Aritzia, an F1 Canadian Sport Horse filly
bred and owned by Four Leaf Farms and Danielle Gregoire of Richmond,
Ontario has an impressive history of wins since she started showing on
the line as a foal.
Aritzia handled by Ronnie Davidson
Among them are the 2009 CSH National Foal
Championship and since, has earned many CSH championships, including
Grand Champion Canadian Sport Horse at the Royal Agricultural Winter
Fair in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Her most prestigious honour to date came on the
final Saturday of the 2012 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair when she was
declared winner of the Governor Genera’s Cup, considered the top prize
for Canadian-bred three-year-olds that show potential as sport horses in
the disciplines of hunter, jumping, eventing or dressage.
Aritzia is by European-based Hanoverian jumper
stallion Abke out of an imported Hanoverian mare, Licorne (by Lemon
Park). Danielle Gregoire and husband Ed Stewart added Licorne to their
small sport horse breeding program at Four Leaf Farms to improve their
broodmare band. When they bought her, she was in foal to Rotspon and
produced a filly, Rumtanzen, in 2006.
Danielle says they learned about sport horse
breeding by talking to top breeders in Canada and the U.S. They have
also relied on the advice of Artizia’s handler, Ronnie Davidson, a
veteran with many Cup wins to his credit.
Breeder Judy Yancey of Yancey Farms in Florida, who
is also a frozen semen dealer, helped them choose Abke for Licorne.
Danielle says her philosophy is to look at the mare’s strengths and
improve on her without trying to change her.
Four Leaf Farms strives for quality rather than quantity and has just one or two foals a year. Aritzia’s full sister, All She Wrote,
has started following in her sibling’s footsteps and finished as
Reserve Champion to Aritizia’s Grand Champion at the CSH Breeders Show
at the Royal.
Sire ABKE
Danielle advises small breeders not to be afraid to
ask more experienced breeders’ for their opinions or for answers to
questions, no matter how trivial they may seem. Hearing their feedback
can be an invaluable in furthering your education about the breeding
industry
, she has found.
By Tracy Hanes
