Hunter Champion Ondine D’Orleans needs a village
Liza Boyd and Ondine D’Orleans wowed the crowd and the judges during the $150,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival last month. Tomorrow they pursue another notable win in the $25,000 USJHA 2* International Hunter Derby.
Behind this incredible mare is a team of grooms who work hard to adjust to her needs. Learn more about the village behind the WCHR champion.
This article is a part of a collaboration between HorseGrooms, Wellington International and Paper Horse.
Finally Farm’s team of grooms are all involved when it comes to the preparation for Hunter week at the Wellington International Festival [WEF] especially for the $150,000 Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, which produced a win for Elizabeth Towell Boyd and Ondine D’Orleans. The prize money of $500 for the grooms was also shared as a team. “We just usually just split that with all of our boys since we all work as a team,” said Olivia Murray, who has a series of job titles including rider, assistant manager and assistant trainer. She is joined on the team by Randi Button, Gavino Ochoa, Carlos Manzon, Luis Silva and two sets of brothers, Ramon and Rojelio Costilla, and Marciano and Herminio Villalon.
Saturday night preparation in the warm up ring sent off good vibes for the team. “She did everything that we expected and more. We could tell that she really wanted to win. She can be sassy in the schooling ring sometimes which is normal for her. But she really didn’t show much sass. She was trying her little heart out in the schooling ring and we just had a really good feeling,” Olivia said.
To keep the focus, Liza talks to Ondine – not just a little, but the whole time they are showing, giving her a blow by blow account of what is coming up. “It is so that she pays attention to Liza instead of looking at the people watching her,” said Olivia. Liza recites the whole course at the Ingate and then talks her through each jump “Liza really believes she really listens to her,” Olivia said.
Once the show is over, Ondine’s main focus is to get back to the barn and her stall – and an ever-present haynet that has become a deal-breaker for the chestnut mare. “If it’s not there, she has a little meltdown,” said Olivia, while citing that preferably they would do away with the haynet, to avoid stress in the back and neck. “She’s all about the Winner’s Circle but then she wants to get back to the barn and have her own space. All she wants is food. And whether she eats from it, or not, the haynet has to be there so that she has food at all times.”
Ondine – owned by Finally Farms and Neill Sites – came to the barn about a year ago. The 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, bred in Florida by Monique Keitz, was reserve champion in the 3’9” Green Hunters during the week. “She is different every day,” said Olivia. “Because she is a chestnut mare. Liza likes to say it’s Ondine’s world and we’re just living in it.”
When Ondine arrived the team had to learn to understand her – that the mare’s quirks were something to be accepted rather than addressed.
“We had to learn that her quirks are what makes her good and not something to be worried about,” said Olivia. “Oh she’s doing this today – what is she trying to tell us? No, that’s just her.”
Next stop for Liza and Ondine will be the Derby field as they compete in some of the Hunter classes on the grass, coming up later during WEF. It will be the first time they have shown the mare on that surface. Ondine loves the polo field at the barn and often goes on trail rides, which indicates that grass may be something she will relish. “I think she will like it,” said Olivia. “We are excited to see how she goes out there.”
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