PrintIt took persistence and a special bond, but this horse of unusual breeding proved he can compete in the Grand Prix.
Anyone out there who believes only expensive warmbloods can compete in upper-level dressage needs to meet Courtenay Fraser. A talented rider who grew up on Vancouver Island, B.C., Fraser defied all expectations and took an ordinary grade horse up the levels to Grand Prix. It took patience and persistence, but the aptly named Against All Odds has held his own at the top levels for years.
Now Fraser has her sights set on an even bigger goal: trying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics for Canada. While it might seem foolish to attempt that with a Belgian Draft-Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mix, Fraser’s been called foolish before, and it never stopped her from aiming for her dreams.
“I shoot for the stars. I always think that we should try for as much as we can and see where it gets you,” said Fraser. “We just keep chipping away at it.”
Fraser first met “Quincey” as a naughty 3-year-old. Believed to be a product of the Pregnant Mare Urine industry in Canada, Quincey was purchased by Cindy Amoie as a yearling, and she intended him to be a trail horse for her mother, Donna Knowle.
Roanne Tyson, Fraser’s trainer at the time, started Quincey but soon decided he wasn’t going to fit the bill as a trail horse.
“His attitude wasn’t so good back then, and he was a bit of a monkey,” said Fraser. “She ended up having me ride him instead because he was a handful.”
Just a teenager herself, Fraser never doubted she’d be able to work through Quincey’s behavior and turn him into a dressage horse. The fact that he was 15.2 hands and built downhill didn’t bother her.
“When he goes, he doesn’t look downhill,” she said. “He’s got incredible sitting power for being built the way he is. He’s got a really good engine.”
Fraser set her first unlikely goal—competing Quincey at the North American Young Riders Championship—and checked that off her list in 2000 when Quincey was just 7.
At that point Knowle wanted to sell Quincey, but Fraser wasn’t ready to let him go.
“Dietrich von Hopffgarten really urged me to purchase him at that time. He said, ‘You’re almost at the Grand Prix, and you should buy him.’ He even said he’d help me to buy him,” recalled Fraser. “We ended up buying him when he was 8 years old. I’ve had him ever since.”
Anyone out there who believes only expensive warmbloods can compete in upper-level dressage needs to meet Courtenay Fraser. A talented rider who grew up on Vancouver Island, B.C., Fraser defied all expectations and took an ordinary grade horse up the levels to Grand Prix. It took patience and persistence, but the aptly named Against All Odds has held his own at the top levels for years.
Now Fraser has her sights set on an even bigger goal: trying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics for Canada. While it might seem foolish to attempt that with a Belgian Draft-Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mix, Fraser’s been called foolish before, and it never stopped her from aiming for her dreams.
“I shoot for the stars. I always think that we should try for as much as we can and see where it gets you,” said Fraser. “We just keep chipping away at it.”
Fraser first met “Quincey” as a naughty 3-year-old. Believed to be a product of the Pregnant Mare Urine industry in Canada, Quincey was purchased by Cindy Amoie as a yearling, and she intended him to be a trail horse for her mother, Donna Knowle.Roanne Tyson, Fraser’s trainer at the time, started Quincey but soon decided he wasn’t going to fit the bill as a trail horse.
“His attitude wasn’t so good back then, and he was a bit of a monkey,” said Fraser. “She ended up having me ride him instead because he was a handful.”
Just a teenager herself, Fraser never doubted she’d be able to work through Quincey’s behavior and turn him into a dressage horse. The fact that he was 15.2 hands and built downhill didn’t bother her.
“When he goes, he doesn’t look downhill,” she said. “He’s got incredible sitting power for being built the way he is. He’s got a really good engine.”
Fraser set her first unlikely goal—competing Quincey at the North American Young Riders Championship—and checked that off her list in 2000 when Quincey was just 7.
At that point Knowle wanted to sell Quincey, but Fraser wasn’t ready to let him go.
“Dietrich von Hopffgarten really urged me to purchase him at that time. He said, ‘You’re almost at the Grand Prix, and you should buy him.’ He even said he’d help me to buy him,” recalled Fraser. “We ended up buying him when he was 8 years old. I’ve had him ever since.”
| The Benefits And Drawbacks Of The Less-Than-Ideal Dressage Horse Courtenay Fraser wouldn’t trade Against All Odds for the most perfectly bred dressage horse in the world, but working with a horse that isn’t built for upper-level dressage certainly has its ups and downs. Fraser’s ridden fancier horses than “Quincey” and enjoyed them, but she said she’s learned a lot by making her first journey to Grand Prix with a less talented mount. |
