Nampa, ID (October 20, 2016) – Vita Flexwas proud to sponsor the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award at the 2016 Sport Horse National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show at Ford Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, Idaho. Half-Friesian gelding Debonnair Knight LR++//, owned by Anne and Robert Hansen and handled by Megan Sibiga, earned three prestigious National Championship titles at the event. Vita Flex recognized the Hansen’s talented sport horse by rewarding him with the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award.
Vita Flex, a leading producer of equine performance supplements, understands the high demands put on sport horses of all disciplines. The company rewards those that deliver outstanding performances with the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award, and was delighted to present this award to the Hansens’ Debonnair Knight LR++//. Debonnair received the official Victory Pass neck sash and a bucket filled with Vita Flex products to keep him in top condition for the show ring.
Anne Hansen purchased the now 10-year-old gelding, nicknamed “Smith,” from Lacey Arabians as a three-year-old, with the original intent of his career being a Combined Driving horse as a pair with his brother. After competing in pairs for a few years, he was driven as a single and began training with Sibiga in driven and ridden dressage. After several months of training and having been under saddle less than a dozen times, Hansen decided to take Smith to the 2010 AHA Sport Horse National Championships. She stated, “At that point he had never been in an arena with other driving horses. So to prepare, he was taken to the Region 4 Championships, where he won three Regional Championships and two Reserve Championships in Carriage Driving. At the AHA Nationals he came home with two National Championships and two Reserve National Championships. I wasn’t sure that he even knew how to canter under saddle, but he was brilliant.”
Six years later, Hansen decided it was time for Smith to return to the annual AHA National Championships, now in its fourteenth year. She could not have been more proud of his results. “Smith had the most amazing show, it was beyond my wildest dreams,” she said. He won three National Championships, to include Carriage Pleasure Drive and Ride, Carriage Pleasure Driving-Working, and Third Level Dressage Champion. He was Reserve Champion in Carriage Pleasure Driving-Turnout, and placed in the Top Ten in Second Level Dressage and Carriage Pleasure Driving-Reinsmanship. He also earned two Top Ten placings in Sport Horse in Hand, Dressage Type geldings presented in open classes by Bob Bennett Jr., and in amateur classes with Kelli Bennett.
Hansen holds a special spot in her heart for the Arabian and Half-Arabian breeds, stating, “I bought my first Half Arabian in 1962, and have had them ever since. I love the intelligent look in their eyes, their huge personalities, and their extraordinary athletic ability.”
After receiving the numerous accolades for her horse’s superb results and the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award, Hansen thanked Vita Flex and added, “I had another horse that was diagnosed with EPM, and we used quite a few Vita Flex products for supporting his immune system, such as E-5000 and Lysine.” She is excited to try out her new Vita Flex products on her horses, as well.
Vita Flex’s wide array of performance products is created to help top equestrians in all disciplines excel in competition while maintaining the overall health of their horses. Vita Flex provides riders, trainers, and owners with top-quality equine products, including antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and topical solutions to help maintain successful equine athletes. In addition, the company supports some of the most popular breed shows and competitions in the world, like the Sport Horse National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. To learn more about the Vita Flex® line of superior horse products, visit www.vitaflex.com or call (800) 848–2359.
Lead Photograpgh: Debonnair Knight LR++//, owned by Anne and Robert Hansen and handled by Megan Sibiga (Photo courtesy of Don Stine Communications & Photography)
