Stephen and Laurelyn Browning used the occasion of the 2007 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention Awards Banquet to announce Floriano’s new rider – their son, Stephen Browning II. “We wanted him to go to a young rider and thought, why not the one who sits across from us at our table. Stephen has worked hard and he deserves it,” said Laurelyn Browning. PhelpsPhoto: USDF President Sam Barrish, Stephen and Laurelyn Browning, Allyn Mann of Adequan

The Brownings collected several awards for their horse at the Saturday evening banquet, including that of 2007 Dressage Horse of the Year. With previous rider Steffen Peters, Floriano had a tremendously successful 2007, as he had in the last few years. But in October, Peters and Floriano parted. For the past several years, Peters and the 17-year-old Westphalian gelding had been one of America’s strongest pairs in international competition. Just this year, the pair finished third among tough competition at the Dressage World Cup in Las Vegas. And in 2006, they were the U.S. National Dressage Champions and the highest-placed Americans in dressage competition at the World Equestrian Games, where they took a sixth place in the Grand Prix Freestyle competition.

Peters had said he made the decision to resign because he was not able to commit solely to Floriano. In October, Peters had to evacuate his San Diego barn as a result of the Southern California wildfires and several days later, when he returned home, Floriano went instead to the Browning’s home stable. Laurelyn Browning said she has been keeping the gelding fit and that she and Floriano “are having a ball. I ride him throughout the mountains and we go for ice cream. He’s seen things he’s never seen before.”

The Browning’s 25-year-old son started his dressage career with Hilda Gurney.“Hilda taught Stephen how to post the trot. She always told him that one day he’d be a good rider. Stephen is a fine young man and there is no one we’d rather see Floriano with than him. My son has a great connection with Flori.”

Stephen Browning said his son plans to compete Floriano in CDI competitions in the coming year. But Laurelyn Browning said it will be another month before her son can really ride. He had back surgery in October and doctors have said he needs to wait until after January 1, 2008 to resume riding. In addition to Gurney, Stephen Browning II was been trained by Peters himself and by Ulrich Kasselman.