Rox Dene’s owner, horsewoman Dorothy Elaine Boylen of Keswick, Virginia, died July 23 at age 84. To honor her, we’re looking back at the time the Chronicle named her mare Rox Dene as its 1994 Overall and Show Hunter Horse of the Year. Rox Dene died at age 33 in 2019. A version of this article originally ran in the Feb. 3, 1995, issue of the Chronicle.

Rox Dene is a contradiction. She’s a horse, but she prefers to be with people. She’s a show horse, but she attracts crowds to the ring like no other hunter. She’s elegant, beautiful and graceful, but she enjoys playing in the mud and rolling in the dirt. And although Rox Dene may be one of the most talented show hunters to ever step in the ring, she wasn’t bred specifically to be a hunter.

At age 9, Rox Dene has become a legend. Those who know her well believe she’s one in a million, perhaps even a freak. But after watching her perform and seeing firsthand the excitement she generates—even to those who’ve never met her—few can help but conclude that Rox Dene is a marvel.

She has been champion or reserve at the three fall indoor shows and at Devon (Pennsylvania) for the last four years and a Winter Equestrian Festival circuit champion for each of the last four years. Since 1992, she has won 73 championships and 15 reserve championships in either the green conformation, regular conformation, green working or regular working divisions.

“I have the best horse I’ll ever have in my life and possibly the best hunter ever,” said trainer Rodney Bross. “She really brings tears to your eyes.”

Bross’ conviction isn’t without merit. He’s been a professional trainer for more than two decades, and scores of top hunters and jumpers have passed through his Independence Hall Farm in Camden, South Carolina.

Rox Dene attracts just as much attention and is just as well known as many top show jumpers.

“I have a new neighbor from New Hampshire, and I’d never met her,” said owner Elaine Boylen, who resides in Southern Pines, North Carolina. “And the first time I spoke to her she said, ‘Oh, you’re Rox Dene’s mother.’ “

Bross has also found that Rox Dene causes the spotlight to shine brightly on him. At the 1994 National Horse Show (New Jersey) he realized the depth of her attraction. “Elizabeth [Solter] and I were sitting in the stands, and a young girl approached me and asked if I was Rox Dene’s trainer and if Elizabeth was her rider. I told her yes, and she handed us a program. She wanted our autographs!” he said.

Rox Dene’s flawless performances not only have earned her a fan club, but have also convinced experts that she’s one of the best show hunters in history. “She’s certainly one of the best that’s ever shown,” said renowned trainer and judge Walter “Jimmy” Lee. “Things have changed over the years, the divisions have changed. But she would certainly have been a winner in any decade she competed, whether it be the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s or today.”

Rox Dene’s scores are indicative of the admiration many judges feel after watching her effortless action and extraordinary form over fences. “If there was ever a horse that could accomplish a perfect score of 100, that’s Rox Dene,” Bross said.

Under the expert guidance of rider Elizabeth Solter, Rox Dene has posted consistently incredible scores. In 1994 alone, in classes where the judges announced numerical scores, Rox Dene earned marks of 95, 96 and 97 at the Washington International Horse Show (District of Columbia), a 90 at the Devon Horse Show and a 95 at the Upperville Horse Show (Virginia).

Rox Dene’s overall record is also close to perfection. She has earned an American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year title each of the four years she’s competed in recognized divisions. Even in her pre-green year—when she spent
time learning lead changes—she was champion nearly every time shown.

“I can’t think of a horse that’s done as well as she’s done over this amount of time,” said Bross. “I hope it comes from good care and training. But she’s as good now as the day she started.”

From Modest Beginnings

Rox Dene was born on a small farm in the rolling hills near Marshall, Virginia. Breeder Susan Hice waited eagerly for Ninety Nine’s foal to be delivered. Then on March 27, 1986, the gray Thoroughbred produced a large, chestnut filly by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Aristos B.

“I remember her being very pretty as a foal,” said Hice. “And feisty. Even then she had a personality.”

Hice matched Ninety Nine and Aristos B simply out of convenience. In exchange for keeping Ninety Nine while her owner was in nursing school, Nice bred the Thoroughbred and kept the foals. Hice acquired Aristos B from friends in Holland who wanted her to sell him. The two were at Hice’s farm concurrently.

“I bred Aristos to Ninety Nine because it was financially feasible,” said Hice. “Of course I wanted a nice horse, and because both are very nice individuals, I knew the foal would be nice. I believe in breeding two talented individuals. When the foal grows up, if it wants to be a hunter or jumper or dressage horse it has the temperament and trainability to be whatever it wants to be.”

Rox Dene began life as a typical youngster. She ran and played with others as she grew and matured. But tragedy struck when she was a yearling.

She was turned out in a big field with other youngsters, and one day when she came up to eat, Hice noticed she had a swollen hind ankle.

Radiographs revealed she had severe OCD lesions (abnormalities of the joint cartilage) and cartilage floating in her joint. Several veterinarians, including a respected orthopedic specialist, said it was such a mess that they wouldn’t touch it.

