Horse Sport caught up with Canadian dressage rider Ariana Chia at Global in Wellington, Florida, to chat about her flashy new grand prix partner.
Fast Facts:
Name: Guateque IV
Breeding: PRE (Pura Raza Español), Layco x Salinero XIII
Age/sex/height: 14-year-old stallion, 16 hands
Owner/breeder: Guateque IV was bred and is owned by Coves Darden Farm, based in South Carolina and Wellington FL and run by husband-and-wife team Miguel Coves and Dorothea Darden.
Fave snacks: Golden delicious apples, carrots, sugar cubes
(Ariana Chia Facebook)
Horse Sport: How do you pronounce his name, and what do you call him around the barn?
Ariana Chia: The “G” in Guateque is silent, so it’s pronounced wuh-tech-ayy. His barn name is Teque (tech-ay) or just Teq (tech).
How long have you been partnered with him?
He has previously been competed through Intermediate 2, and we have only been partnered since May 2023. During the summer I worked mostly on his fitness and finished developing his confidence in the Grand Prix movements, while keeping his happiness top priority and the forefront of my training program. He is a stallion with a heart of gold and more “try” than almost any other horse I’ve ridden! We took him out to his first national Grand Prix in October 2023, where we won with a 71 and 72%. After that, we competed in his first Grand Prix Special at the beginning of January with a highlight of 68%.
How has it been going so far this season?
Week 3 at Global was his first time doing international Grand Prix in the CDI3* and we were top six in both classes, with our best score being a 67% – lots of room for improvement as we get to know each other more and he gets more confident in the ring at this level.
Does Guateque have any offspring in the ring?
He has produced many successful offspring and I am currently training one of his talented babies that we are very excited about, Jaguar CDF. He consistently throws three wonderful gaits and the best temperaments in his offspring.
What is his temperament like?
He’s the quietest stallion I’ve ever worked with – a small child could handle him daily! The cutest thing he does when he gets home from a horse show is he likes to announce himself at the barn upon arrival. It’s really the only time you remember that he’s a stallion!
~ with files from Chris Carroll
