Maryland Horse Industry Board Honors Five with Touch of Class Awards for Dressage Accomplishments at PVDA Ride for Life

UPPER MARLBORO, MD (June 23, 2012) – The Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB), a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture, presented its June Touch of Class Award tonight to three U.S. Dressage Federation gold medalists, a national coach and one horse who have helped propel Maryland’s dressage community into the national spotlight. The awards were presented during the Potomac Valley Dressage Association’s (PVDA) Ride For Life and Dancing Horse Challenge – a fundraiser for the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation for Breast Cancer, held at the Show Place Arena at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center.

“The five recipients we honor here today not only represent some of the best trainers and competitors in dressage, they represent our state with pride and distinction on the national and international stage,” said MHIB Chairman Jim Steele. “We congratulate them for their accomplishments and look forward to many more years of success from each of them.”

Dressage, sometimes referred to as “dancing horses,” develops the horse’s natural athletic ability. At the peak of a dressage horse’s development, the horse will respond smoothly to cues from a skilled rider. Competitive dressage involves nine progressive levels incorporating multiple tests within each level. Special tests are also written for musical freestyle, sport horse breeding and performances incorporating multiple horses and riders. Tests are revised every four years by the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the International Equestrian Federation.

The five award recipients are:

(1)     Scott Hassler (Cecil County) – National Coach for the U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF). Mr. Hassler, having already served as national coach for three terms, recently signed a new contract to remain as national coach through 2015. He founded the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Young Horse program that has been producing excellent results over the past decade. Since 1999, Mr. Hassler has been a member of the USEF Dressage Committee, the USEF Breeding Committee, and, since 2001, has chaired the USDF Sporthorse Committee. As the sole representative for the sport of dressage, he now serves on the USEF Strategic Planning Committee, assisting in the long-term planning for the country’s national horse sport organization. He, along with his wife Susanne, are developing Hassler Dressage at Riveredge, a world class training, breeding and education operation in Chesapeake City, into an international venue. (For more information about Hassler Dressage and Mr. Hassler, see: www.hasslerdressage.com and www.hasslerdressage.com/team/scotthassler.html)

(2)     Royal Prince, who is stabled at Hilltop Farm (Cecil County) and owned by Jane MacElree, has been the USEF Dressage Breeding Sire of the Year every year from 2008 to 2011, a distinction awarded based on the success of his early offspring in the show ring. Royal Prince was a successful dressage competitor and finished fourth at the FEI World Championships for Young Horses in Germany and winning with high-scores through Prix St. Georges. Royal Prince’s oldest offspring are now winning under saddle in dressage, eventing, and hunter competitions. For a complete history of Royal Prince, see: www.hilltopfarminc.com/stallion_royal_prince.html.

Maryland’s three 2011 USDF’s Gold Medalists also received Touch of Class Awards. To qualify for a USDF Gold Medal, riders must earn at least four scores of 60 percent showing in Intermediaire I, Intermediaire II, and Grand Prix classes. Those three gold medalists are:

(3)      Christine Betz of Thurmont (Frederick County) – Ms. Betz is a USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist. She has trained and competed successfully in all the sport horse disciplines and regularly coaches riders who compete in all the horse sports. She trains and teaches out of Dark Horse Dressage in Frederick County. For a complete biography, see: www.christinebetzdressage.com/about.htm.

(4)     Jaralyn Finn of Poolesville (Montgomery County) – Ms. Finn is a USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist, and a graduate with distinction of the USDF “L” judge program. She has been teaching and training since 1993 and is currently based out of Wyndham Oaks dressage facility in Boyds. She and her husband also own Shepherd’s Run Farm, a small private training farm in Poolesville. For a complete biography, see http://jaralynfinn.com/teamfinesse/aboutjaralyn.html.

(5)     Susanne Hassler of Chesapeake City (Cecil County) – Ms. Hassler is a USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist. She became an international dressage competitor in 2004 when she rode Hilltop Farm’s Royal Prince to a fourth place finish at the World Championships for Young Horses in Germany, the highest placing result for the U.S. to date. She and her husband Scott Hassler built the foundation for the top breeding program at Hilltop Farm and currently run their own business, Hassler Dressage at Riveredge, which is based in Chesapeake City. Hassler Dressage is dedicated to the fulfillment of individual potential for both the horse and the rider and offers many educational events throughout the year. For a more complete biography, see: www.hasslerdressage.com/team/susannehassler.html.

The Touch of Class Award is presented every month to honor Maryland horses, individuals, teams, organizations or events that have garnered national or international recognition.  The award is named after “Touch of Class,” the Maryland-bred mare who won two Olympic Gold Medals in Show Jumping at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

MHIB named its first award recipient in September 2011. After this month’s award were distributed, Touch of Class total recipients included 19 people and 12 horses from nine Maryland counties (i.e., Cecil, Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Montgomery and Harford counties) who are involved in ten varieties of horse sports (i.e.,  Thoroughbred racing, 3-Day Eventing, Endurance Riding, Western barrel racing, show hunters, Standardbred racing, steeplechasing, Arabian horse racing, therapeutic riding and now dressage).

For a complete list of Touch of Class recipients, see: www.mda.maryland.gov/pdf/TOC_Winners_To_Date.pdf.

For more information about the PVDA Ride for Life, see: www.pvdarideforlife.org.