We bought Sensei in the fall of 1991, when she was a few months shy of 3 years old. We'd never owned a horse before, but that didn't stop us. Susan had learned to ride when she was younger, and Fred's father had built a horse barn. It wasn't that bad; we boarded Sensei at a friend's farm.
In the spring Sensei went back to our trainer in Delaware, where she was broke to cart. Later in the summer she was saddle-broke. That winter Fred learned to ride, taking lessons on Sensei.
Sensei was first shown under saddle at the Delmarva Classic in 1993, where she was the English Pleasure Junior Horse Champion. Soon after that we changed trainers, and began doing local hunter shows with our new trainer riding. Fred also began showing Sensei under saddle in Walk/Trot classes. Our trainer also showed Sensei in some one-day events, where they always finished first or second.
1994 was the start of Sensei's dressage career. In her first dressage tests at a recognized show, the Mason-Dixon Classic, she finished in the middle of her classes. A month later we bred her (with AI) to Promotion+. She won all her dressage tests at the Delmarva Classic, except for Fred's first ever dressage test. She did the same at the Eastern Arabian Horse Show, winning the Carl H. Asmis Memorial Dressage Trophy.
Dixie was born on Mason-Dixon Sunday in April 1995. Of course we couldn't show Sensei that year, although we did work her under saddle with Dixie running alongside.
We had a big year in 1996. We weren't sure how Sensei would do after a year's "maternity leave." Sensei started out winning at the Mason-Dixon Classic and hardly slowed down. We went to the Region 15 Championships for the first time, where Sensei was Reserve Champion Training Level and Top 5 in First Level. At the EAHS she won the renamed Carl Asmis Dressage Award (they no longer give out a perpetual trophy). In addition to all the Arabian shows where we competed, we went to an open dressage show (all breeds) where we won both of our First Level tests. As part of the Delaware Valley Combined Test Association, Sensei competed at USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, where she was on the winning quadrille team.
We cut back in 1997 because we were all worn out. We had planned to do just our "usual" shows: Mason-Dixon, Delmarva, Region 15 Championships, and EAHS. However, the East Coast Championships added dressage that year, plus an open dressage show was held the day before the EAHS. This time Sensei was Region 15 Champion at Training Level and Reserve Champion at First Level. She won the Asmis Award yet again at EAHS, then went on to be East Coast Champion at Training Level and Reserve Champion at First Level.
We brought Sensei back to Maryland after the show season, and Fred started riding her again. We joined the Maryland Dressage Association and found a local person (Shelley) to show Sensei for us. They did mostly open dressage shows, plus the USDF/Region 1 Junior/Young Rider Team Championship. Sensei started and ended her season with Arabian shows, finishing in the Top 5 at the East Coast Championships. After one last schooling show, Shelley started college and Fred has started spending a lot more time riding.
On 2 June, 1999, Sensei had to be put down because of cirrhosis of the liver.
In the fall of 2002 she was awarded her Legion of Honor.
Even though she died young, she led a full life and had a very successful, if brief, show career. She will be missed.
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2002: Legion of Honor |
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1998 East Coast Championships |
| Top 5 First Level Dressage | |
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1998 Dressage at Heavenly Waters |
| Reserve Champion First Level | |
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1998 Mason-Dixon Classic |
| Dressage Reserve Champion -- Level 1 and above |
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1997 AHSA Purebred Arabian Dressage Horse of the Year, Region 15 |
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1997 2nd Place USDF All-Breeds Award, First Level, Arabian Sport Horse Assoc. |
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1997 East Coast Championships |
| Champion Training Level Dressage | |
| Reserve Champion First Level Dressage | |
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1997 Eastern Arabian Horse Show |
| Dressage First Level Champion | |
| Dressage Training Level Reserve Champion | |
| Carl H. Asmis Dressage Award | |
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1997 Region 15 Championships |
| Champion Training Level Dressage | |
| Reserve Champion First Level Dressage | |
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1997 Delmarva Classic |
| High Score First Level | |
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1997 Mason-Dixon Classic |
| Dressage Champion -- Level 1 and above | |
| Dressage Reserve Champion -- Training Level |
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1996 AHSA Purebred Arabian Dressage National Horse of the Year |
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1996 AHSA Purebred Arabian Dressage Horse of the Year, Region 15 |
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1996 1st Place USDF All-Breeds Award, First Level, Arabian Sport Horse Assoc. |
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1996 3rd Place USDF All-Breeds Award, First Level, IAHA. |
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1996 Eastern Arabian Horse Show |
| Dressage First Level Champion | |
| Dressage Training Level Reserve Champion | |
| Carl H. Asmis Dressage Award | |
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1996 Region 15 Championships |
| Reserve Champion Training Level Dressage | |
| Top 5 First Level Dressage | |
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1996 AHANJ Annual Horse Show |
| High Point First Level Dressage | |
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1996 NJHAHA All Arabian |
| Dressage First Level Champion | |
| Dressage Training Level Champion | |
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1996 Mason-Dixon Classic |
| Dressage Champion -- Level 1 and above | |
| Dressage Reserve Champion -- Training Level |
| 1995 No Shows Due to Maternity Leave |
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1994 Eastern Arabian Horse Show |
| Dressage First Level Champion | |
| Carl H. Asmis Dressage Trophy | |
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1994 Delmarva Classic |
| Adult High Point Dressage (rider) |
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1993 Delmarva Classic |
| English Pleasure Junior Horse Champion |