Neville Bardos, the horse who miraculously survived a stable fire to return to top-level competition, shared the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Horse of the Year title with a friesian horse, Sjoerd.
Remarkably, the horse won with 10 different people during 2011.
Sjoerd's year on the National circuit was one of insurmountable success. Xena Vimercati's stallion won and won and won. He transcended divisions, riders and classes.
Anyone lining up against the striking jet black Friesian knew that to try to beat him they better bring their A game, the USEF said in announcing the win.
He was honored for his conformation and presence in the ring and with his panache and personality he garnered fans everywhere he went. He was undefeated in 2011 in the halter division.
Sjoerd was named World or Grand National Champion 14 times in 2011. He also added four World/Grand National Reserve Champion titles to his list.
At just six years of age, Sjoerd is beginning to build a dynasty.
He won back-to-back Shakespeare Perpetual Hi-Point Friesian Trophies and Jeff Wonnell Memorial Versatility Silver Belt Buckles continuing a streak that began in 2010. He also scored the Robin ut de Warren Memorial Perpetual Trophy, World Champion Saddle Seat Open, 19 Regional titles and 5 Reserve Championships.
He won with 10 different people in 2011, the USEF said, demonstrating his versatility and trust. He won across the country, picking up championships in California, Colorado and Virginia.
He won with multiple riders across divisions at the same show, exemplifying his ability to adapt to different styles of riding in the different classes he contested.
He won equitation, dressage, liberty, walk/trot, English pleasure, trail, hunt seat pleasure, saddle seat, western pleasure, junior and amateur classes.
As a sire, he is already beginning to prove his mettle.
He is the sire of TDR Zivah the Diva, who was the 2011 USEF Grand National Champion Part-bred Friesian. In 2010 and 2011 she was the Grand National Part-bred Halter Champion.
Sjoerd's foals, although only yearlings and weanlings, are consistently winning top honors in the show ring. They carry his looks and his talent with them.
» Neville Bardos: Miracle survivor proves again he is a champion
The other four Horses of Honor are:
Starr Llight, Arabian
Starr Llight is frequently referred to as both Dynamic and a Diva.
Every time the now 16-year-old Arabian mare enters the ring she rises to the occasion.
With her young owner Leah Beth Boyd in the stirrups, Starr Llight ended up winning a spectacular ride-off for the coveted Open Purebred English Pleasure title at the 2011 Arabian National Championships.
With that victory, Starr Llight became the most accomplished Purebred English Pleasure mare of all time and is only the second mare since 1988 to win the title.
She is also the oldest mare, and second oldest horse overall, ever to garner the coveted prize.
Purchased by her young owner in 1999 from a dispersal sale, this mare has now won 11 National or Reserve Championship titles.
Boyd and Starr Llight are the only Arabian horse/rider team to win a National Championship in the Junior exhibitor, the Amateur exhibitor, and the Open division.
CHThe Daily Lottery, saddlebred
When it comes to the Five-Gaited division for Saddlebreds, High Hickory Farm's CHThe Daily Lottery put together an undefeated record in amateur competition in 2011. CHThe Daily Lottery scored Grand Champion titles at the UPHA/American Royal, Kentucky Fall Classic, Midwest Charity Horse Show, Bonnie Blue National, and the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show and dominated every time he set foot in the ring.
The now 8-year-old is no stranger to success with his rider Gabe Deknatel and his consistency and big motion are impossible to ignore. Trained by John and Tammie Conatser, CHThe Daily Lottery is handsome, fast and seemingly invincible.
Coral Reef Via Volo, jumping
Though small in stature - 15.3 hands - and nicknamed "Shrimp," Coral Reef Via Volo is a giant when it comes to jumping.
With one of the world's best riders, Beezie Madden, aboard she topped the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List for much of the 2011 competition year and went on to impress the world at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
She led Team USA's Gold-medal effort, which also secured 2012 Olympic qualification. She added only one time fault through five rounds of jumping and won Individual Silver to back up the Team Gold.
In 2011, Coral Reef Ranch's Via Volo and Madden racked up numerous wins across the globe.
They were on the winning team in the Nations Cup at the CSIO4* Wellington. They won the D-LINE Cup 1.60m Spruce Meadows and the Longines International Grand Prix of Rotterdam (CHIO).
A recent partnership, having won their first competition together just over a year ago, the future for Coral Reef Via Volo is bright.
Weltino's Magic, dressage
Bruce and Jen Hlavacek's Weltino's Magic was undefeated in 2011, winning with Steffen Peters at the Intermediaire I level at the Festival of the Horse CDI and the Del Mar National CDI in California before heading to CHIO Aachen and taking on the best small tour horses in the world.
Together they continued their unbeaten streak in Aachen, Germany, and then returned home to sweep all three tests in the USEF National Intermediaire I Dressage Championships at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions in September to earn their spot on the US Team for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
They continued to set a remarkably high standard at the Pan American Games and brought home Team and Individual Gold medals.
Magic's character comes through in his performances and he has evolved into a top contender since he was started by Peters' wife, Shannon. With Shannon he was Markel/USEF National Young in the Six-Year-Old division.
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