Benjamin's Bright Idea aka Benji
Benji, a Thoroughbred Percheron cross, began vaulting in 2019 and continues to improve his performance while carrying competitive vaulters. He is quite a character in the barn as he searches for treats and enjoys a good scratch.
Rosemary
Rosemary, a Percheron, began vaulting in 2020 and has grown into her job as a competitive trot horse. Being a big, dark mare, she can have strong opinions and is a true gentle giant.
Former Vaulting Horse - Ben
Ben, a 14 year old Belgian gelding, is a true "gift" for the team. Dr. Linda Neimeier, DVM, previous Topaz vaulter, AVA Silver medalist, and now one of the Topaz team's veterinarians, originally owned and trained Ben for vaulting. He was sold to people who trained and used him as a cart horse. An accident left him scared and unuseable (when we got him he was scared even to be tied to a fence by himself). Linda arranged for the owner to donate him to the team in the hope he would again become a vaulting horse. He has overcome his initial fears and is one of the top trot horses in the region. Ben has been awared "Best Trot Horse" at the Topaz/Great Falls Spring and Fall 2009 events, Spring 2010, and Regionals 2010. At Nationals 2009 in Lexington, KY he was one of the top scoring trot horses (a "Best Trot Horse" is not named at Nationals). Ben enjoys Cheez-its and hanging out with Annie.
Former Vaulting Horse - Friscoe
Friscoe, an 14 year old mostly Paint/Percheron gelding (we can see the Paint and the Percheron but not sure what else there is). He has spent most of his riding life as a Western pleasure horse, but has discovered he loves vaulting. He is fairly new, having begun in the spring of 2009. By the fall he was entered in a green horse class and in the spring carried a vaulter in competition for the first time...a very fast progression for a vaulting horse. He is now the team's regular canter horse. Friscoe enjoys rolling in the mud and taking naps between workouts.