Hice was devastated. “I was advised she was not worth raising,” she recalled. “But I invest a lot of myself in my youngsters, so I didn’t want to do that without trying everything else first.”

Instead, Hice sought advice from friends in Holland, who suggested treatment. “They said if I left her in the stall for four months, she’d be fine. They said they saw this all the time in the warmbloods. They told me to turn her out after four months and if nothing happened then she would be OK.”

Even though Rox Dene was never lame on the ankle, Hice was worried that there would be subsequent repercussions.

After Rox Dene resumed turnout, boarder Ginger Sifers decided to purchase the filly as a 2-year-old and had the ankle X-rayed during the pre-purchase examination. When the film was read, they were elated to find no trace of the injury remained.

“I just love this story,” said Hice. “Many times when we think that there is no hope, instead, we should follow our intuitive feelings and listen to our hearts.”

Sifers planned to move to Texas, but before she left Virginia, local professional Sue Attisani broke Rox Dene and started her life as a partner with humans.

Hice recalled that Rox Dene was easy to break, and soon she was on her way to a new home in Texas. Then fate stepped in—twice.

Bross was at a horse show in Texas when professional trainer Heidi Austin approached him and said she knew a horse she thought he’d like. There was one catch. Another client was scheduled to try her at the same time. “When she [Austin] stood it up I said, ‘I don’t want to look at it under saddle unless I have first refusal.’ Austin agreed and they took the filly to the ring,” said Bross.

“She jumped two crossrails and I said, ‘That’s enough for me, I’ll buy it.’ They all thought I was crazy,” he added.

Back at the horse show Bross asked Austin to find the filly’s breeding. She returned and relayed that the filly was by some horse named Aristos. “I turned to her and said, ‘Come with me,’ ” recalled Bross. “I took her around to my stable, opened the stall door, and said, ‘This is her daddy.’ “

Bross had Aristos B in training as a jumper prospect for owner Michael Korotkin of Larchmont, New York, who had purchased the stallion from Hice. The stallion had the talent, but his lengthy career at stud prevented him from reaching his full performance potential.

“The breeding part of the horse got in his way,” said Bross, who admired Aristos B’s raw talent. “He lost his concentration. I told Mr. Korotkin to either stand him at stud or castrate him. Aristos has a huge jump, he jumps in fabulous form, and he is very scopey.

“I see these traits in his foals too,” added Bross. “For me, he has a big, beautiful, kind eye and he passes his beautiful jumping ability to his foals. If I had a Thoroughbred mare, I’d not think of breeding to anyone but him.”

Bross has listened to his own advice. He has two Aristos B offspring, a yearling and a 2-year-old, he hopes will continue the Rox Dene tradition.

Boylen purchased Rox Dene sight unseen after Bross telephoned and told her he found a hunter prospect she would like. Trainer Dave Kelley, who was ill with cancer at the time, had asked Bross to find Boylen a horse. Kelley and Boylen agreed to take Bross’ word.

“The first time I saw Rox Dene, I thought she was beautiful,” remembered Boylen. “When Dave saw her he said, ‘Well, [Bross] didn’t lie to us.’ Dave saw her do the pre-greens and loved the way she moved and jumped. He would have been thrilled to see her now. He would be especially pleased to see she became such a great hunter.”

Riding Rox Dene

Even though thousands of riders dream of showing Rox Dene, only one person is lucky enough to have the job—and that’s Elizabeth Solter. Solter, 27, didn’t earn the title by luck, however. As a junior, the Upperco, Maryland, native was a catch rider who enjoyed success on such ponies as Scooby Doo, Even Steven and Smart Cookie.

She frequently rode for trainers Pam Baker, Nardeen Henderson and a host of others. She began her professional career riding for her mother, Beverly Solter, and was already an established trainer herself—with such students as Emily Epstein—when Rox Dene stepped into her life.

“All the time I think how lucky I am,” said Solter. “I think everyone should ride a horse like that sometime.”

Rox Dene began her show ring career in 1990 with Laura Kraut. Later that year, Kraut moved to Wisconsin and Hugh “Bert” Mutch took over the ride. In ’91 Mutch debuted Rox Dene at 3’6”, but he moved to California in August, leaving Bross without a rider.

“I told [Bross] I’d ride the horse and I’d be champion at the National,” said Solter of their first discussion about Rox Dene. “I don’t know if I’d have the nerve now, but I did then. I was at the right place at the right time.”

Rox Dene and Solter became partners at the Sugarbush Horse Show (Vermont).

“I loved her right away,” said Solter. “The first time I rode her was the day before the show, and Rodney had been hand-walking the horses for a week. She was a little wild, but we were champion. And it was on my birthday.”

And, yes, Rox Dene and Solter were green conformation hunter champions at the National that year.

Riding Rox Dene has, over the years, become easier for Solter because the pressure to be perfect has eased. In the beginning. Solter was very nervous about making a mistake.

