70 The Chronicle of the Horse

BY JENNIFER B. CALDER

January 27 & February 3, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 71

e wait for that kind of horse to come in the ring all day long when

we’re judging,” said Linda Hough of Ovation. “He’s the role model of today for what a junior hunter should be.”

As any hunter should, Ovation jumps beautifully. But Ovation’s appeal isn’t limited to his airtime. His canter across the ground and demeanor are what truly set him apart.

“When you look at him, his stride is entirely about a couple of things,” said Ovation’s owner, Betsee Parker. “It’s about rhythm, his shape, balance and manners. He demonstrates the most perfectly flexed poll and frame and self-carriage.”

It’s in the space between jumps, noted Parker, where his brilliance shines. “If you really want to splice hairs and analyze,” she said, “his approach is very beautiful to the base of the fence, and he can jump out of a lot of tight spots. But over the top—his snap—is what I would call adequate to better than adequate. It’s how he executes between the fences that is so breathtaking that it wins the day.”

Hough agreed that Ovation’s overall picture gives him an edge over all the other good-jumping horses in the divi-sion. “His appearance is very striking. He’s a beautiful type and an excellent mover. He’s got a great expression, and he looks very confident,” she said. “He comes in the ring and starts at a score of 90 and goes up or down from there.”

In The SpotlightIt was in the International Arena at the Palm Beach Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla., on a balmy winter evening last February, that rider Tori Colvin posed a big question to Ovation, an elegant 14-year-old Brandenburg gelding. It was a question Ovation decisively answered.

Ovation, or “Ohie” as he is known around the barn, bested not only the junior hunters but all comers in the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association World Championship Hunter Rider Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter

Spectacular at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in his maiden performance under the lights.

This marked the second consecutive WCHR Spectacular win for Colvin, 16, of Loxachatchee, Fla., but the first for the bay gelding, a horse she describes as “sensitive.”

“I never would have expected him to go under the lights and do great, but he did!” Colvin said. “It actually didn’t faze him. I was expecting to go into the ring, and it would be bad, but he just walked in there and was perfect. He didn’t change at all!”

Trainer Scott Stewart of Flemington, N.J., and Wellington, Fla., was equally impressed. “He’s not the easiest horse in the world. He has his spooky moments, so you’re never really sure what you have, but he was so good that week and was in a good frame of mind and went so well. It was his biggest moment but,” Stewart admitted with a laugh, “I was a little surprised he stayed so mannerly about it all!”

Winning the WCHR Spectacular was a distinguishing highlight in a dazzling year where Ovation and Colvin swept class after class, collecting titles at all four fall indoor shows. They dominated the junior hunter world in decisive fashion and against excellent company. The only blip in their perfect year came in the spring at Devon (Pa.) where, in a surprising upset by barn mate Canadian Blue (also piloted by Colvin), Ovation was relegated to reserve champion.

“Ovation has won Devon twice, and we thought we were wrapping up a third time,” said Parker. “It went down to the last day, to the very last class and to the last two jumps. When he got to the second-to-last jump, just for the briefest two steps, he fell off his stride behind. So that was the one and only show this year where he was reserve champion.”

Ohie competes only in the most elite contests. “Most of my horses don’t show a ton,” said Stewart. “Ovation has the benefit of having Tori ride him. [She] doesn’t have to show that much to qualify, so we get to pick and choose where he goes.”

Description: 14-year-old, 15.3 hands, bay Brandenburg gelding (Sandro Khan—Allegra, Azure de Paulstra), with star and matching hind socks, owned by Betsee Parker, ridden by Tori Colvin and trained by Scott Stewart.Original name: Standing Ovation, changed to Ovation when Stewart bought him.Barn name: “Ohie”General personality: “He loves his food and is very aggressive about it but out of his stall has an amazing personality that does not like to be treated wrongly,” said Colvin.Girth size: 48 Blanket size: 82 Veterinarian: Dr. Jeevraj Grewal, VMD Farrier: Jim Colvin, Tori’s father

Profile

In DemandThe composed, professional and effortless demeanor Ohie demonstrates in the ring disguises a horse who Stewart acknowledges can be challenging to ride—and he would know. The horse began his career with him as a 5-year-old.

“I bought him off a videotape, actually,” said Stewart. “He was in Germany, and Bernardo Piskorz sent me the tape. I bought him because he was a beautiful mover and such an amazing type.”

