Wellington, FL (February 13, 2018) — A mother of three who manages her family’s horse farm in Louisville, Kentucky, received the prestigious GK Elite Sport Adult Amateur Achievement Award during week 5 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival. The Award went to Rachael Hicks and her 11-year-old Rheinlander stallion Don Cartier (Don Schufro x Carmina by Cartier).

Hicks has raised Don Cartier from a foal and trained him herself with help from Wellington trainer Caroline Roffman. The pair is currently showing at Intermediate II. “The fun part, says Hicks with her signature big smile, “is that I’ve had Don Cartier since he was a baby. And it’s just really fun to see him come out and progress and do well.” Her handsome dark bay has won several national championships as he has progressed up the levels. “Today he was looking at something every time we came around,” she said, “but hopefully tomorrow it won’t bother him. As I say, he’s still a work in progress.”

Her goals this year are to finish his Grand Prix training. “We are at the Intermediate II level, so he’s not a finished product. We are working on piaffe and passage, and I hope to have him at Grand Prix soon.” A resident of Kentucky most of the year, she comes down to Wellington around Christmas “whenever my kids get out of school, and we stay through end of April or May, depending on whether my kids want to stay or go home,” she adds with a laugh.

The GK Elite Sport Adult Amateur Achievement Award was presented to Hicks by Dr. Cesar Parra, who partners with Nicoletta Ghribi, president of GK Elite Sport. Parra is a Pan American Games dressage team gold medalist who has an extensive list of achievements in the dressage world.

What does the award mean to Hicks? “You know, it’s such a wonderful privilege to be able to wake up every morning and do something that makes me so happy. I love my horses, and I love the sport and find it really rewarding, so I feel really lucky to be doing it. And to be here in Wellington at a barn with Olympians and Olympic horses is just that much sweeter. The fact the GK Elite notices the hard work we put it in, really makes it extra special.” To see more follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXnyqRQ8fxE

GK Elite Sport operates exceptional horse and rider training facilities in Wellington, Florida, and Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and is proud to recognize outstanding dressage horse-and-rider combinations throughout the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival 12-week series that runs January 11 through March 27. Learn more about the GK equestrian team and horses at www.gk-horses.com.