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Marco Bernal brought some big guns to the sixth Zada Dressage At The National and trotted off withmost of the prizes fromthe Dec. 7-9 show in Wellington, Fla.
Bernal, a Colombian native who resides in West Palm Beach, won a class at fourth level with Farewell (72.09%), an Intermediaire I class with Halbgott (70.50%) and both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special with Diamore (68.33%, 69.70%).
“I’m really happy to see that the training program is working on three different horses,” said Bernal. “That’s what we showed at this competition. The training makes them winners.”
Although the show featured just two dressage rings, the bustle of the National Horse Show created a bigger atmosphere. Farewell, a 6-year-old Westphalian stallion (Fidermark—Riga, Rosenkavalier) owned by Bernal, was a bit surprised at all the commotion.
“He was a little bit crazy the first day, more than I thought,” said Bernal. “I had my hands full. He was acting too energetic, like a stallion. But the good news was that he came into the ring and behaved like a very experienced horse. Outside, he was up, but inside he was right with me. This horse is something special.”
Bernal imported Farewell as a 3-year-old from Germany. His full brother, Farewell III, was the 6-year-old Bundeschampionat winner, and all four siblings produced by the Fidermark/Riga combination have gone on to become approved stallions.
Bernal said he had excellent results with Farewell as a 4-year-old, scoring 85 percent at training level, so he’s kept him out of the show ring since then with the intention of bringing him out at the higher levels.
“He’s an excellent mover,” said Bernal. “He’s a nice horse with a short back and beautiful neck position. He mentally wants to work on your side, which makes the whole thing easier.”
And when Bernal found Farewell in Germany, he also found another special stallion, Halbgott. An
11-year-old Trakehner (Partout—Hatari, Consul), Halbgott was on the plane to Brazil this summer for the Pan American Games when he injured himself and was unable to compete.
“It was important to me to take him out there and show that he was ready,” said Bernal. “Unfortunately he couldn’t compete.”
He said that Halbgott is ready to move up to Grand Prix, but Bernal wanted to give him a bit more time in the small tour. “I thought it wasn’t fair to take him to the Grand Prix now,” he said. “Let him do well at the Prix St. Georges, Intermediaire I and then move him up.”
And while Bernal loves to ride stallions, a special mare has stolen his heart at the Grand Prix level. Diamore, an 11-year-old Danish Warmblood mare (Diamond—Kalinka) owned by Richard and Meryl Cannon, just might be his ticket to the Olympics in Hong Kong next summer.
