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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Zada Enterprises Florida Dressage Classic at the CN Winter Equestrian Festival
presented by Zimmerman Advertising.

Tami Hoag and Bacchus De Light 2 Make Grand Prix Debut
By Kenneth J. Braddick

Wellington, Fla., Feb. 23--Mystery writer Tami Hoag showed her new dressage Grand Prix horse, Bacchus De Light 2, for the first time this weekend at the Zada Enterprises Florida Dressage Classic at the CN Winter Equestrian Festival presented by Zimmerman Advertising.

The New York Times best selling author bought the 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood from Michael Klimke in Germany last fall and worked with Klimke for about a month.

However, during shipping to the U.S., Bacchus incurred a bone bruise that put him out of training for several weeks.Hoag said the pair started back in serious work again a month agp and the horse is now back fully fit. "But after the time off it's brand new for both of us," she said. "He's used to a big Gerrman man on him.

"For both of us, it's like the first date."

Bacchus decided during the Grand Prix on Friday that he would perform piaffe when he wanted and not when Hoag made the decision."So today, I decided he's going to stay here and piaffe all day if I tell him," she said.

For their first time in the show ring together, she said she was "overall not displeased" with the score of 57.30 per cent that placed her fourth in the Grand Prix Special behind Arlene Page on Wild One with 67.30 percent, Mikala Gundersen on Pik L with 61.80 per cent and James Armstrong on Welt Adel with 60.60 percent. Hoag is an adult amateur who traunes with Betsy Steiner, and is at the top of the sport dominated by professional riders.

"It was a good first experience that's for sure," she said. "He's a cool horse. I'm looking forward to building a partnership with him."

Photo: Tami Hoag on Bacchus De Light 2 in the Grand Prix Special at the Zada Enterprises Florida Dressage Classic Saturday. Photo: Susan J. Stickle

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