Saddlebreds as Sport Horses - Part II

Does anyone else have posts that have been sitting in their drafts folder for months or even a year+? Ones that are dallied with regularly but never seem to get to the point where they are ready for the big orange PUBLISH button?

Or am I just weird like that?

In any case, the topic of Saddlebreds as Sport Horses is one that I think on regularly, even if I re-type drafts over and over instead of just posting on the topic.

To follow up a much previous post discussing the American Saddlebred as a breed under-represented in sport horse disciplines, I wanted to take a moment to shine the light on some people who are actively promoting ASBs in disciplines other than saddleseat here in my neck of the woods.

Firstly, Lisa Marie Bauman of Austin Eventing who moved to Malibu earlier this year, though she will soon be returning to Texas. She and her horse Arvo are competing at Training level. Arvo is the only full ASB who has been actively competing here in Area VI eventing this year. Hopefully I'll meet them before they go! Here's their cross-country video from Galway Downs in May:

Next is Lisa Davies Siderman of Deer Creek Ranch in Malibu. She has long been a proponent of Saddlebreds in non-saddleseat disciplines. I met her several years ago at Equine Affaire in Pomona and recall being slightly shocked that she did endurance on her ASBs (I was still a saddleseater at the time). But she is putting into action what others (including myself) do just in ideas/support: actively breeding and competing ASBs in sport horse disciplines. She also helps manage the official ASB sport-horse committee. Here's one of her lovely horses, Havana Love Aphair, competing at the El Sueno derby in May:

Additionally there's a local gal who competes in eventing with an Oldenburg/Saddlebred cross, and I always am rooting for them at shows. But I get the impression that they downplay the saddlebred part, especially when he was for sale a few months back. I assume that's because European warmbloods are much more en vogue in eventing sales right now and ASBs still carry stigma out here. To he honest, if I'd had the $8k, I'd have snatched him up! He's a very handsome boy and quite suitable for my modest competitive aspirations.

I'm always on the look-out for people doing sport-horse disciplines with saddlebreds or saddlebred-crosses, especially those here on the West Coast where ASBs are not as common as they are back east. Admittedly I'm much more "in the know" with eventing than I am with endurance, dressage, reining, combined driving, or any other sport horse discipline - but I wholeheartedly support ASBs doing those as well! If you know of any ASBs or crosses competing in non-saddleseat, let me know!

For others who are interested in this topic, here are Facebook groups/pages for you to consider joining:
American Saddlebred and Half-ASB Sporthorses
American Saddlebreds and Crosses Sport Horse Group

My next post (eventually...one day...) on the topic will discuss ASB saddleseat retraining programs and adoption/purchase opportunities as compared to those for off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTB). And then another post (just maybe...) will be about emerging cross breeding phenomenon and its connection to sport horse suitability.

Or maybe I'll just keep plugging away at these posts forever.  =P