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After a
2 year absence Sjaantje and my showing year could not have been more
phenominal! We wintered and showed in Florida and came north to
Pennsylvania in April, showing in carriage pleasure driving on the east coast and mid-west IFSHA and ADS circuits. Click here for 2016
show results |
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Every year, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) solicits
input from equestrian fans across the country to name the winners of
three of its highest honors: International Horse of the Year; National
Horse of the Year; and Equestrian of the Year. Dreams Come True Farm
had a the
finalist for both 2016 Horse of the Year and 2016 Equestrian of the
Year! Voting
ended January 4, 2017, and the Equestrian was named January 13th
at the USEF Pegasus Dinner and the National Horse was named at
their January 14th Awards Banquet in Lexington, KY. Sjaantje
was a Horse of Honor and I, an Equestrian of Honor. Who would have
thought??? |
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Horse
of Honor |
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Equestrian of Honor |
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 The lovely Sjaantje was born in the Netherlands — birthplace of the Friesian breed—but found her calling on the American show circuit. She was imported to the U.S. as a foal and started making a splash in the International Friesian Show Horse Association at a young age. In 2016, Sjaantje scored three regional IFSHA champion titles, as well as a decisive nine World Champion titles at the association’s World and Grand National show. Sjaantje was also a force to be reckoned with at American Driving Society events, and dominated in her driven dressage classes.  |
 Gail Aumiller and her
11 YO mare, Sjaantje, swept the JD Massey
Regional Show Friesian Carriage Pleasure division with wins in working,
reinsmanship, and turnout. Their butter yellow 1890s Studebaker ladies
phaeton was a judge's favorite in turnout and concours d'Elegance
classes.
 Whip Ringmaster, Gail
Aumiller, and circus horse, Sjaantje, won driving costume
classes by bringing the Dreams Come True Farm circus to town. Jodi
VanSprang, trick rider, Emily Williams, fortuneteller, and clown, Sue
Williams, completed the entry.
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Previous
Equestrian of the Year winners include Olympians like Beezie
Madden and Steffen Peters. But in 2015, the title went to longtime
American
Saddlebred exhibitor Elisabeth Goth, and reiner Tom McCutcheon became
the first reiner to win the award in 2010, so it’s really an award that
any finalist can win. This year, nearly half of the nominees come from
the Arabian horse show world, which could mean that segment of the
industry has a better shot at the title--or it could mean the votes
from Arabianland will be split, leaving room for someone else. It all
depends on how the equestrian public votes. One of the 9 nominees
was Gail Aumiller, Carlisle, PA. As the owner
and one of the drivers of Horse of the Year nominee Sjaantje, Gail
Aumiller earned a place as an equestrian of honor by being named the
recipent of the Bill Robinson Perpetual Award. Together, Aumiller and
her mare earned USEF Friesian Driving Championship titles this year in
three different regions as well as top placings in several divisions at
American Driving Society competitions. Passionate about driven
dressage, in 2016 Gail won 15 of her 16 classes. Gail is proud of
winning both
of her 2016 Old Guard classes, open to whips 65 YO+. A high point of
the
season for Aumiller and Sjaantje was the IFSHA World and Grand National
Championship Horse Show where the pair earned championship titles in
Carriage Pleasure Driven Dressage (Training & Preliminary), Driving
Costume, Reinsmanship, and Amateur Scurry.
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 Thomas & Gail |
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  Judy Warner presents the Equestrian of Honor Trophy  |
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Sjaantje's
2016 Horse of
the Year Report
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2016 USEF Grand Champion: Carriage Driving
 Misdee Wrigley-Miller presents the Grand Champion trophy |
2016 USEF Carriage Driving
National Champion: Friesian
Driving
National Champion: Driven Dressage Training National Reserve Champion: Pleasure Driving: Single National 3rd: Driven Dressage Preliminary   Cecil Hetzel-Dunn presents the Friesian Driving ribbon |
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| 2016 IFSHA Awards | 2016 FHANA Awards | 2016 Brandwine Valley Driving Club | ||||||||
| Friesian Driving
Champion Friesian Open Pleasure Driving Single Hitch Champion Friesian Open CDE Single Champion    
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Performance
Driving Award (4th time winning)
President's
Award  |
Suzy Stafford Performance Cones Award  |
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 Awarded in 2016 to Dreams Come True Farm, Thomas holds FHANA's President's Award Perpetual trophy. |
 Sjaantje and her 6 USEF National
Championship Ribbons |
  Sarah Medler and I are very proud of our 2016 USEF Driven Dressage Championship Ribbons |
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Barn & Indoor Photos |
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Created by Gail L. Aumiller on December 31, 2016 and last updated on April 4, 2017.
