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Hilltop Farm
Posted: June 24, 2009
Bijoux Earns Reserve Championship at Central Selection Trials
Six-year-old Bijoux, owned by Janet Rolfs and ridden by Missy Fladland, is off to a phenomenal start to her young dressage career. Among her many honors, her most recent victory includes taking Reserve Champion at the Central Young Horse Selection Trials.
The young Hanoverian mare (Bugatti Hilltop x Whimiscal L) bred by Margaret Drury started her performance career only a year and a half ago as a coming five-year-old in the fall of 2007. After seven months of undersaddle work, she made her show début at Training Level and consistently scored in the 70's. In the fall, she was presented to the AHS as an Elite Mare Candidate. She was awarded the top score at the inspection, placing her 7th overall in the nation for the MPT, with highlights including 8.5 for rideablility, 7.8 on trot, 8 on canter, and 9 on free walk. She was also honored with Reserve Champion at her mare studbook inspection.
Bijoux's rider, Missy Fladland, says her "natural uphill balance" and "get on and go attitude" allowed them to qualify for the Central Selection Trials at the first show and led to their Reserve Championship at the Selection Trials. With only one more qualifying score needed, Fladland hopes to take Bijoux to the US Young Horse Finals this year and looks forward to an exciting career in the Developing Horse Classes next year. "It tells a lot about the ridability of the horse to be able to go from being started undersaddle to successfully competing in the FEI Six-Year-Olds in just a year and a half," Fladland commented.
Bijoux's excellent ridability is no surprise. Her sire Bugatti Hilltop (Bergamon - Rubinstein I) is known for his "cool" attitude as well his suppleness and elastic expression that are the trademarks of his offspring. A relatively new stallion in the U.S., Bugatti was leased to Flyinge, the Swedish State Stud, and competed in Germany with Michael Kimke prior to his U.S. importation in the fall of 2007. Forming his new partnership with Hilltop trainer Chris Hickey, the pair successfully competed at Intermediaire I this past FL show season. His offspring are already making an impact with five site champion titles on the AHS and ISR/Oldenburg tours as well as many more premium-scoring foals. With his first foals just beginning their undersaddle careers, we look forward to hearing many more exciting stories such as Bijoux's.
For more information regarding Bugatti Hilltop or other stallions standing at Hilltop Farm, visit www.hilltopfarminc.com or contact Natalie DiBerardinis at or 410-658-9898.
