When Bruce Springsteen sings the words of Cadallic Ranch, “rides just like a little bit of heaven here on Earth,” he might as well be singing about Tiziano.
In 2008, the talented Royal
Dutch Warmblood dominated the Large Junior
Hunters 15 and under division for Bruce’s daughter Jessica Springsteen. The gelding won 14 championships with Jessica and another championship for Schaefer Raposa, winning from New York to Florida and everywhere in between. Together Tiziano and Jessica were seemingly flawless.
Orginally purchased in Europe to be an
Equitation horse for Jessica, Tiziano, nicknamed “Tiz,” did so well in the children’s hunters that Jessica and her trainer Stacia Madden decided that the hunter ring was where he truly belonged. That decision proved to be a smart one; Tiz would become one of the top junior hunter horses on the circuit.
Tiziano kicked off a remarkable 2008 by winning five different weeks of the
Winter Equestrial Festival (WEF) and earning the title of Large Junior Hunter Circuit Champion. From there, he returned home to Garden State with his New Jersey based owner and rider, adding another championship to his growing resume. He picked up blue ribbons during three weeks at
HITS on the Hudson (Saugerties), at the
Devon Horse Show, at the New York Horse and Pony Show, where he was also circuit champion, at the
Hampton Classic, at the
Washington International Horse Show and at Syracuse.
He was the Grand Champion Junior Hunter horse at the
Devon Horse Show and
Washington, and it was at those two shows that he delivered some of his finest performances. His second round in the hunter derby in
Washington was one of the highlights of the year in the hunter world.
Tiziano’s accomplishments in 2008 earned him recognition as a Horse of Honor by the
United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), but his success didn’t end there. The following year, he eturned to Devon to defend his title and was once again named the Grand Champion Junior Hunter. The pair of Tiz and Jesscia saw so much success in the junior ring that they began competing against the professionals in the hunter derby series. The duo earned their first derby victory at Devon in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA Hunter Derby, and they went on to finish a strong sixth in the
USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.
No matter what is thrown at him, the chestnut gelding with the striking white blaze is almost always incredibly reliable, in the barn and in the ring. There are no real surprises for the people around him as he shows up ready to work every day.
“Tiziano has a huge stride and never usually looks at anything,” Jessica shared following her success at the
Washington International Horse Show in 2008. “He is pretty much the same every time he goes out there. No surprises.”
It seems that there is no holding back this unstoppable chestnut gelding. He loves what he does. From the daily grind to the victory lap, Tiziano knows how to deliver. Regardless of the venue, outdoors or in, Tiziano knows how to grab the win.