“If you have a great horse, you know you can go in and win every class,” she explained. “Then people start to expect it. You hope you’ve done everything you can do. Sometimes it’s hard to put that much pressure on yourself.”

One of Solter’s most nerve-wracking experiences was the 1992 Washington International Horse Show, when she and Rox Dene came from behind to clinch the green conformation championship and the World Championship Hunter Rider Awards professional title.

“The minute you stub your toe people will be quick to criticize, and it makes it more difficult to have a great horse,” she said.

These days, however, Rox Dene has won everything possible for a hunter, so Solter concentrates on enjoying every ride. “Now it’s 100 percent fun,” she said. “In the ring, when she jumps each jump higher and brighter, I don’t get nervous and don’t worry. I’m sure Rox Dene thinks it’s fun too. She enjoys showing.”

On The Road Again and Again

In her travels, Rox Dene has seen more of the United States than many people. She’s covered most of the East Coast, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee, to name a few. But those close to her believe that she’d be unhappy anywhere but at a show.

“She seems to really enjoy showing,” said Boylen. “When the tractor-trailer arrives, she wants to get on the van. She loves the attention at shows, and there’s no stress on her. She went to Vermont last summer just to hang out. She loves being on the road.”

For the past several years, Bross has limited Rox Dene’s campaigning and entered her in one division per show. She contests two divisions—regular conformation and regular working—at just Devon and the fall indoor shows. This year Rox Dene competed 19 times.

“She doesn’t hate what she does because she hasn’t been abused doing it,” said Bross, who believes in letting the horses dictate their preferences. “I’d like to think that’s one of the ingredients that makes her so successful.”

Bross is hard-pressed to select Rox Dene’s best competition year. “They’ve all been so great,” he said shaking his head. “Probably the best year of all was when she was born.”

Rox Dene grew up to be a typical gray horse—she loves being dirty. Groom Wayne Robertson has tended Rox Dene for five years, and they’ve formed a strong bond.

“She’s very easy to take care of,” said Robertson. “I give her a bath on model day, then I try to keep her happy until the time she shows. Then I just take her up to the ring.”

Rox Dene needs no preparation.

“She’s never been on a longe line and probably doesn’t know how to longe,” said Bross. “She’s never been ridden in draw reins. She goes in a snaffle with a loose martingale.”

If Rox Dene has a downfall, it’s her love of food. Bross must monitor her weight constantly since the most important thing in her life is eating. When she’s showing, she’s always on a diet. Even with the strict portions, Rox Dene still manages to get what she wants.

Said Robertson, “In Vermont I had a sausage and cheese sandwich sitting level with her stall. I turned around to get another horse, and when I got back the sandwich was gone. I didn’t actually see her eat it, but the plate was in her stall.”

Even though Rox Dene has always been a “chow hound,” her affinity for people food began innocently enough.

“It started out just giving her things, thinking she would turn them down,” said Boylen, laughing. “She loves to eat anything now. She just had her first marshmallows. No one wanted them on the sweet potato casserole so they went down to the barn. She loved them.”

Rox Dene could be considered a pampered horse. At home in Camden, she has the best stall in the barn and is turned out for only as long as she wishes to remain outside. She’s groomed daily and makes faces at Robertson when he reaches a particularly itchy location. Rox Dene has it made.

“I’m responsible for spoiling her to death,” said Bross with a smile. “She has her daily routine and her own time. She doesn’t like to be stabled next to other horses, and it’s our fault. She’s a princess.”

Although Boylen has had offers to sell Rox Dene for large sums of money, she has grown attached to the generous mare.

“Rox Dene has been too good. I’ll never sell her,” said Boylen, who plans to breed Rox Dene after her show career is concluded. “I do like the Bold Ruler line, and I’d like to find a stallion with that background. But, of course, he must be handsome.”

Despite all of Rox Dene’s talent, she might not have become the country’s premier show hunter if not for some chance encounters. Any one of Rox Dene’s “family members” could have chosen another path that wouldn’t have crossed hers.

What if Hice hadn’t had faith in the injured yearling? What if Sifers hadn’t purchased the filly? What if Bross had decided not to show in Texas? And the list goes on and on. Only a few have the opportunity to encounter such a talented horse, and those involved with Rox Dene were dedicated and insightful enough to understand their situation.

“There are a handful of those horses, like Rox Dene, and if you get one you’re lucky,” said Lee. “I think it’s very important that people recognize that kind of horse when they get it and treat it special. I think all of the people involved here have been most fortunate to be around a horse like her. And I think Rox Dene’s been fortunate too.”

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A version of this article originally appeared in the Feb. 3, 1995, issue of The Chronicle of the Horse. If you’re just following COTH online, you’re missing so much great unique content. Each print issue of the Chronicle is full of in-depth competition news, fascinating features, probing looks at issues within the sports of hunter/jumper, eventing and dressage, and stunning photography.