By Linda Holst
Congratulations to all of the USMAA members and friends who came to support the Mangalarga Marchador horses showing in the 21st Jingle Bell Show, produced by the Southern California Horsemans Council in Del Mar, CA on Dec 9-12, 2021!
A variety of breeds were represented in their respective breed classes, American Saddlebreds, Morgans, Friesians, Andalusians, Mangalarga Marchadors, Hackney Ponies, Trotters, and in Other Gaited Breeds including Icelandic Pony. The Del Mar Fairgrounds was full of beautiful horses with each barn being decorated with the Holiday theme including those simultaneously competing in the English Jumper Show.
The event was a huge success in many ways! It brought breeders and owners together to get more acquainted and showcased the breed to the public. Having the MM breed participate in specific Marchador breed classes and as well as participating in OGB (Other Gaited Breed) classes made a significant impact for generating breed awareness. The show attendees watching the classes were truly intrigued and many came by the barn to see the horses. Show judge Tamme Conatser, from Nicholasville, KY expressed her warm welcome to the breed entries and the Mangalarga Marchadors were thanked as a class sponsor.
Marchador breed group organizer Daniel Pulliam was newly introduced to this breed in March by Rancho Linda Marchadores.He deserves special recognition for his show vision, his ability to unify enough Marchador owners to participate in a very complex event and the way he executed the very professional breed barn presentation for everyone’s benefit. He worked with the SCHC show owners to add a number of extra OGB classes in order to show the Mangalarga Marchador breed as much as possible. As he states, “the goal was to present Marchadors in a ‘Big Way’ so that no one could miss them!”
Over the four days, Marchadors were in a total of 21 classes including two OGB Parade classes and the OGB Champagne class, which provided the perfect opportunity to showcase their unique gait. All of the Marchadors were amazing in classes held under the huge covered arena in a ring with giant Christmas décor, lights, noise, despite having little to no previous show experience! All were winners by participating! Between all of the wonderful attributes of this breed and skilled riders and handlers, each class was a success!
As this event was a circuit rated breed show with sponsored classes for Marchador horses, everyone was proud to have 18 horses fill the show barn to compete in 3 sponsored classes that were dedicated to Mangalarga Marchador In Hand so all of the horses could participate as well as compete in 18 “Other Gaited Breeds”(OGB) classes including Open Halter, Horse In Hand, English/Western 2 Gait and English/Western 3 gait categories. The 2 Gait classes were shown in gait of choice – walk, gait (Picada or Batida) and 3 Gait classes included the canter.
Participating MM horses:
(4) Stallions: Delmug Dos Bugres, Talisma’s Apache Do High Country, Avatar De Los Cielos, Jedi-Knight Do Summerwind.
(2) Geldings: Brioso Do InMotion, Eduardo Do MManor
(12) Mares: Cheyenne Do High Country, Sonadora De Los Cielos, Querida De Los Cielos, Aria De Los Cielos, Allegria De Los Cielos, Bella Duquesa Do MManor, Brava Fazenda Zouga, Janela Da Gameleira Soberana, Ariana Do Rancho Linda Marchadores, Gigi Do Rancho Linda Marchadores, E’Divalia Do Rancho Linda Marchadores, LaponiaTrimonte.
Attending USMAA members were Alessandra Deerinck, Elizabeth Sims, Dinusha Perera, Jake Martinez & Teresa Longo, Grady Willard, Randy Gassett, Jason Lambrose, Aline & Brisa Greene, Ronald Knaack, Linda Holst, Daniel Pulliam and Michele Ferragut. Everyone helped out. It was “all hands on deck”! Both Randy Gassett who showed Sonadora De Los Cielos and Deedee Davies who showed Peggy Grower’s Brioso InMotion from FL were volunteers.
Two dedicated center ringside boxes with daily snack baskets, sponsored by Summerwind Marchadors, provided the group with excellent viewing and united group support for the riders and horses. It was so much fun to see this many Marchador horses together!
Photo 1: L-R Bella Duquesa Do MManor, Brisa Greene, Jake Martinez, Teresa Longo
Photo 2: L-R Randy Gassett, Elizabeth Sims, Aline Greene, Ronald Knaack, Linda Holst
Photo3: L-R Brisa Greene, Linda Holst, Aline Greene, Grady Willard, Claudia Bellandi, Michele Ferragut, Ronald Knaack, Daniel Pulliam
Breeders present at the show were Rancho Linda Marchadores (CA), Rancho De Los Cielos (CA), High Country Marchadors (CO), Silver Stables Marchadors (AZ), Saint Horse Marchadores (SC) and C&C Bellandi Mangalarga Marchador (FL).
A special thank you goes to Claudia Bellandi for her generous support by sending her imported batida stallion Delmug Dos Bugres from Florida to CA and spending two weeks prior to the show in CA preparing her stallion and Rancho Linda Marchador mares for their classes. She and Delmug were super stars in 14 classes. A true eye-catching highlight was the Parade Championship class that “wowed” the audience when “Santa Claus” (Claudia) arrived on a Marchador in full costume from head to tail!
All show participants were happy to have an imported champion stallion as a celebrity representative from Brazil place first in 13 of the 14 classes he was in. (Avatar De Los Cielos placed 1st in Mangalarga Marchador In Hand Stallions/geldings and Delmug was 2nd.) Jedi-Knight Do Summerwind followed Delmug with 2nd place in OGB Eng/Western 2 Gait Stallions/Geldings and OGB Eng/Western 2 Gait Open that included mares. The top two placing mares with 15 classes each were Ariana Do Rancho Linda Marchadores and Gigi Do Rancho Linda Marchadores. (The stallions placed higher than the mares in joint classes.)
Building on this momentum, the next big show in the SCHC circuit will be the Santa Barbara National Show in early July 2022. Plans are underway for Marchadors to be represented by Rancho De Los Cielos, Rancho Linda Marchadores, High Country Marchadors along with C&C Bellandi who will ship 3 stallions and hopes to sponsor an ABCCMM judge from Brazil to judge the Marchador breed classes. All MM owners are enthusiastically encouraged to participate in this show, particularly from California, Arizona and Montana. Please contact Daniel Pulliam dpulliam86@gmail.com or call 575.613.5148 for more show information.
Photo 6: Daniel Pulliam riding Brioso Do InMotion
Photo 7: Elizabeth Sims riding Jedi-Knight Do Summerwind
Photo 8: Avatar De Los Cielos presented in-hand by Alana Jordan