Upon his arrival to Stewart’s Rivers Edge Farm in New Jersey in the fall of 2005, the horse showed only a few times before he caught the eye of Molly Ohrstrom. She bought him and sent him to Florida with Stewart.

“I had a lot of great hunters with Ken [Berkley] and Scott, and when Ovation came along, he was so beautiful, such a great mover and an amazing jumper,” said Ohrstrom, of The Plains, Va. “He looked like he was the complete package—and he was. He was just amazing!”

Parker noticed the elegant gelding as well. “The year he was a first year, Scott took him to Upperville [Va.] for Molly. I tried to buy him,” she said. “I approached Scott, but he said he was absolutely not for sale. Molly Ohrstrom owned him and had no interest in selling him.”

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72 The Chronicle of the Horse

Colvin, then 12, was matched up with the mount, setting into motion a marvelous partnership, not only between horse and rider, but also spilling over to owner and trainer.

“One day, after Scott got Ovation back, I saw him in the ring with Tori, and my eyes bugged out!” Parker recalled. “I said, ‘That wouldn’t be Molly Ohrstrom’s Ovation would it?’ And Scott said, ‘Yes it would,’ and I just jumped! I leapt! I said, ‘He’s mine! I’ll buy him, and I don’t need to look at anything more.’ That was the ride for Tori.”

Parker explained her instinct for pairing the duo: “I go based on a rider’s temperament and a horse’s temperament. I thought it would be a real winning combination, and it is.”

The Real OvationColvin and Parker describe a horse who is very sensitive. “You would never think that horses are this way, but he actually gets his feelings hurt if

someone is mean to him,” said Colvin. “He has to be treated with class.”

“He can be pretty dictatorial,” agreed Parker. “He does like the red carpet rolled out for him, and if it’s not there, he can get pretty angry! He knows he’s a great champion and gets irritated if people over-tweak him. He gets hurt because he thinks you don’t believe in him enough. He really is an emotional horse, and he’s also very loving. When the show season is over, he really gears down and becomes a very relaxed, tender and loving horse.”

This awareness has resulted in a bit of equine-led policing around the barn. Brigid Colvin, Tori’s mother, also helps manage the Rivers Edge horses. “I know if a groom has been mean to him as Ovation never forgets and lets the groom know when he or she is not looking,” she said. “I actually like that, because we do not believe they should be rough!”

Outside of the ring, Ovation is described as a bit territorial about his

Colvin was just 9 when she first laid eyes on Ovation. “He was the one horse that, when he walked into the ring, everybody stopped and looked at him. He just floated across the ring, and everybody stared,” she said.

Ovation demonstrated early promise as a 6-year-old with a strong first year green season and an excellent second year green season, earning championships at Upperville, the Capital Challenge (Md.) and in green conformation at Washington International (D.C.). In the fall of 2007, after Washington, Stewart and Berkley were presented with an opportunity.

“I decided I was getting more interested in the jumpers than hunters,” said Ohrstrom. “He was the last hunter I owned, and he was the best way to go out of the business. I feel lucky to have had the best [hunter] horse as my last horse.”

Stewart and Berkley bought him back.

Tori Colvin has found the key to making Ovation a confident, happy horse. RANDI MUSTER PHOTO

SHOW HUNTER

January 27 & February 3, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 73

stall and food and may bite or kick you if you try to approach him while he’s eating.

“You do not touch his food!” Tori warned. “Oh my God, you do not do that!”

He’s also not fond of other horses and makes the people in his life earn his favor. But once they do, he adores them.

“He can be pretty aggressive in his stall, but out of it he is an amazing personality that does not like to be treated poorly,” said Tori. “Once Ovation knows you and loves you, he stares at you. He knows if he stares long enough you’ll bring him a treat.”

Ovation is clear in his preferences, and that means no loud noises or bustle. He prefers quieter barns and long hacks in the woods.

“He can be quite disgusted with the noise level,” said Parker. “When he’s at Huntland, it’s a very quiet barn, and we play classical music, and you see a relaxed, happy horse.”

The Public OvationParker believes that Tori is the key to bringing out Ovation’s best. “The longer an animal is with her, the more the animal believes in itself,” said Parker. “When she gets on top of them, the animal begins to start drawing from her, and it draws confi-dence. Gradually the frame becomes better, the animal relaxes, the blinking of the eyes relaxes, the snorting and bobbing of the head calms down, and the horse starts to feel like, ‘I really can do this.’ ”

She continued, “What Tori has—and we can analyze technique all we want—but quite simply put, she is a better communicator with these animals than other people are. That has to do with unspoken things like body language, the way you feel on the back of a horse, how you pet it and how the tone of your voice sounds. I have never, ever seen her be cruel or unfair in any way with a horse, and she’s always put the horse first.”

