| Facet's Photo Gallery | |
 Susan and Facet received a coveted invitation to compete at the USEF Junior Dressage Team Championships, having qualified amongst the top 12 horse/rider pairs in the Nation. The competitors were assigned to one of 3 teams based on a handicapping format--Susan and Facet were placed on Team Liberty. Susan and Facet, after a particularly strong performance in the FEI Junior Individual Test, came home with Team Gold and Individual Bronze. Facet looked very pleased with himself for the effort. |
 Susan and Facet enjoy their victory lap after the final awards ceremony. Click here to read the news story about the USEF Junior Dressage Team Championships. |
 Susan and Facet pose with coaches/trainers and mentors Jürgen and Jennifer, without whom she would never have made it to the Championships. She has been riding with them since she began at Training Level in early 2001. The FEI Junior Tests are considered equivalent to Fourth Level. |
 Susan and Facet won the Third Level (Test 3) Open Sweepstakes Class at the 2003 Del Mar CDI***. |
 They were also the FEI Jr/YR High Point Award Recipients for the Del Mar CDI*** show. |
 Facet is a consummate showman, and the bigger and busier the show is, the happier he becomes. He loved the activity of the Del Mar CDI***, and was very pleased with himself and with having spectators when the class was over. |
 Another photo from Del Mar--these were all taken by our friend and photographer, Amy McCool. |
 Susan and Facet Susan and Facet won the FEI Junior/Young Rider High Point Award at the 2004 Rancho Murieta CDI***. |
 Susan and Facet's first show together was in January at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Susan had only been riding Facet for a very short period of time, but their bond was immediate.They exuded confidence in the warm-up ring at the Los Angeles Winter Show... |
 ...and Facet was concentrating intently on his young rider's instructions. Susan had just had her 14th birthday. |
 As a result, they performed beautifully together, winning both of their classes, and bringing home the Upper Level Junior/Young Rider High Percentage Award for the show. This set the tone for their entire year--they were undefeated entering the USEF Junior Dressage Team Championships at both 3rd and 4th Levels. |
 Facet was ridden by Jennifer Hoffmann in 2003, and competed at Intermediaire-1 at the CDS and USDF Region-7 Championships. Photo above by our good friend, Amy McCool. He finished 3rd in the CDS, and was Reserve Champion in USDF Region 7. (Stablemate Petit Danseur, also ridden by Jennifer Hoffmann, was Reserve in CDS to Leslie Morse on TipTop, and was Champion in the USDF Region-7 Championships, giving Jennifer Hoffmann and German Dressage the 1 - 2 Finish.) |
 Facet and Jennifer, Reserve Champions for USDF Region 7 in the Intermediaire-1. |
 Facet and Jennifer at the 2003 June San Juan Capistrano Show, where Facet won the Intermediaire-1 class with a 69.500%. Jennifer and Facet were an awesome team in 2003, and were ranked #1 amongst the NA/WPN at Intermediaire-1, and #6 overall. |
 Facet was originally purchased to partner with owner Gay Walker, and to help her advance in her riding skills. He was serving that job admirably, always a patient instructor, and a stickler for getting it right, doing exactly what's asked--no more, and no less, until Gay made the mistake of offering to let then-13 year-old daughter Susan have a ride on him... |
 Unfortunately for Gay, it was love at first sight on both horse and rider's part, and Susan, the 2003 Top-ranked Junior/Young Rider at Second Level in the United States, was willing to do just about anything to continue riding him. Facet added to the argument when he went off his feed when Susan became ill with mono and was unable to go out to the barn for 2 weeks--leaving Gay no choice but to acknowledge that the switch was permanent. Given their 2004 successes, a mother can hardly regret the decision, but it doesn't stop her from being jealous. |
 Schooling piaffe at home with Jennifer. |
 This is a recently discovered photo of Facet from when he was five. |
 Facet, at age 19, gave an exhibition Freestyle performance at the KWPN/NA Keuring hosted by Rancho Los Amigos in September 2006. Jacques Verkerk of the KWPN is in the foreground, seen providing spectators with background on Facet's breeding and performance history. Doesn't he look amazing for his age! |
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