With the retirement of Jacqueline Brooks’ beloved Olympic partner D Niro in 2018, dressage fans enjoyed watching a new partnership blossom with her current grand prix mount Westwood 5. But ‘Westley’ isn’t the only rising star in the barn at Brookhaven Dressage: Te Amo ‒ a son of the legendary Totilas ‒ has been steadily working his way up the levels and made his FEI debut in Florida this winter. Could he be Jacqueline’s next Olympic mount? She’s not ruling anything out for this talented and lovable guy.
The basics
Show name: Te Amo
Barn name: Theo
Year of birth: 2011
Height: 16.3
Breeding: Oldenburg (Totilas x Rubenstein x Donnerhall)
Breeder: Mitzi Stillbroer, Queens Orchard Stud
Owner: Mary Brooks / Brookhaven Dressage Inc
How long have you been paired with Theo?
Theo arrived at Brookhaven in November 2018. He was living in Holland but initially I saw a clip of him on Facebook. My interest was, of course, sparked by his breeding. I love any Donnerhall blood and who wouldn’t want a black Totilas son!?
What was your initial impression?
I wasn’t actively looking for a horse at the time, but there was something about him that caught my eye. He doesn’t move like Totilas; he is more like Rubenstein, honestly. But he is a tidy package. He keeps his legs under himself and has three very nice gaits.
What made you think he might be a top-level prospect?
It was interesting. I was actually a little disappointed when I saw him in the crossties at the sales barn in Holland. He was grumpy and not that impressive to look at. When I watched him being worked, I thought he would make a good sales horse or Young Rider horse. But once I sat on him, I knew I had to give him a chance.
Describe his personality in one word.
Theo’s personality is ever-evolving. He was quite frustrated and grumpy when he arrived. He was very defensive in his stall and around food, and his ears were pinned for most interactions.
Now, a little over a year later, he is one of the sweetest horses in the barn. So if I have to choose one word, it would be honest.
Greatest strength.
His work ethic.
Biggest challenge.
To catch up in his strength and skill level to his age. He is learning to use his body differently at nine than he ever has before. That is generally training you accomplish between the ages of five to seven.
Funniest habit?
He doesn’t want me to get on until I’ve hugged his head for a while. He will back his body up at the mounting block and put his head in my arms.
Favourite treat.
Anything!!
Is there anything he hates or is afraid of?
He doesn’t like water collecting under his feet. He will travel through it when you are riding him, but he is very suspicious of wash stall drains and water collecting in the wash stalls.
If Theo were a human celebrity, who would he be?
Definitely Hugh Grant.
Funniest moment with him so far.
We were keeping sugar in a bucket on the kickboards in the arena for a while and one day I couldn’t quite reach the sugar, so I picked up the bucket. That was definitely a mistake! He started spooking away from the bucket I was holding, which gave me no option but to drop it, which made him spook even more. Luckily it was a feed bucket so his confidence was restored quickly!
If Theo weren’t a dressage horse, what would his dream occupation be?
I think he would be a lawyer. He is very diplomatic in the training. The conversations are calm and clear. He lets me know when he is confused about something without any drama and is very open to hearing arguments about why he should try to learn it. When he does understand what I am asking, it quickly becomes his own idea to do it.
Future plans
Theo is well on his way to getting confident in the grand prix exercises. His road to championships will be very dependant on when we will be able to show again. He will need a lot of ring experience in a short time if we are going to try to be competitive for a spot on the Canadian team in Tokyo. However, I fully believe in his capabilities and his ability to partner with me on future Canadian teams.
