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Guinness (formerly Dorian) is a 1998
gelding by Donius W. from the thoroughbred mare Curiosity Marks.
Guinness is a full brother to Qastalia
and Winston.
Andrea says:
Guinness and I are doing
great! After over a year of struggling with flying changes,
we got them down well enough to complete Third Level. Now
we are working on getting out of Third (improving flying
changes and improving the power in the medium and extended
gaits) and into Fourth. We have begun pirouette work and
the half-steps for piaffe. Exciting things! What is really
exciting is that at our last A show in July we got our
Bronze Medal (two scores of 60% or higher from two
different judges at A shows for each First, Second and Third
level). Guinness has been wonderful. I feel so lucky to
have him. I bring him home every weekend so he can have
some down time just being a horse, getting dirty and eating
grass. I believe him to be a very happy horse.
I can not say enough how much I
love this horse. As one of my instructors said to me not
long ago, "he (Guinness) is not a world class athlete, but
he should certainly take me to Grand Prix". Well I am
banking on it, and to also have him as a companion/friend is
what most rider/horse combos never get to experience. I am
lucky.
2006 update:
Andrea and Guinness competed in Level 4 and Prix St. George and
received the United States Dressage Federation Silver Medal.
2007 update:
We did well enough to get our first score towards the four
needed for the USDA gold medal. This winter's work is piaffe,
passage, more uphill in the pirouettes, more uphill and flying
in the flying changes and of course tempe changes. Guiness found
the rules changing when I needed him to be more uphill. He was
too ground-bound in front so I went to inhand work with the
piaffe and we're in the beginning stages of learning the Spanish
walk. He is starting to understand that he must pick up his
front feet from the top of the shoulders. What a good boy!!!
This year we are trying for Intermediate II (all the movements
of a Grand Prix test with more time between them). We need one
test score here and then we're on to Grand Prix. Wish us luck.
[We do Andrea].
2008 update:
Guinness and I completed our Intermediate 2 test this past
weekend at the Spokane Sport Horse Farm. We got a 60.7% score
and a 62.4%. The 60.7% was one of only 3 60% or higher scores
for the 10 FEI level riders that day. The 62.4% ride was the
highest score among 11 FEI level riders that day. I am very
proud of our boy. So now we are on to Grand Prix where we need
2 60%or higher scores to finish the quest for the Gold Rider
Medal.
2009 update:
Guinness and I finally did it, we got the Gold Medal. We
received 3 scores between 60 - 64% out of 4 showings in Grand
Prix. WOW! Out of 22 Grand Prix rides so far in different shows
in Region 6, we hold 3 out of 7 scores that are 60 % or
higher. That average will change as the show season marches into
its second half. What a journey it has been. My goal now is to
clinic more to raise our scores and move to the requirements of
getting a Gold Bar for Musical Freestyles. I love this horse! |
