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March 8, 2007

Mid Winter Dressage - Burbank, California

Harmony’s Sandro Rides For The 10
by Trysta A. Bissett

The cleverly nicknamed “Golden Arches” of judging--Jeanne McDonald, Lorraine Macdonald, and Joan Macartney--couldn’t stop raving about the performance given by Harmony’s Sandro at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair. The 10 year old Oldenburg gelding won the High Performance Prix St. Georges with a score of 73.083 and the High Performance Intermediaire I with a 72.083. “He rode for the 10 and was the clear winner in both classes,” according to Joan Macartney. Lorraine MacDonald agreed, “He is elastic and fun to watch.” Sandro’s rider for the past two years, Leslie Webb, attributes the horse’s success to his incredible movement. “He’s all leg,” she said of her petitebodied mount.

Sandro is owned by Harmony Sporthorses of Kiowa, Colorado. Leslie Malone was on a shopping trip in Europe when she just happened upon Sandro, who was a stallion at the time. Malone was drawn to his “presence and strong hind leg.” Sandro’s sire, Sandro Hit, is one of Germany’s most sought-after stallions, having produced World Cup competitor Salieri and many other up and coming young horses. Webb admitted, “It was a big change [for Sandro] coming from Europe, and it took a while for us to trust each other.” But it didn’t take long for the pair to make an impression. Webb and Sandro were 2006 Region 7 Champions in the Open Prix St. Georges CDS Horse of the Year, winning over the other competitors by a solid four-point lead. This year, Sandro and Webb are preparing for Grand Prix and plan to try out for the Pan Am Games.

Listening to Webb chuckle about the 17.1-hand wonder, it sounds like the real fun in watching Sandro happens outside of the show ring. “In the stable area, he will stick his head out and tilt it to the right so you can scratch his chin. That’s his signature.” Always in need of attention, Sandro won’t hesitate to lick his human companions. “He’s worse than any dog I’ve met,” laughed Webb. Even after a hard workout, Sandro is a big mover. He makes the most of his pasture time by rolling and then bucking for a good five to ten minutes. But there’s nothing Sandro loves more than a good scratching from his favorite tree. “When we see the tree shaking in the field,” Webb mused, “we know what he’s up to.”

ScoreSource - Results on Line for LA Mid Winter Dressage
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