Dennis Wigren at Canadian Nationals in 2011
Certainly one of the highlights of the Pacific Northwest Arabian horse show summer is the Region 5 Championships. Attracting the top competitors from western Montana to northern California, the show runs from Friday, July 6th thru Tuesday, July 10th. Immediately following are the Region 5 Sport Horse Championships from July 12th thru the 14th. The Evergreen Equestrian Park hosts both events in Monroe, Washington just 33 miles northeast of Seattle.
Black Daniels and Jim Stachowski 2011 U.S. Nationals
For many Washington state owners and breeders the Region 5 Championships is their largest show of the year. This is certainly true for R O Lervick Arabians located 15 miles northwest of the city of Everett. The farm has been a leading breeding operation in the Pacific Northwest for over thirty years and frequently hauls over 30 purebred and Half-Arabian show horses to their home Regional competition. Lervick trainer Dennis Wigren has his hands full with horses that he is showing in open competition, as well as a stable filled with amateur and junior riders. Where many breeding and training operations are specialists in just a few divisions, Lervick horses tend to do well across the board, beginning with Halter competition and moving right into national contention in English, Country, Western, and Hunter Pleasure.
ROL Fire Lilly and Judy Mittenthal
The leading breeder and exhibitor of Arabian horses in the Pacific Northwest and nominated annually for Breeder of the Year Awards, R O Lervick’s were also recently named a U.S. Top Ten Breeder. On the final Saturday at the 2010 U.S. National Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, three R O Lervick-bred horses took home major championships. ROL Trade Cycret came to the U.S. National Championships that year with 7 Regional championships and reserves in Country English and Show Hack. He left with the 2010 U.S. National Championship in Side Saddle. In the open Country English Pleasure the clear winner was another R O Lervick-bred horse, ROL Firecracker, at that point taking home his tenth national award. Perhaps the flashiest of the three was the young Black Daniels winner of the English Pleasure Junior Horse Championship.
ROL Firecracker and Ashton Kiesner
Spectators looking closely are certain to spot several R O Lervick horses at the Region 5 championships en route to becoming major national competitors and winners. Given their breeding, track records and the quality of their siblings, it’s almost inevitable. One of the oldest breeders still maintaining an extensive production program, Roger and Linda Lervick recently made the momentous decision to cut their herd to a quarter of its original size. It’s probably one of the most important opportunities to obtain great show horses and broodmares in the last several decades. A good example of the quality of the Lervick mares is Singularcylection, dam of multi-national champions ROL Firecracker+/ and ROL Fire Lily+/, and recently named a Top Ten Leading Living Broodmare in the United States.
For more information catch up with trainer Dennis Wigren at the Region 5 show or at the Canadian or U.S. National Championships. Call him at (360) 652-0108 or go to www.rolervickarabians.com for a complete selection of photographs, pedigrees and videos.
