Caribbean Horse Rescue Riders

Save the Horses and Hacienda Siesta Alegre have united together to do Campamento de Verano Equitacion - starting July 5 - 30, 4 week session and 2 week session. Sign up and come and enjoy the summer with us in the rainforest at our beautiful farm. Starting July 5 for a four week session of equestrian classes. Both very advanced and beginner classes offered. Includes lunch. 8 am until 2pm every day. Children 7 years until 16 years. Lodging can be arranged. Call Kellie at 787-426-0845 or email the owner Linda - linda@haciendasiestaalegre.com - Price only $450 per session. Second summer session starts July 30. We are located only a 45 minute drive from San Juan on the new freeway. See our Facebook Listing.Summer camp flyer in Spanish

Jacob Roberts is riding to victory in the 2009 Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs in Hunt Valley. He was on Alicia Murphy's "Major Price" which won $12K in the maiden Timber.

Jake is just one of the success stories of our riders that were trained at Hacienda Siesta Alegre. He started riding at HSA when he was just thirteen. He started out with a lot of natural talent. He was already an athletic winning surfer and the balance and abilities of a surfer naturally carried over to his riding. Greg Jackson trained him on our rescue horses and on thoroughbred's which were being conditioned for the racetrack.

Anyone interested in working with horses can volunteer at Hacienda Siesta Alegre. You may not end up as a champion jockey but you will certainly increase your equestrian knowledge. Soon we will be posting a section on this website which outlines the requirements for volunteering at Hacienda Siesta Alegre and our riding programs. We will also post some more stories about winning riders and trainers who began their careers at Hacienda Siesta Alegre.

The following photos were taken at the 2010 Marlborough Hunt Races which Jacob Roberts just competed in. The photographer was Isabel J. Kurek. The last photo is a slide show showing Jake losing his mount at the same event.

These last weeks, Carlos and Giovanni have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming dressage and jumper shows to be held at el Centro Ecuestre de Puerto Rico in Santurce, Puerto Rico.  Carlos riding Juli during a training event at Hacienda Siesta AlegreCarlos has been working with Charlie Lexus and True Blue Mate, while Giovanni has been working with SUV, Juli and Brain Freeze. All horses except SUV are rescue horses that have courageously accepted their new job with ease and grace. SUV is a warmblood that was raised in HSA.

Ursula Lange has been coaching them in refining their dressage skills.  Ursula a.k.a. "Uschi" is a Prix San Georges dressage rider that it also opting for the Puerto Rican team for the Games. Gretchen Mendez continues to train them in the jumper discipline.  Berti Zequeira also trains them in jumpers when he visits HSA.

After the show, these athletes will be headed to West Palm Beach to meet top "O" dressage judge and coach, Gabriel Armando.  Gabriel Armando, a native of Argentina, has kindly invited them to take into the dressage experience by giving them dressage lessons on schoolmasters in his farm.  Gabriel and his team will also teach them how tGiovanni on SUV at el Centro Ecuestre!o prepare and care for a horse for competition.  The grooming and care required for these horses is different than that of jumpers.

They will also be watching a high level dressage competition to be held in Wellington, Florida.   We are grateful to Gabriel Armando for his support, commitment and friendship! We hope they will gain valuable lessons from this experience.

 The jumper show was Saturday and Sunday, February 27 and 28 at 9 AM. And Giavanni did very well.

The horse and rider team soaring through the 1.15 meter course

Carlos Ayala also known as “Bebe” is training to qualify to the 2010 Central American Games to be held in July in Puerto Rico.  He is training many rescue horses as part of his program to prepare for the qualifiers in eventing.  The eventing includes the dressage, jumping and cross country disciplines.  His mount for the qualifiers is Charlie Lexus, a Thoroughbred that we rescued as part of our Save the Horse program. Charlie is a wonderful bay gelding that jumps bravely and with classic style.  He is very well trained.

With Charlie, Carlos plans to successfully show during these qualifiers.  The first of these tests were hosted here at Hacienda Siesta Alegre.  This weekend Charlie and “Bebe” will also be showing in the dressage and jumper disciplines.  Clinics will be offered for cross country this weekend in preparation for the first Federation show at the end of February. Bebe and Charlie will certainly be taking these clinics.

We look forward to see them executing well in the show.  The road to be part of the team requires that Bebe and Charlie Lexus compete in two international qualifiers to be held in the Spring and Summer 2010. Bebe and Charlie are working hard to make the team and represent Puerto Rico in the Games.

Carlos and Charlie navigating through the very wide triple bar