Merging a highly demanding and successful professional life in real estate with his riding aspirations, Matt Johnson of Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty is living the dream in Wellington, Florida. The year 2014 was ground breaking to Matt as he became a representative of one of the world's most prestigious real estate agencies and rode for the U.S.A. in the 2014 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany.
His international break through, in the saddle, came shortly after he purchased the 5-year old Danish warmblood stallion Petersborg Qasanova (by Quaterback x Calypso II) in Denmark in November 2013. Gaining mileage at the Global Dressage Festival in Florida in the winter, Matt easily qualified for Verden aboard his spectacularly moving bright bay stallion.
“This January we competed in our first show to much acclaim by international judges and in February and March I rode the FEI 5-year old tests in two CDI’s garnering scores of 87.5% in both the preliminary and final tests,” said Matt. “We went on be the sole representatives at the World Young Dressage Horse Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany. The first day in Verden I rode a bit conservatively but on day two in the B-final I went for it and earned the highest score of 9.3 for trot and 8.8 for canter. Unfortunately, on that day I let Qasanova get ahead of me in the walk and we had a few steps where the rhythm was off and so it cost me entry into the A-final."
On his championship debut Johnson finished 12th in the consolation final and overall he was thrilled with Qasanova, who could not have given more. Johnson is coached by U.S. team trainer Robert Dover and was assisted by U.S. Young Horse coach Scott Hassler in preparation for Verden.
“Qasanova makes it so fun! This horse loves to show. The entire trip was a wonderful experience and will always be in my memory bank to pull from for my the next ride down the centerline here in the USA or Europe," said Matt who is a full time real estate agent.
In Search of the Perfect Combination
Just like finding a dream home can seem an impossible undertaking, Matt knows that with perseverence and dedication the right house, or horse, is definitely out there. He experienced, first hand, that there many similarities in hunting for "the one."
After he made the decision to retire his Dutch mare Orisette, who was sidelined for three years due to injury and scenarios of back luck, Matt set off on a 6-month long, exhausting and sometimes frustrating search for a new horse.
“It involved three overseas trips to Europe with my coach Robert and scouring five countries for the perfect match. The story lines and characters that were constantly unfolding were at times unbelievable and disheartening, to the point that I contemplated leaving the sport altogether because of all the road blocks. However, in the fall of last year I rallied Robert and the courage for one final trip back to Europe, this time to hit Sweden, Denmark and then back to Germany. We had exhausted Holland by this point. As luck would have it, I scheduled a visit to Andreas Helgstrand’s farm in Denmark and this is where my search finally came to a happy end."
Qasanova gave him the indescribable feeling he was searching for. "He is a horse that is very forward thinking. He is a “go” horse but yet is secure in who he is. He has a big heart. In the stable he’s always a favorite wherever he goes. He is a bit of a character and wants all the attention, playful and cheeky but very tuned to me. Many people comment on the connection between us, he’s always got his eye on me. The bond is very special, it’s interesting, others see it in us too.”
Dressage Dreams and Dream Homes
Based in America's horse capital, Wellington (FL), Matt explained his venture into the world of real estate was just a natural progression of his interest in business, marketing, love of horses and the village of Wellington.
“What attracted me to the industry was the flexibility to manage my time around work and riding, the income potential and the ability to work with people who have a shared passion."
Matt entered the business as a very young professional with less than $2,000 to his name, but quickly grew to be one of the top-producing agents in the area. Johnson recently switched brokerage firms to join Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty.
“Watching the diversity of Wellington expand each year with a growing population of riders coming from overseas, I felt it was in the best interest of my clients to adapt and be with a firm that has a depth of experienced luxury agents and an international reach, a decision I didn’t take lightly," he stated. "After doing all my research, I realized there was no better company and brand than Sotheby’s International Realty. With 14,000 experienced sales associates and offices in over 49 countries & territories moving referrals around the world, Sotheby’s was the a global platform I wanted for my customers.”
While Matt works on ensuring smooth and successful transactions of luxury homes and farms for Sotheby's, he will continue his dressage career will similar verve.
"I want to continue training Qasanova so that he remains happy in his work. He will tell me when he is ready and strong enough for the next step. All the while I’ll be having fun growing my business and representing some of the finest properties and working with buyers in our equine winter wonderland that is Wellington," Matt concluded.
For real estate enquiries, contact Matt at +1 561.313.4367, email Matt@Mattsells.com or visit www.MattSells.com
For more information on Sotheby’s International Realty click on the embedded video in the top right corner.
Text by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Related Links
Petersborg Qasanova Sold to Matt Johnson
American Horses Selected for 2014 World Young Horse Championships
Riders Announced for 2014 USEF/USET Foundation Dressage Pipeline Clinics
Scores: 2014 CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby