Rancho Soñado Arabians Receive National Horse of the Year Awards
(AMADO, Ariz.) In a Lexington, Kentucky ceremony Saturday, the national governing body for equestrian sports awarded two National Horse of the Year awards to southern Arizona’s Rancho Soñado. The United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) awarded its National Champion Half Arabian Working Western Horse of the Year to Stars and Stripes SF +// and Reserve National Champion Working Western Horse of the Year to Agracie Girl V +++//. Cynthia Richardson, President of the Arabian Horse Association, presented these awards to Nan and Dick Walden, owners of Rancho Soñado.
These awards are among the highest achievements in equestrian sports. The National Horse of the Year award, “recognizes excellence across nearly all of the USEF Recognized breeds and disciplines, and is regarded as an ensign of achievement within the equestrian community.”
The two National Horse of the Year awards cap off a remarkable 2014 for Rancho Soñado. During the year, Rancho Soñado produced seven national champions and 23 National top-tens in shows in the US and Canada. The Horse of the Year award winners were both Triple Crown Winners in 2014 having won Trail Championships at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, and the US and Canadian National events. Agracie Girl V +++// won three Trail Championships in one afternoon at the prestigious Scottsdale Show, including two amateur titles and one open (professional level) title. Stars and Stripes SF +// won two Championships at Scottsdale in the Half-Arabian Trail, one amateur and one open.
Also, the Arabian Horse Association recognized Rancho Soñado’s Nan Stockholm Walden naming her Horseman of Supreme Merit Champion, AHA Handler of Honor Champion and Rider of Supreme Honor Champion. Nan rode both horses to their record breaking year.
Comments of Nan Stockholm Walden:
Every day, “Gracie” and “Deuce” show us how extraordinary they are, whether working cows, riding out on trails, showing in the ring, or packing our grandsons around. To have the USEF recognize them as National Horses of the Year is such an affirmation of our training program. The intelligence, kindness, and ‘try’ in these horses constantly inspires us.
I came to riding late in life, but Dick has been riding on a working cattle ranch since he was three. We both are huge fans of Arabs and Half-Arabs. We have to also credit these horses’ breeding and starting. Shelia Varian bred Agracie Girl V +++// (Sundance Kid V x Amazing Grace V). “Gracie” has been successful showing in Trail, Western Horsemanship, Western Pleasure, Showmanship, Amateur Horsemanship, Sport Horse under Saddle and Sport Horse in Hand. Her sire Sundance Kid V is one of the top sires of Arabians performance winners. Gracie is a stunning jet black mare with a perfect white star on her forehead.
Gordon Potts started Stars and Stripes SF (Allionce’s Knight +/ x Starry Spumoni+//). Both sire and dam were multinational champions, and very kid and amateur friendly. “Deuce” has been shown to major wins in Half-Arabian Trail, Western Pleasure, English and Western Sidesaddle, Hunter Pleasure and Sport Horse in Hand. He is Half Paint Horse and Half Arab, which has made him a beautiful pinto, or Tobiano tri color gelding.
We are so proud of our horses’ versatility in the show ring, but even more importantly, they can be trusted with the tiniest tots in the lead line class or just riding around our ranch.
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(Credit Mike Ferrara) Nan Stockholm Walden riding Stars and Stripes SF +// at the 2014 US Nationals Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse Show in Tulsa, OK.
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(Credit Mike Ferrara) Nan Stockholm Walden riding Stars and Stripes SF +// at the 2014 US Nationals Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse Show in Tulsa, OK.
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(Credit Mike Ferrara) Nan Stockholm Walden riding Agracie Girl V +++// at the 2014 US Nationals Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse Show in Tulsa, OK.
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(Credit Mike Ferrara) Nan Stockholm Walden riding Stars and Stripes SF +// at the 2014 US Nationals Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse Show in Tulsa, OK.
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(Credit Jon McCarthy) Nan Stockholm Walden riding Agracie Girl V +++// .
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(Credit Rob Hess) Agracie Girl V +++//
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(Credit: Adam Brennan) Arabian Horse Association President Cynthia Richardson (r) presenting Dick and Nan Walden of Rancho Soñado with 2 National USEF Horse of the Year Awards in Lexington, KY on Jan 17. 2015.
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(Credit: Adam Brennan) Dick and Nan Walden of Rancho Soñado with 2 National USEF Horse of the Year Awards in Lexington, KY on Jan 17. 2015.
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