Janne Rumbough: “The P.R.E Horse has Earned the Respect in International Dressage Competition”

Interviews

PRE

Wellington can be defined as the Mecca for horse lovers. Janne Rumbough is one of the founding sponsors of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida. As a competitor, with her P.R.E mounts Gaucho III, Junior, and more recently Armas Zumbel, she achieved the USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. Janne is also a USDF Silver and Gold Freestyle Bar recipient.

Back in 2014, in the state of Kentucky, Janne won the United States Dressage Finals Grand Prix Freestyle for Adult Amateurs Championship aboard Junior. In 2018, Janne received the same title with Armas Zumbel.

On January 24, 2020, Janne Rumbough took the reins from Kimberly van Kempen and became the new USPRE president.

What do you like most about the Spanish Horse? What captivated you about this breed?
What l like the most about the Spanish horse is its lovely temperament and beauty!
Their intelligence, athleticism, and diversity make them very special and unique. The P.R.E can be ridden by anyone: from a junior rider up to a professional rider and also an amateur. That quality of versatility is a very strong side of the PRE horse.

Do you have any fond memories of your first contact with a Spanish horse?
My most fond memory is a time when l went to Spain to meet and ride the beautiful stallion Gaucho III. Juan Matute owned him 23 years ago. The first time I rode Gaucho in Spain…was amazing and powerful at the same time. His ability to adjust himself to my riding captivated me. “We knew each other from a previous life” stressed Janne.

As a professional rider and visionary of the PRE in sport, how do you now find the reception of the Spanish horses in international dressage competition?

The reception has been and is received with love for the horse and with a lot of respect for their athletic ability! I can only talk about the international competition in Wellington. They are received with esteem and appreciation. When a P.R.E is well ridden, he is at the same level of a well-ridden warmblood. Kim Van Kampen is the most amazing steadfast, sponsor, promotor that the P.R.E horse could ever have on US soil. If it wasn’t for her, the Pura Raza Española horse wouldn’t be well accepted in the American dressage community as it is today.

Fifteen years ago, we may have had one P.R.E in the dressage competition circuit, and now there are plenty of them and they are competitive. They can be found in the elite sport and national side. The P.R.E horse is not only for amateurs or juniors riders, P.R.E horses have so much respect that a lot of professionals are riding them.

If you could ride a famous PRE horse right now, who would it be? And why?
There are so many wonderful P.R.E. horses, very hard to choose! One is not enough for me. I would like to ride Fuego and Grandioso because of their temperament and athleticism.

USPRE WEEK 2021 has been canceled. Can you tell us more about it?

With sadness, USPRE WEEK 2021, had to be canceled, due to Covid-19. But Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) will not lose its Spanish touch and soul. On AGDF Week 3, we are having three exciting demonstrations from Jacqueline McDonald on Recargo Pi, Maria Lithander riding Campanero HGF, and lastly but not least Kerrigan Gluch on Mejorano HGF.

2020 has been a difficult year, what are the goals for USPRE in 2021?
We all have wonderful goals, but unfortunately, everything is up in the air because of the pandemic. Under the wing of our Executive Director, Tanya M. Duffey, the USPRE office is working nonstop. We continue providing all services as before. USPRE is here to assist all the breeders, members, and riders during these unprecedented times.

For more information about the U.S. PRE association, visit www.usprea.com

- by Lily Forado