An Encore For the Boss In OKC
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
By Sara Pizzuto
Equinox Bossanova has long been a staple of the western pleasure division in New England. He has amassed an impressive resume, including an unprecedented five consecutive East Coast Western Pleasure Championships. However, a Grand National or world championship win was the one title that has eluded the 18-year-old stallion. That was until this week.
“Boss” made his way down victory lane twice on Monday, being named the Grand National Champion Amateur Western Pleasure Stallion and Grand National Champion Youth Western Pleasure Stallion/Gelding. Olyvia O’Brien was the lucky rider of this highly acclaimed horse, who was guided under the direction of Christine Nava-Moulthrop.
Olyvia has been teamed with Boss for the past four years, and was thrilled to have been able to achieve success on the Morgan world’s biggest stage.
“It was awesome,” she said. “I have worked really hard with him. It’s taken me a long time to get in the whole western groove. It’s totally not what you think it is at all. We had a great show season this year, so we knew we just had to come to Oklahoma.”
Olyvia split her time between college at the University of New Hampshire, and Christine’s Timber Hill Farm in order to prepare for this show. Her wins were incredibly meaningful for every member of Boss’s ever growing fan club.
“He is just one of those horses that I feel like you can’t really help but look at when he comes in the ring,” she said. “Even though he is so well known, he is such a down to earth horse. You can go in his stall and he is kind, well mannered, and just wants to please people. He is not only a fun horse to ride, but a great horse to be around. He gives you one of those feelings that you know he’s special. He just means a lot to so many people.”
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