Seidel Lands Ride on Fandango

By Staff Report March 7, 2012

Top international dressage rider Guenter Seidel, based in Cardiff, got the ride on a new grand prix horse: Marie Meyers’ Fandango, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding. He will be competing over the next few months with an eye toward a slot on the U.S. team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The effort was made possible by the sponsorship of Ed and Camille Penhoet of Toyon Farm in Napa Valley. For years Seidel rode mainly for Jane and Richard Brown, a relationship that came to an end in August, resulting in the loss of his main grand prix mount, UII. In Fandango he gains a USDF Horse of the Year for 2008.

Meyers is based in Moorpark, where she runs Marie Meyers Dressage with Melissa Festerling, also an Olympic hopeful on her own Big Tyme.

“I have really been the only one who’s ridden him,” said Meyers, who refers to the horse by his barn name, Tango. “Although I trained him to grand prix and have shown him successfully, I have been good friends with Guenter for many years, and since we were both fortunate to have Toyon Farms help us to make this possible, I felt that this would be a great situation for Tango, Guenter and myself.”

Seidel called Fandango “a super talent” and said he’s focused on the selection trials. He rode Fandango at the 2009 World Cup in an exhibition pas de deux with Elizabeth Ball, to music from Phantom of the Opera.
The performance had the audience cheering loudly and is still talked about to this day, making the pairing seem something of a fait accompli.

At the MidWinter Dressage Show CDI-W at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, Seidel and Fandango placed third (70.170) in the grand prix, following Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (71.000) and Jan Ebeling and Rafalca (70.426).

For more information, visit www.mariemeyersdressage.net.

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