SPOKANE, Wash. — Foxy Horse and Hound congratulates Jeremy Steinberg and Parocco! Jennifer Smith’s horse, Parocco, has been invited to the Federation Equestrian International (FEI) World Cup Invitational. Jennifer and Brent own Marshland Equestrian Center in Cheney Washington, a university town just outside of Spokane.
As a young girl Smith’s all-time dream was to ride in the Olympics. While still in High School Smith started her own business; training, giving lessons and organizing clinics so she could train with Debbie Fornia. By the time she was twenty-one she had worked, begged, and borrowed to buy this special horse, Parocco.
Smith has trained with some of the best. She spent a summer with US Olympian Robert Dover and a few years training with US Olympians Stefan Peters and Debbie McDonald.
Smith has taken two of her young students to the Junior Olympics and has brought several adult amateurs up thru FEI. She trained Parocco thru Intermediare 1 and then her dream was shattered. She was in a car wreck and could no longer ride.
*(Photo Caption: Jeremy Steinberg and Parocco at ODS Championships. Photo by Cornelius, 2005.)
Three years ago Smith sent Parocco to Jeremy Steinberg in Seattle, a fellow trainer, who she knew was without a mount to compete on. She and Steinberg met while in high school training with Debbie Fornia during summer breaks.
Steinberg has been training and competing on Parocco for the last three years and the pair won the Region 6 Championships (www.foxyhorseandhound.com/finds.php?id=32) at Grand Prix and Musical Freestyle Grand Prix the last two years. This spring Steinberg competed with Parocco at the U.S. League Finals Freestyle Championships in Burbank, California.
The FEI World Cup Invitational is held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 20th and is open to six horses based on world and national ranking and scores from the U.S. League Finals Freestyle Championships held March 31 and April 1 in Burbank, California. Steinberg and Parocco came in 6th with a 67.8%.
The World Cup will be Parocco’s last competition. It was Smith’s hope that Parocco would make it to the World Cup Invitational and then she would retire him. “The event itself is a huge honor to get to compete in, however, to retire him at such a big event in front of the world is even more special,” said Steinberg.
Smith plans to bring Parocco home to Marshland Equestrian Center after the World Cup. “Parocco is 18 this year, he will be able to relax and have fun teaching my girls, Paxton and Clancy to be stars. I am so proud of my Parocco, I feel my dream for him has come true,” says Smith.
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[tags]Federation Equestrian International, Foxy Horse and Hound, Jeremy Steinberg and Parocco[/tags]
