Trainer Nick Onoda schooling Sir Premiero, Premier Equestrian’s newest addition (Photo courtesy of Premier Equestrian – no photo credit necessary)
Sandy, UT (April 17, 2017) – Premier Equestrian, a leading arena and footing company based in Sandy, Utah, has acquired a new addition – Sir Premiero, a five-year-old Westphalian gelding. With impeccable bloodlines, advanced breeding, and an exceptional training background to match, Sir Premiero has already become a prized ambassador for the company and a beloved riding partner for Heidi Zorn, president of Premier Equestrian. Zorn recently purchased Sir Premiero from breeder Laura Frederiksen-Park of Silver Tail Farm in Creswell, Oregon, and has dubbed the handsome gelding as Premier Equestrian’s official equine mascot.
Sir Premiero was bred at Silver Tail Farm, a state-of-the-art training venue and breeding operation. After Zorn worked with Frederiksen-Park to perfect the facility’s indoor arena with Premier Equestrian’s high-performance Master’s Blend footing, the two discovered that they had a shared philosophy based on a strong commitment to quality and equine well-being. Laura Frederiksen-Park, owner and manager of the facility, specializes in advanced breeding techniques to produce high quality, amateur-friendly prospects with a solid, classical training foundation. The breeding process at Silver Tail Farm works to combine the perfect blend of physical, temperamental, and conformation traits in it’s foals, while a rigorous rearing and training process ensures that they are well-adjusted to people and other horses.
Sir Premiero’s dam, Riva Dee, is the cornerstone of Silver Tail Farm’s breeding program, descending from superior bloodlines which have produced a number of highly successful mounts with outstanding performance records to match. Among them are Rive Dee’s sire, Rheingau, her dam, Pila, and the sire of her dam, Potsdam, who was the winner in highest-level dressage tournaments in Műnster, Neuműnster, Nörten-Harenberg, Redefin, and Rulle. Pila’s grand sire, North-Rhine-Westphalian state stallion Polydor, was twice honored with the title “Sire of the World,” the world’s best transmitter for show jumpers.
Sir Sinclair was the stallion of choice for Sir Premiero because his conformation complemented Rive Dee, and because he is known to have a phenomenal mind and excellent trainability. “He is proven to have fabulous offspring who are successful in the dressage arena,” said Frederiksen-Park.
In addition to a thorough breeding and rearing process, Sir Premiero also received an excellent start in his training, working with classical dressage trainer Nick Onoda who offers clinics and training at Silver Tail Farm. Onoda, who maintains a philosophy of proper physical and psychological development based on classical training principles, enjoys giving young horses like Sir Premiero the quality start they need to become well-developed and reliable equine companions.
Zorn knew she had found the perfect fit in both horse and trainer after observing Onoda schooling Sir Premiero at Silver Tail Farm. “Sir Premiero was very young and didn’t have a lot of training yet, but he was already so relaxed and well balanced because of Nick’s excellent training,” Zorn explained. “I’m a firm believer in putting the well being of the horse first, and it was great to meet a trainer who shared that mentality. He wasn’t trying to sell the horse to just anyone, but to find the right fit as a partner – someone who would preserve the well being of the horse going forward. That’s where we all connected – Laura, Nick, and I – and it made for a really great union.”
From their very first ride together, Zorn and her new mount struck up a rapport. “He is gregarious and playful, yet very level-headed and trusting,” observed Zorn. “I quickly got very connected to him.”
Frederiksen-Park raises her young horses in a natural setting, gentling them into a herd to encourage socialization and introduce age-appropriate skills. “They have never had a bad experience,” explained Onoda. “They trust people because they’ve been handled quite a bit, and have never been treated unfairly. Once you have their trust, it’s so much easier to get them to let you on their back and have a basis for communication as they start to learn the aids.”
Frederiksen-Park, who believes riders are often matched with mounts that are too tall or strong for them or not easy to work with, said, “So often people are over-horsed. I want a good brain that wants to please and wants to work.” Zorn echoed this sentiment, saying, “I am an amateur rider and I need a reasonable horse. I also want to stick to the classical philosophy of training; that is my passion. I am a real advocate of keeping the core classical principles alive. Honestly, I am all about the horses. It’s a partnership and they are my friends; my family. Once they come into my world they don’t leave.”
As he continues with his training and development, Sir Premiero will take over the role of official equine product tester for Premier Equestrian in place of Zorn’s now-retired horse Serrano. An avid rider herself, Zorn knows well the importance of having superior quality footing, dressage arenas, jumps, and other equestrian products. Together, the new riding partners will work to ensure that every product sold by Premier Equestrian is measured against a passion for safety, practicality, and well-being of the horse. To learn more about Premier Equestrian and their line of world-class equestrian products, please call (800) 611-6109 or visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.
