won national honors in USDF Horse of the Year: First Level (1996), Second Level (1997), and Fourth Level (1998).

In his retirement, Jazz announced he’s return to the show ring. “After six months turnout, he was passaging out there, on his own,” said Richardson. “Skyler Evans, a Young Rider, wanted to show him. I said she could take him if he stayed sound.”

“For months and months, she walked him—I walked him. And by January 2005 he was holding it together.” Evans made the Region 7 team, which finished second at the Young Riders Championships in July. Encouraged by their performance, Richardson decided to see if Jazz could return for her. “I took him back to strengthen him and see if he still wanted to go Grand Prix.”