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The staff at Surgi-Care Center for Horses is very active in the veterinary professional community as well as in our local equine community. Below are the profiles of two local athletes and their equine partners that Surgi-Care is proudly sponsoring this year: Jill Hardt and Shasta Alvarez.
Also important to her development as a dressage professional is the experience she received overseas working as a consultant for Graemont Farms locating and evaluating horses for American and Canadian buyers. She is in Europe yearly and is able to keep "up to date" on the dressage scene and culture across the pond enabling her to stay current, but still enjoy her "small town" location and lifestyle.
As a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist (with luck 2009 will be her "Gold" year!) Jill has been fortunate to have a series of super equine partners. In the past her first FEI horse, Siglavy Adria, a little Lipizzan with a big personality helped her through the school of hard knocks as a beginning FEI rider. Since then she has had a variety of super partners. Jill was privileged to bring along Trevelyan Farm's Forrest Flame, a New Forrest Pony stallion, who made his mark as a serious dressage competitor competing (and winning!) with Jill in the open division against the big guys. As a result, Jill has fallen in love with ponies who do serious dressage and is currently involved in developing more to follow in Forrest's footsteps. Currently Jill is very proud of her two competitive partners, Feinhardt, a Rhineland mare by Fidermark, and Merlin, a Russian Warmblood. Feinhardt is owned by Feinhardt Dressage Horses Inc. a company developed by Jill and her friend Lisa Fein to breed top level modern dressage horses with true elegance and great minds. Feinhardt is a fabulous, elegant mount that has made her mark winning the Regional Championships in 2007 at second level. Look for her this year as a strong competitor knocking at the door of the FEI arena! Merlin is Jill's personal horse and her current Grand Prix partner. "Merlin has been a huge challenge and has rewarded me with huge personal satisfaction," Jill says. "He is a character, a thrill, and incredibly rewarding!" On that note Jill is very proud to now have Surgi-Care as her and Merlin's sponsor. "Surgi-Care has been a huge help to me in keeping my equine athlete's at their best. I find their help to be practical and cutting edge. One is no good without the other. They work with my customers and put a premium on good communication. They also communicate well with other equine practitioners such as my farm's vet and farriers to create a team. That is so critical to success in a highly competitive atmosphere. You need a support network and they are "all that." I really appreciate the help and advice from Dr. Kuebelbeck throughout the years and Dr. Richter has been incredibly insightful and proactive. I look forward to and am privileged to be part of the team in this new and exciting way."
Shasta's mare Lil Shota Firewater (Little Bit) is a 2000 Chestnut mare. The first run Shasta ever made on her was at the NBHA Youth World Championships where they placed 4th against over1000 horses. While only 14.2 hands high, other horses may have her beat on size but her heart towers over them. She is gutsy and always gives all she has. Little Bit loves to run barrels and she loves a good crowd - the louder they scream, the harder she runs. She's a little bit of a wild child when it comes to exercising her. She can be a handful when warming up, but all the great ones have their quirks. Little Bit is as quiet as a little mouse on the ground and you won't find one that's any sweeter but when it comes time to do her job she is all business. Shasta and Little Bit's partnership has earned them a long list of accomplishments including: While Shasta and Little Bit share a special relationship, Shasta has shown she can win on almost any horse. She qualified for the short rounds at the NBHA Youth and Open World Championships on five different horses. This earned her the distinction of becoming one of only a few people to ever win three NBHA district youth titles in the same year on three different horses. Shasta has competed at PRCA Tour Rodeos across the United States and has won and placed at PRCA rodeos. Shasta has also earned the titles of:
Shasta also knows the importance of education. A student at Florida Gulf Coast University, Shasta is majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology. And while it's hard to imagine this young woman with any spare time, she manages to find it and spends it with her family and friends. Shasta is a member of the Women's Professional Rodeo Assoc, the National Barrel Horse Assoc, and the Sunshine Barrel Racers Assoc. and currently serves as the FCWPRA director for the SBRA. Surgi-Care Center for Horses is proud to sponsor this amazing young woman. |
Grand Prix rider Jill Hardt has been a dressage enthusiast from the start. Her facility, Tristan Oaks, and wonderful group of clients in Plant City, Florida is the product of her life long journey. Since her early apprenticeship with USDF Hall of Fame Inductee Vi Hopkins and throughout her work in recent years with world class professionals such as "O" Judge and US Pan American team member Anne Gribbons, international competitors such as Tom Noone and Marco Bernal and USEF team Member Nancy Smith, Jill has loved her voyage. 
"I think training horses and riders is the most fascinating process," says Jill. "It forces us to develop parts of our personality that we may neglect under ordinary circumstances. The timid and lenient rider has to become a leader and the stronger more aggressive ego has to be tempered with patience and empathy for the equine partner – you cannot be selfish." Jill also stresses the fact that dressage is a SPORT for the rider as well as the horse. "Riders have the responsibility to develop their technique and physique so that they are able to be clear and concise equine communicators with their bodies. The horse isn't the only one who has to be in shape! I also get a kick out of the fact that riding is the only sport where men and women compete equally – let's hear it for the girls! A horse is such a great teacher to aid us in developing balanced and healthy attitudes if we just listen and stay committed to the learning."
Shasta Alvarez was only two years old when she got her first pony and she started running barrels at only eight years old. Competing for the last 13 years, Shasta joined the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) at the end of 2005 and became a professional at 18 years old. Together with her mare Little Bit they won the very first WPRA barrel race they entered and they continue to excel. Shasta currently is in the top 12 in the WPRA Southeast Circuit, which encompasses Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
The rewards for Shasta's hard work can be seen in the over 15 saddles and a dozen buckles that she has won. But anyone who has met her knows the true mark of this champion is her confidence in facing challenges and a character of integrity, courage and responsibility.