Finalia ERS

By Yvonne Barteau

Finalia ERS the five year old stallion owned by Kim and Jerry Rhind He will be showing the 2015 season with me at Training and First Level as well as a First Level Freestyle (as soon as I get one made).

Finalia is a royally bred young stallion by Lingh out of a Cocktail mare. He boasts some of the finest Dutch bloodlines in the United States and he is a remarkably well put together young athlete. Finn is a little too serious, in my opinion. He over thinks everything and is quite reserved for both his age and the fact that he is a stallion. However, he is not a troublemaker and that is always a good thing.

Kim and I met Finn when he came in to sell with his full brother, one year older for sale. Although he was only three, it was not hard to spot Finn’s potential, and Kim and I took a chance and purchased him ourselves.  We got him started late in his three year old year and went easy on him over the winter.

In the Spring of his four year old year, we let Ian Swayne who had helped with most of his groundwork, take him to his first two shows, so they could both get a little arena time. Finalia was better than average as far as behavior went for a young stallion with a green rider aboard.

Not long after that, Kim and I decided we might do this colt more justice if we did not own him outright ourselves. We did want to stay part of his life and training program, though, so when our student, Kim Rhind, expressed some interest in not only purchasing Finn, but keeping him with us, we were in favor.

Finn came with us to Florida last season and our daughter, Kassie, started Finn in some of the shows down there.They won every Training and First Level class they entered and also received scores over 77% in the FEI Five Year Old division with some great comments from the judges.

Once Florida season ended, Finn came back to Chicago, and I started working with him. At our first show together, we were high score of the three day show earning a 79% at training level and winning both of our First Level tests with scores in the mid-seventies as well.

Finalia is a dynamic and talented youngster whom I am proud to have on my show string.