Estero, New Grand Prix Ride for Former U.S. Team Rider Shelly Francis

Dressage

U.S.A.

Former U.S. team rider Shelly Francis has welcomed a new Grand Prix horse into her barn, Estero.

Estero is a 10-year old Westfalian gelding by Escolar out of Deja Vu (by Desperados x Londonderry). He is bred by Oemer Boyar van Baaren.

3x Bundeschampionate

Owned by Christian Thelker, Estero was presented at the pre-selection for the 2016 Westfalian stallion licensing but not selected. He is a maternal half-brother to Beck's (by Benicio).

The tall chestnut had a string of riders in his young horse career and competed at three Bundeschampionate.

He was first shown by Rebecca Holtwiesche as a 3-year old in 2017. She took him to the 2018 Bundeschampionate, where he finished fourth in the 4-year old mare and geldings final.

In 2019 Beatrice Hoffrogge-Buchwald took over the ride and also rode him to a fourth place at the Bundeschampionate in the 5-year old dressage horse finals. In 2020 they were 11th in the 6-year old finals at the Bundeschampionate. Hoffrogge retained the ride until the spring of 2023 and competing him up to Prix St Georges level.

Grand Prix

Two months after Hoffrogge's last start, Marcus Hermes premiered the gelding at Intermediaire II level at the local show in Montabaur, where they were 6th.

In 2024 the pair competed in several Grand Prix tests at shows in Munster, Borken, Hellefeld and Haftenkamp and did the Louisdor Cup qualifier in Hagen. They won the Intermediaire II but retired in the qualifier for the finals. Their last show as a pair was in Stubben-Brunshausen on 27 October 2024, where they finished second.

Crossing the Atlantic, Joining Santanyi and Diana

Estero has been sold to Julie and Bryn Campbell and the ride has been allocated to Shelly Francis, who moved from Ocala, FL, to Blue Moon Farm in Reddick, FL in May 2024.

Schulze and Santanyi at the 2024 CDI Wiesbaden

The Campbells also bought the 6-year old Hanoverian gelding Santanyi (by Secret x Rubin-Royal x Cordeur), bred by Christine Feichtinger and previously shown by Thomas Schulze. He placed 9th in the 5-year old finals at the 2023 Bundeschampionate.

"We are super excited to share that these two boys arrived safely from Germany last week and are settling in well with us here in their new home at Blue Moon Farm," said Francis.

Estero and Santanyi are the newest additions, following in the footsteps of the 6-year old Rhinelander mare Diana (by De Beau x Riccione x Weltmeyer) which the Campbells imported last spring. Bred at Faymonville's Gestut Sonnenhof in Belgium, she was previously owned by Uwe Ammeling and lightly shown by Florence Helly d'Angelin in 2022 and 2023.

"I'm looking forward to this upcoming season and beyond with this string of horses! Let the fun begin," said Francis.

The 66-year old Shelly Francis is a double U.S. Olympic team alternate and represented the USA at the 1998 and 2014 World Equestrian Games (Pikant, Dokter) and 2018 World Cup Finals (Danilo)