Stewart echoed this: “Tori is obvi-ously an amazing rider and knows him so well. He’s never a hot horse or a really a fresh horse. He just gets distracted, and then when he loses focus on the jump, he sort of falls apart. She can deal with his times when he’s not being great, and she can sort of convince him to get out of that. She just stays so relaxed on him that it keeps him pretty calm all the time.”

Tori’s composed demeanor first impressed Parker. “I saw her go around once in a class, and I was completely captivated and thought I was watching something brand new,” she said. “I liked the calm, methodical, cool reacting she does because we don’t allow emotion in the sport. We were always taught that emotion was a luxury none of us could afford. When a small child is already self-restraining like that it’s a big help.

“There are people who you know are prodigies, and well, it is an honor to be a part of that

Ovation is just as impressive on the flat, with his self-carriage and movement, as he is over fences. MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

We’ve talked with Ovation’s connections, but what would he say if we could interview him?Equine behaviorist and a specialist in human-animal communications, Mary Ann Simonds, visited Ovation and shared some of his thoughts.

“Ovation demonstrates the qualities of a top performer and wants to please the people in his life whom he likes and trusts,” said Simonds. “Like many top athletes he makes decisions quickly. He has a very strong sense of ‘fairness’ regarding how he should be treated. He’s a bit judgmental of people and decides whether he likes them or not. His personal space is important to him, and he appreciates respect before entering his space. He has a well-developed ‘ego’ and self-awareness.

“Ovation’s rather laid-back personality is based on the fact that he trusts the people he lives with and feels safe, but he does not trust everyone,” she added. “He especially likes riders who focus and give him clear visual pictures of what is expected. Ovation wants to win because he wants to please the people he likes. He does like to jump and has natural talent, but while some horses enjoy recognition by other horses, he’s motivated by the love he has for his people and wanting to make them happy. The humans in his life have taken time to get to know him and make him feel safe and liked.”

What does he think of his partnership with Tori?“Ovation likes the way Tori smells, as he is a very smell-orientated horse and relies most heavily on smell for social recognition. He also has sensitive hearing. Ovation

likes to get into a ‘zone’ where he just ‘listens’ to his rider and relaxes into a rhythm. It’s almost a meditative-type state. He is able to do this with Tori because she is very clear with her mental pictures and focus in her communi-cation with him, and this allows him to be relaxed.”

Does he enjoy being ridden and jumping?“Ovation likes to be ridden but enjoys jumping more than flat work. Jumping is easy for him and sometimes boring, but he knows his people appreciate him. He would like to do more outside nature jumping but feels he would have to pay more attention.”

What are some of his likes and dislikes?“Ovation is sensitive to sounds and smells, and sometimes the loudspeaker hurts his ears, but he likes certain music, music that is more complex, interesting and has a nice sound such as classical or the Spanish guitar. He is not fond of loud beats or repetitive sounds and does not like high-pitched voices.”

Is he aware of all the honors he has won?“Not really. He knows he is liked and has pleased his people, and that is most important to him.”

What does he think about being the Chronicle’s Horse of the Year?“He doesn’t understand what Horse of the Year is but does recognize that he’s won a lot of ribbons and that people are happy with him.”

From The Horse’s Mouth

SHOW HUNTER

Owner Betsee Parker (right) and rider Tori Colvin have shared

many joyous moments thanks to Ovation’s

performances. THE BOOK LLC—2014 PHOTO

January 27 & February 3, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 75

history,” she added. “I’m fortunate Tori chose me because everyone could see what was coming there.”

Tori, for her part, feels a deep bond with Ovation. “When you get on him and feel him, feel that connection with him, it is amazing. He is one of those that is pretty good about finding the distance for himself except,” she continued with a laugh, “sometimes in the handy he doesn’t really look where he’s going, but other than that he’s pretty good!”

The Ovation TeamSuccess never occurs in a vacuum, and the team surrounding Ovation is a dedicated crew. In addition to Tori and Stewart, Parker said Brigid is one of their secret weapons.

