For more than 15 years, Harmony Sporthorses owned by John and Leslie Malone continue to contribute significantly to improving the sport of dressage through collaboration with Michael Klimke, Susan Pape, Scott and Susanne Hassler and more recently with Luuk Mourits. From breeding successful young horses through top achieving stallions like Rousseau, to training and coaching to leading in the international high performance competitions, this friendly team achieves excellent successes time after time in all phases of the sport.
The team utilizes the 2017 twelve-week Wellington Adequan® Global Dressage Festival to prepare their horses slowly and steadily up the levels step-by-step. Refining their performances out of its Four Winds Farm in Wellington, just 5 minutes from the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival showgrounds, the riders spend their Florida competition seasons preparing each of the horses for future championships in Europe and the United States. Michael Klimke expressed, “Leslie and John Malone are generous people who greatly support the sport,” he affirmed. “They support nice people. They like that personal connection. We are all so grateful to them for their support.”
With a foundation from the German Training Systems, from the breeding system to Young Horse Championship pipeline to the International High performance, the team consistently gives the sport well prepared horses achieving great results. Whether through Riveredge in Chesapeake City, Maryland or the influence through Hengstation-Pape in Germany, Harmony Sporthorses share great stallions, mares and foals which have a great influence on the sport. The quality of upcoming Harmony’s horses ridden by this team, who consistently help one another during the 2017 Florida Winter Season series, continue to achieve great scores.
The Team in Wellington
Michael Klimke, a highly skilled international dressage competitor from Münster, Germany prepares two of Harmony Sporthorses for the high performance, 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding Lemony’s Nicket (Londonderry x Weltmeyer) and Harmony’s Depardieu.
In Florida, Klimke builds the confidence in the young Lemony’s Nicket through the Small Tour, “Lemony’s Nicket was third here and a bit spooky week 1.” In the FEI Prix St George, they also placed third with a score of 67.368% and during week 5 they scored 67.982%. In the indoor with rain pouring down week 7, they placed seventh with a score of 68.158%. Harmony Sporthorses' 11-year-old Hanoverian Depardieu remained in Germany due to a slight injury and was unprepared for the Florida competition season, explained Klimke, “I didn’t want to fly him over only to compete for a couple weeks during the Florida season. He will be ready for the summer.” Also doing well are Klimke’s own horses which include 11-year-old Hanoverian Royal Dancer 33, 10-year-old Westphalian Djamba Djokiba and owned in partnership together with or soley by the Pape family, ridden by both Susan or Michael this winter season are 7-year-old Hanoverian Diabolo 543 and 9-year-old Oldenburg Scuderia.
Susan Pape, superb dressage competitor who rides for Great Britain and married to Ingo Pape from the Hengststation-Pape in Germany currently competes in this year’s AGDF on 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Harmony’s Fiorano (Rousseau x Rotspon) discovered by Ingo Pape and Scott Hassler when he was only one week old. And 10-year old stallion Don Noblesse won his first Grand Prix Special this season’s first week with a 68.11%; the pair placed second during week 5 with 70.880%. Last year, Susan and Don Noblesse place third in the Louisdor Cup Finals for German Developing Grand Prix Horses in Frankfurt. The Malone’s have given this team an opportunity to concentrate on the sport, Susan Pape said, “And that is so incredible. It’s a beautiful facility here in Florida, we have to work and it gives us the time we need to make all the improvements for the international ring.” (See AGDF 2017 results below)
Scott, Susanne and Sarah Hassler are widely respected dressage competitors who run all the programs at Riveredge as well as their own Hassler Dressage. Well known for the team's diverse training and education facility, Riveredge is located in Chesapeake City, Maryland. One great program they achieved together included their supporting young horse riders in the USA by holding a symposium for more than 60 riders called the Young Dressage Trainer's Symposium annually with Scott Hassler and each year a different instructor including Ingo Pape, Ulf Moeller, Steffen Peters, Oliver Oelrich, Michael Klimke and Anne Gribbons. Many of the riders who participated in the program have gone on to do great things in their careers and are grateful to Harmony Sporthorses for the many details that were brought to lightfor them on their quest for the sport. Scott Hassler had many national wins on Harmony's Star Agent at Prix St George in 2016 and prepares the 10-year-old Oldenburg for the Grand Prix. Scott rides Harmony's Diamo Gold in the Developing Prix St George and continues to prepare the talented Grand Prix prospect as daughter Sarah Hassler works to prepare the Oldenburg Harmony’s Davidoff Hit for the Prix St George. Scott expressed, "The Malones have been so supportive to all of us; it's an incredible opportunity to all be together during the Florida Season. We can help each other and it inspires all of us to bring the best out of ourselves and the horses. Thank you John and Leslie for these amazing opportunities."
