Lisa McDowell is on a mission to bring the Pure Spanish Horse (PRE) to the American dressage ring and her first efforts were looking good at this weekend’s Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge II. Her Cartucho VII won his First Level Test One class with a score of 68.00 percent.

McDowell of Plantation, Florida got her first PRE in 1996 and fell in love. “I just started reading and studying and doing as much as I could with them. I was attracted to the breed because of the temperament. It was a good match for me starting out with my first horse as an amateur.” Initially, McDowell was looking for a nice horse for her to enjoy as a hobby, but then she started competing in dressage. “And then it became very competitive because once I got showing in my blood, I kept wanting to get a higher-level horse.”