“Brigid is as much a participating member of our team as Scott or I,” Parker said. “We do not trump her

“When you get on him and feel him, feel that connection with him, it is amazing,” says Tori Colvin of riding Ovation. MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

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76 The Chronicle of the Horse

FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Week 3 (Fla.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championFTI Winter Equestrian Festival Week 6 (Fla.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championFTI Winter Equestrian Festival Week 7 (Fla.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, champion; WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular—1st Kentucky Spring: Small junior hunter championDevon (Pa.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, reserve championUpperville Colt and Horse Show (Va.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championLake Placid (N.Y.): Small junior hunter champion; grand junior hunter championU.S. Junior Hunter National Championship—East (N.Y.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championHampton Classic (N.Y.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, champion Capital Challenge (Md.): Small junior hunter 15 & under, champion; grand junior hunter championPennsylvania National: Small junior hunter, 15 & under, champion; grand junior hunter championWashington International Horse Show (D.C.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championAlltech National Horse Show (Ky.): Small junior hunter, 15 & under, championReserve

2013 COMPETITIVE HIGHLIGHTS

in decision making. She’s the one who’s going to find the most serious mistake the fastest. She is also the most self-effacing member of the team. You won’t ever see her in the ring; she doesn’t ever want her picture taken or accolades for anything, but she never quits working.”

Parker said Brigid runs the stable, manages people, analyzes courses, conditions horses and is there for her daughter. “She gets it all done in a timely fashion, and you know where you are in your schedule in the course of the day,” said Parker. “She is unbelievable, and I say, with great confidence, that she is the very greatest horse show mother that has ever been!”

All involved credit a mutual respect for one another as one of the reasons for the easy balance they enjoy.

As a young horse, Ovation showed with Scott Stewart riding, earning green championships at shows like Upperville (Va.). MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

Tori Colvin’s quiet confidence and positive riding have helped Ovation develop into a consistent winner. THE BOOK LLC-2014 PHOTO

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January 27 & February 3, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 77

Ovation, Tori Colvin and Betsee Parker have posed for countless championship awards photos in Ovation’s sparkling career. THE BOOK LLC--2014 PHOTO

“Betsee is the perfect owner. She listens to you and is an educated horse person herself, so she deals well,” said Stewart.

He paused and then finished with a chuckle, “Well, when things don’t go so perfectly well!”

Parker was equally complimen-tary: “Our whole team understands they have to give 110 percent, and we think the sum total is better than any one individual. We had to be sure our temperaments would dovetail because, boy, you can get into trouble fast on a team when somebody always has to be the winner. Scott is very good at listening and considering the opin-ions of all members of the team. And that doesn’t mean we don’t have some powerful differences, because we do! But, in a way, that keeps it good. It keeps the team from getting dull.”

There are still two more years to witness the partnership between Tori and Ovation. The plan is for the pair to exit the junior division together.

“We are going to do a big retirement

ceremony at the National Horse Show [in two years],” said Parker. “In Tori’s final show as a junior rider, she will lead him into the ring for the last time. I think it will be a nice, fitting way to say farewell. He has been more than the dream horse of a lifetime. To own a

horse of this caliber is a real honor.” When his time in the hunter ring

comes to an end, Ovation will return to Parker’s Huntland Farm in Middleburg, Va., and spend his days in beautiful paddocks eating Virginia grass and listening to classical music.

Liza Boyd, International Hunter Derby Champion p Emerson Burr Trophy winner, USEF Equestrian of the year nominee and WCHR Professional Finals Winner p Hope Glynn, CPHA Horsewoman of the year and International Hunter Derby winner p Lars Petersen, World Cup Dressage Champion p Buck Davidson, Top CCI Three Day Event Finisher, USEA Young Event Horse Champion and Pro Tour Rider p Lucinda Fredericks, Top CCI Three Day Event Finisher p Chester Weber, USEF Equestrian of the year nominee and 10x National Driving Champion p Susie Hutchison, USHJA Affiliate Sportsmanship Award and Harry Forbes Sportsmanship Trophy p Rich Fellers, Elite $1M Club Jumper Rider p Laura Kraut, Elite $1M Club Jumper Rider

In 2013, IceHorse® athletes won…p USHJA International Hunter Derby Championshipp World Championship Hunter Rider Professional Finalsp Dressage World Cupp United States Eventing Association Young Event Horse Championshipp California Professional Horsemen’s Association Horsewoman of the Yearp USEF National Horse of the Year

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