The 2004 5th European Distance Championship for Missouri Foxtrotter was held in Marloffstein near Erlangen in Franken during a distance ride arranged by the VDD. The distance to cover was 25 miles. It was a ride through beautiful countryside but it was also a demanding trail with steep grades. It was a pity that the number of Missouri Foxtrotter participating was so small; still many riders absent themselves from distance riding although this is a good opportunity to show the achievement of ones breed.
12 Foxtrotter were signed in. In 2002 “Trademark’s Fancy D” from Switzerland won this discipline. This time Peter Schaefer with his young, only 6 year old mare “Velvet’s Momo” could win this distance and became 2004 European Endurance Champion of the Missouri Foxtrotter.
Tom Heberle, three times German Champion in 2000. 2001 and 2003, came in 3rd place with his mare “Hopi’s Foxy Wild Rose”. Carolin Martin with “Sierra Mist” occupied the second place. Sabine Haas with her mare “Foxy Son” came in fourth. For her and her horse it was the first distance ride, she only wanted to arrive to see whether her horse has such condition to start at the EM 2004 in Rieden Kreuth.
The 2002 German Champion “Saturday Night Special C’ with Dirk Weiermann had to give up because his horse lost one horseshoe. The 2000 European Endurance Champion of the Missouri Foxtrotter “Velvet’s Grand Slam” with Simone Guenter passed the finish line, but had to be disqualified because of irregular pulls. Friedrich Wuenkhaus with his mare “Mona Lisa” had to give up because he got lost.
With “Velvet’s Momo” again a horse out of the Miller Ranch breed did win a title.
Still horses from the Miller Ranch dominate the distance discipline. With the exception of the European Championship 2002 horses from the Miller Ranch have won all German and European Distance Championships of the Missouri Foxtrotter.
With “Velvet’s Momo” it was the first time that a Miller Ranch horse born in Europe was the winner. With two Endurance Champions as descendants “GMC Black Velvet” has proven to have transmitted his good genetics into other performance horses. His juniors are not only well known for beauty but are showing also best performances. In Europe “GMC Black Velvet” is not only the most successful Missouri Foxtrotter but also the stallion with the most successful results in high-performance breeding.
|