At the conclusion of each year, the top scoring horse in each United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) category of competition is named “Horse of the Year.” This year – 2018, three horses owned by Woodside residents have won a total of four Horse of the Year titles, three in vaulting and one in jumping.
Atterupgaards Sting, a 12-year-old Danish Oldenberg gelding owned by Jim and Linda Bibbler, was named Horse of the Year for the individual vaulting category. Sting, who began vaulting in 2015, has been named Individual Horse of the Year for the last three years and in 2017 also won in the pas de deux (or pairs) category.
Diva 506 is an Oldenberg mare imported from Germany in 2017 by Sydney Frankel, longtime Woodside resident and pillar of the vaulting community. For 2018, Diva captured two Horse of the Year titles in the pas de deux and team categories. Diva also came in second in the individual category.
Top Top and owner/rider Sara Jorgensen bested 748 other competitors to win Horse of the Year and Rider of the Year in the amateur owner 1.30 to 1.35 meters (or 4 feet, 3 inches to 4 feet, 5 inches) jumping division. Top Top was also honored for 2018 by the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association and the Northern California Hunter Jumper Association, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Belgian Breeder’s Association.
“I’m so proud of him. To say the least, 2018 was good for us,” Jorgensen said.
