Carriage driver Tucker Johnson from Jupiter, Florida, USA, is the man with a plan. He wants to improve his driving team, by buying top dressage horses. And what other place to look for them than at P.S.I.?
The past year, Johnson has purchased eighth dressage horses at Hof Kasselmann and six of them proved to be excellent for driving. To make two entire driving teams, Johnson needed two new ones and decided to get them in Ankum. Bidding for Tucker Johnson at the 2003 P.S.I. Auction was Tim Dutta. Tucker selected two horses to his taste, Rotano and Spotlight, and bought them both. Rotano cost 230,000 €, while Spotlight was 180,000 €.
The black Hanoverian gelding Rotano finished third at the Bundeschampionate under Eva Möller, scoring 9 for his walk and trot, 8.5 for his canter and 8.6 overall.
He possesses a strong hind leg, something that can also be said of Spotlight, an Oldenburg gelding by Sevillano xx out of a Weltmeyer dam.
Carriage driving is reviving as an equestrian discipline. With its own indoor World Cup Series, the drivers are bringing excitement and speed to the shows this winter show season. In order to tune into the latest developments in the carriage sport, drivers need to have a modern team of horses. "Carriage horses need good movements for the dressage phase, and enough blood to make it through the marathon," Schockemohle said.