Trainer rides to success

By Elizabeth Lillis
A PAKENHAM South family has had recently tasted success at the 20th National Andalusian Horse Championships.
Marie Kukawski trained Andalusian horse Pagan MF to a number of championship titles in Sydney on 3 and 4 March 2007.
The Andalusian breed is a pure Spanish horse, originating in Andalucia, Spain, in the 1500s, which has been bred as the ultimate riding horse.
Pagan is owned by Marie’s mum, Sue Kukawski, and her husband, Greg Lee, and is stabled at their property Ardverness in Pakenham South.
The horse was runnerup in the Led Andalusian Stallion aged 715 years class and first in the Ridden Andalusian Stallion 5 years and over class at the Sydney event.
Champion ridden Andalusian Stallion, Champion Ridden Andalusian horse and Champion Spanish Movement Award were the three championships awarded to the horse and trainer by Spanish judge Juan Carnero.
Miss Kukawski said she was very happy with the recent successes.
“We found Pagan at a stud where they had shown him as a twoyearold and since then he had only been used for breeding purposes.
“The moment I saw him I knew he could be something very special.
“Pagan is an absolute pleasure to work with. His natural athleticism and intelligence continues to astound me and I have high hopes for him as a dressage horse,” Miss Kukawski said.
Pagan was bought two years ago.
Miss Kukawski, 27, has been training and competing with dressage horses professionally for the past 10 years.
Now she feels has found her ultimate riding horse.
“I have predominantly worked with warmbloods prior to Pagan.
“However, now that I have discovered what the pure Spanish horse has to offer I doubt I will go back,” she said.
The pure Spanish horse is described as strong, agile, beautiful, noble in appearance and character, yet docile easily trained and ridden with an exceptional willingness to work.
After winning the three national titles, Pagan has qualified to represent Australia and compete at the finals in Spain known as the SICAB International Horse Show.
This show is the largest single breeds horse show featuring pure Spanish horses.
Marie, Sue and Greg have recently begun a breeding program with horses of Spanish origin, with the aim of producing quality dressage horses.