Luuk Mourits (NED) has been working for Harmony Sporthorses in Kiowa, Colorado bringing the horses up the levels in dressage.
They are here in Florida for the winter with five horses, four of them by the super dressage stallion, Rousseau. Luuk gains great results on the national level in Third Level. On the Westfalen gelding Harmony’s Favorit (Furst Picollo) the pair scored a 68.030% in Third Level Test 1. On Harmony’s Wicked Spring (Rousseau x Flemmingh), the pair scored 69.697%. On the Dutch Warmblood Harmony’s Zygosch (Rousseau x Jazz), they scored 72.273%. Other Harmony Sporthorses Luuk trains during Florida’s winter series and not yet shown are Harmony’s Wiebert B (Rousseau x Monte Cristo), 6-year-old gelding Harmony’s Geronimo (Rousseau x Caretino) born in Colorado and gelding Harmony’s Upperclass (by United).
Michael Klimke travels to Colorado to help the Dutch born rider Luuk Mourits at the Harmony Sporthorses’ Colorado location during the summers. Luuk stated. “I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to train with such good trainers as Michael, Susan Pape and Scott Hassler, whether in Colorado or in Florida.” He said, “I really love Colorado. It’s a really nice barn and it’s beautiful there. I’m so grateful for the opportunities at Harmony. I have a really nice group of horses.” Luuk succinctly expressed what everyone in this Harmony Sporthorses group feels, “We always try to help each other. It’s a really great team.”
Susan Pape on Training for Competition in Florida
“It’s so nice here,” Susan Pape exclaimed. “In Europe, you have to travel to each individual CDI. Here, it’s just 5 minutes away and so convenient. It’s especially been good for Don Noblesse and his first season in Grand Prix, but I think it’s enough for him now. He’s only 9 coming on 10 years old. It’s been a big step for him. I want to spend the remaining time helping him to understand more after the first two CDIs. He needs a little time for the experience." Pape and Don Noblesse will be going back home to Germany on March 2nd, “Yes, I have to get home because the breeders are all waiting for Don Noblesse.”
She said appreciatively, “I am very fortunate that Leslie and John Malone have invited me to come here. It’s been wonderful. The opportunity to work through the things with the Grand Prix horses in order for these horses to be their best is so good. Working with Michael has been amazing. We have been switching horses at times because we sometimes are stuck in a situation or problem that the other somehow figures out. We have an opportunity to consider things from each person’s point of view. That has been such a good combination and Michael has been so open to everything and I’ve been open to the advice.”
Series results for Susan Pape at the 2017 AGDF have been:
1-12-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix HARMONY'S FIORANO placed 4th scoring 70.440%
1-12-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 5th scoring 69.360%
1-13-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix Freestyle HARMONY'S FIORANO placed 8th scoring 68.480%
1-14-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix Special HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 1st scoring 68.118%
1-26-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix – CDIW HARMONY'S FIORANO placed 5th scoring 71.620%
1-26-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix – CDIW HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 6th scoring 71.260%
1-27-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix Freestyle – CDIW HARMONY'S FIORANO placed 9th scoring 70.025%
1-28-2017 CDI-W FEI Grand Prix Special – CDIW HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 2nd scoring 71.980%
2-9-2017 CDI3* FEI Grand Prix CDI3*HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 2nd scoring 70.880%
2-11-2017 CDI3*FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*HARMONY'S DON NOBLESSE placed 3rd scoring 70.608%
2-17-2017 National FEI Grand Prix Harmony’s Fiorano scores personal best 74.900%