Wellington, FL - February 9, 2011 – Daphne Preece’s four-year-old Lusitano gelding, Bon Orphco, showed the judges he has what it takes to be a champion when he rode away with the High Score Lusitano Award at the Gold Coast Dressage Opener Festival CDI. Sponsored by the Lusitano Collection, hosts of The 2011 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction, the High Score Lusitano Award is presented to the highest scoring Lusitano at select dressage shows during the Florida dressage circuit.

Ana Noeh, a 19-year-old rider from Germany who is a working student for dressage trainer Heather Bender, piloted Bon Orphco to the High Score Award with a score of 70.6% in the USEF 4 Year Old Test. “Bon Orphco was really great and stayed focused on my aids the entire time,” Noeh said, adding that it was only her third time to ride the bay gelding. “He did such a good job, I was really proud of him.”

Noeh spent the last two years riding jumpers but said she has returned to dressage. “I also had never ridden a Lusitano before I started working with Heather. I love the personality of the Lusitano, as well as their attitude, and the fact that they have fun when they work,” Noeh said. “The Lusitano’s also have fire and I like that. I had been riding warmbloods before this.”

Noeh is a working student with Bender at Treasure Coast Dressage based at Martin Downs Equestrian Center in Palm City, Florida. Bender is the Director of USA Training for Interagro Farms of Brazil, the largest Lusitano breeder and exporter in the world. The Lusitano breed has been in the headlines recently, as the 2011 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction is right around the corner. Held February 23-26 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center during the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival season in Wellington, the auction draws in Lusitano fans and interested buyers from all around the world for a weekend filled with excitement, ranging from an exquisite gala dinner to fiery Samba dancers and the presentation of magnificent Lusitano sport horses.

Bon Orphco is descended from a long line of exceptional horses. He is the son of Rumbero and Pitomba Interagro; Pitomba is a stunning grey mare by the famous Coudelaria Nacional stallion Tuim (CN), out of the bay mare Kizil do Mirante. Kizil’s sire, Apolo do Mirante, was a favorite stallion of Dr. Paulo Gonzaga, the founder and owner of Interagro Lusitanos, and Apolo was the first stallion born at Interagro. Tuim (CN), a stunning grey stallion and Bon Orphco’s grandsire, was imported by Interagro in 1994 from Portugal and was a foundation breeding sire of the Lusitano breed due to his pedigree, exceptional conformation, and athletic prowess.

Noeh and Bon Orphco add their names to a list of top notch horse and rider teams who have won The Lusitano Collection’s High Score Lusitano Award on the Florida winter dressage circuit. The goal of the Lusitano Collection is to support the local Lusitano community and to highlight the Lusitano breed within the FEI-level equestrian sports. Because of the breed’s generous temperament and ease under saddle, both amateurs and professionals alike find them to be an excellent sport horse across all levels of competition. This enables amateurs, as well as seasoned Grand Prix riders, the opportunity to win the High Score Lusitano Award.

For more information about the horses or The Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction scheduled for February 23-26, 2011 in Wellington, Florida, visit www.lusitanocollection.com.

ENDS