Amateur Cathrin Gutmann of Austria is no stranger to challenges and coming up with creative solutions. In 2012, she shipped her hunter under saddle mare, Al Be Graceful, from Europe to the United States to show at the AQHA World Show. Last year, she showed her mare, Blue Couture, throughout the year in the United States and won her first Congress Championship in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. This year, her new adventure involves shipping her mare, Onlyafraid Inthedark (Jellybean) to the States prior to the Congress and World Show.
“Since last November, I have trained my horses at home, and it has been a satisfying yet challenging experience. I really wanted Jellybean to evolve from her western pleasure career and I taught her to change leads and do the poles over the winter,” Gutmann says. “She showed some potential in changing leads so I invited Allison Clark and Michael Colvin over for some clinics and shows together during 2014. Allison pointed out in July that she was a really talented horse for the western riding and that she would be a nice horse to send to the United States and show at the Congress–when Michael Colvin mentioned the same thing, we started thinking about the possibility.”
“I have only shown her a few times, but she is very talented in the western riding and has a natural talent in the class,” says Colvin, who won the Green Western Riding and Senior Western Pleasure at the European Championships in August. “She is very fancy and was easy to finish her out changing leads. Cathrin started her and did a great job. I thought she would be a great mare to bring to the states for Cathrin to show and we also plan to continue showing her next year.”
The gorgeous 2008 mare who is by Invitation Only and out of I Like It In The Dark, was just released from a 30 day quarantine and is now preparing for the two biggest shows of the year. Gutmann and trainer Michael Colvin plan on showing her at the Congress in the Green Western Riding, Green Trail, Senior Western Pleasure, Novice and Maturity Non Pro Western Pleasure, and Amateur Western Pleasure.
“Despite just being released from quarantine, she is doing quite well,” says Colvin about the mare he just started showing this year. “Luckily, the farm she was staying at in Maryland was able to put her on a walker every day so she was able to stay fit and in good condition.”
Earlier this year, the Gutmann’s invited AQHA World Champion trainer and judge, Michael Colvin to give a clinic at their estate in Austria. Colvin learned while he was in Austria that he had a special connection with the mare.
“I have only shown her a few times, but she is very talented in the western riding and has a natural talent in the class,” says Colvin, who won the Green Western Riding and Senior Western Pleasure at the European Championships in August. “She is very fancy and was easy to finish her out changing leads. Cathrin started her and did a great job. I thought she would be a great mare to bring to the states for Cathrin to show and we also plan to continue showing her next year.”Watch out for this team at the Congress and also at the World Show in the Amateur Western Pleasure and Senior Western Pleasure. Gutmann will also be showing her gray hunter under saddle mare, Blue Couture, in the Non Pro Maturity Hunter Under Saddle events at the Congress and her three year-old, B Endless Legs in the Non Pro Three Year-Old Events under the guidance of Allison Clark.
We wish Cathrin the best of luck with all her horses the rest of the year!
CLICK HERE to view her ads in the October Congress issue of GoMag
Photos © Figure-Eight & Art & Light Photography
