PrintMarion Dresel O’Connor loves a horse with “bling.” And a lot of it. Defying an unlikely background, modest means, remote location and some unconventional approaches, O’Connor has turned her love into consecutive national honors from the U.S. Dressage Federation as Dressage Sport Horse Breeder of the Year in 2009 and 2010, while her colorful horses make an impression on the dressage world.
O’Connor was born horse-crazy in a town in Germany where riding was only for the privileged few. Watching “Bonanza” on TV as a youngster, she was mesmerized by Little Joe’s black-and-white pony.
As a resourceful teenager, she found a way to earn some lessons and learned to ride in jumping and classical dressage. The demands of a burgeoning non-equestrian career took her away from the
show ring while she trail rode and dabbled in other disciplines for 10 years, but she never lost her spark for dressage.
She met her husband, Patrick, through a mutual interest in Native American jewelry—he was an importer and distributor of Indian art throughout Europe. During buying trips to the southwestern United States, the exotic pinto and Appaloosa horses of the area drew O’Connor like a magnet. Before long, the couple owned
five flashy American Paint Horses, which were flown overseas to Ger-many. However, as board bills mounted, they began to think about a farm of their own. During a stateside buying trip, the O’Connors found themselves in northern Idaho and fell in love with the land, purchasing property in Careywood near the Canadian border, which they christened Cocolalla Creek Sport Horses.
Finding A Silver Lining In Tragedy
When O’Connor first moved to the United States she competed in reining. While at her reining trainer’s barn, she met other riders who took lessons from a local dressage trainer, Pat Kabasa.
“She was willing to give me dressage lessons on my Paint reining horses, and I really liked it and had so much fun!” said O’Connor.
Despite this newfound enjoyment, it was a horrific car accident that ultimately changed the course of O’Connor’s life. After spending 10 days in intensive care and receiving a settlement for damages and pain and suffering, she decided it was time to make some major changes.
“I was 29 years old and decided that life was too short to try to continue to pursue a business career which I wasn’t that passionate about anymore,” she explained. “I realized that I could be dead tomorrow! I wanted to give horses a go. And thankfully my dear husband supported my decision.
Her Very Own Black Stallion
Soon after, in 1995, O’Connor accompanied Kabasa on a buying trip to Germany, where she intended to act as translator. However, it was O’Connor who bought one instead—a big, black, flashy Hanoverian yearling by Neuquen out of a Wienerwald mare.
“I’m the first one to admit I got lucky,” she admitted with a laugh when asked why she took a chance on the youngster.
“This colt became our first stallion, Winnetou.”
O’Connor planned to cross her new charge with her Paint mares and Thoroughbreds off the track. But after additional trips to Europe to see stallion shows, she realized she’d have to step up her game even further.
“I saw Weltmeyer and had never seen anything like him. I wanted to have a horse like that, but with color!” she
said. “And since nobody had them, I wanted to breed them myself.”
