Mad Season, LLC has just wrapped up a very successful and productive Summer show series, competing in all four weeks at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, where they are currently basing operations from May to October.
Alex Granato piloted Lorena O’Neill/Top Line Farm’s mount Criss Cross to several very successful showings in the Open Jumper classes. In the spring series, they placed 3rd in the 1.30m Class in Week 7 and 2nd in the 1.35m Class in Week 8. They carried that momentum into the July summer series, having an especially successful Week 3 placing 2nd in the 1.30m Open class and 1st in the 1.35m the next day, good for Reserve Champion at that height for the week. In Week 4, they moved up to 1.40m, placing 2nd.
Alex Granato piloted Lorena O’Neill/Top Line Farm’s mount Criss Cross to several very successful showings in the Open Jumper classes. In the spring series, they placed 3rd in the 1.30m Class in Week 7 and 2nd in the 1.35m Class in Week 8. They carried that momentum into the July summer series, having an especially successful Week 3 placing 2nd in the 1.30m Open class and 1st in the 1.35m the next day, good for Reserve Champion at that height for the week. In Week 4, they moved up to 1.40m, placing 2nd.
On his recent success with Criss Cross, Granato commented, “I’ve been really happy with all the progress he’s made. He’s really stepped up to every marker we’ve set for him, and we are very excited to see how he does as we move him up to the National Grand Prix level.” A partnership still in its first year, Granato feels Criss Cross has really shown him a lot with his recent results as he’s moved up, adding, “He’s really getting a lot more consistent with his style. He’s always been a naturally quick and careful horse, but his consistency with his jumping technique has made it very easy for him to move up quickly.”
Criss Cross is also quite photogenic back in the barn, being the only chestnut currently in Granato’s string and always eager to provide a cute pose—perhaps preparing for his first Grand Prix presentation photo.
Criss Cross is also quite photogenic back in the barn, being the only chestnut currently in Granato’s string and always eager to provide a cute pose—perhaps preparing for his first Grand Prix presentation photo.
Granato also had promising results in the higher level Open Classes with Honeycomb van de Heffinck, another up-and-coming mount in his stable. After successful rounds during the final weeks of the Spring series at the 1.35m level, Heff, as he is known in the barn, jumped in his first 1.40m class during week 3 of the Summer series. “I was very pleased with the way he responded in his first 1.40m class,” Granato says. “We’ve really learned a lot about him this summer, tweaking our regimen for him and not trying to force him onto a more conventional path because he’s such a unique horse. I think we are on a great track with him and developed some good ideas this summer that will allow him to step up on a more consistent basis this fall."
During the spring and summer series, Granato also spent time developing and showing a mount new to Mad Season, LLC, Jett B, owned by Iconic Bay Equestrian. Granato and Jett B have been moving up the Open Jumper classes, winning reserve champion in the 1.15m division in Summer Week 1 and culminating in successful rides in the 1.20m classes in the final week of the summer series. Granato has been very pleased with his development, noting, “He’s really coming along. We’ve had him just a few months, but every horse show he’s stepped up and met another marker with his progression and training. He’s really growing into an interesting horse and is on track to move in to the 1.30m classes in August.
Granato also guided Danielle Amico’s Phantom Blue to several clear finishes in the 6 Year Old classes at Tryon, qualifying for Young Jumper Finals in Kentucky next month. “Our plan is to have a few horses, including Phantom Blue, compete in Young Jumper Finals next month. We’ve had success there in the past and look forward to testing a new crop of horses there this year.”
In the hunter ring, Josh Dolan has been amassing the ribbons during the spring and summer series events at Tryon. More impressively, all four of the horses he has been winning with have little to no hunter experience, with some having no show experience at all. This hasn’t stopped Dolan from winning champion, reserve champion and pre-green incentive events with the mounts, in addition to having strong placings in a $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.
On Dolan’s success despite the horses’ lack of experience, Granato says, “Josh has a very soft touch with the horses and a natural feel, so even when the horse doesn’t have a lot of experience he can be supportive and strong for them but appear to be having a soft round. At the same time, he does a very good job of educating and developing the horse with a correct, supportive ride.”
In the hunter ring, Josh Dolan has been amassing the ribbons during the spring and summer series events at Tryon. More impressively, all four of the horses he has been winning with have little to no hunter experience, with some having no show experience at all. This hasn’t stopped Dolan from winning champion, reserve champion and pre-green incentive events with the mounts, in addition to having strong placings in a $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.
On Dolan’s success despite the horses’ lack of experience, Granato says, “Josh has a very soft touch with the horses and a natural feel, so even when the horse doesn’t have a lot of experience he can be supportive and strong for them but appear to be having a soft round. At the same time, he does a very good job of educating and developing the horse with a correct, supportive ride.”
Dolan has seen great progress from new arrivals Hidden Lane and Annwood Lane, both owned by Page and Sarah Tredennick. Hidden Lane, a 5 year old Holsteiner gelding, has had fantastic results, winning a USHJA Pre-Green Hunter Incentive class during Week 6 of the Spring series and placing 3rd in the $10,000 USHJA Hunter Derby during Week 3 of the Summer series. On Hidden Lane’s progress, Dolan says, “He’s really come along fast. When we first got him, he was very green, but now he’s really come in to his own in the hunter ring.” On his results, Dolan adds, “It’s very impressive for a 5 year old to enter the handy round 2nd overall and finish 3rd in a $10,000 Derby. He rode a lot more mature than his age and shows a lot of promise going forward.
Dolan also piloted Annwood Lane to strong results, winning reserve champion in the 3’ Pre-Green class in the final week of the spring series and a 6th place finish in the $10,000 USHJA Hunter Derby in Week 3 of the Summer Series. A prospect from Europe that was a jumper at the 1.30m level, Dolan sees lots of promise in the Dutch Warmblood mare, noting, “she’s a great jumper and has won a class every week she has shown. She has developed a great sense of focus as the summer has progressed, something that is very important transitioning to the hunter ring.” Owner Page Tredennick has also guided both Annwood Lane and Hidden Lane to several top finishes in the Pre-Adult and Adult-Amateur Classes during the spring and summer series.
Dolan has also had success with two other newcomers to the show ring and Mad Season, LLC, Shadyside Farm’s Esquire and Cora Pearl. Dolan and Esquire, a 6 year old Hanoverian stallion, have won three reserve champion ribbons in the Baby Green and Foothills Hunter classes during the spring and summer series. “We are very impressed by the stallion’s improvement over the past month,” Dolan says. “He had only shown in one class before he arrived with us and was fantastic in the ring by the end of the summer. He’s an amazing mover and jumper.”
Dolan and Cora Pearl, a 7 year old Hanoverian mare were class champions in the Baby Green division during the final week of the summer series in only their second show. Dolan has been impressed with her performance in the ring, saying, “She is a very good mover and beautiful to watch. She has a great presence in the ring and you can’t help but watch her. We are very excited about her and Esquire’s development and potential going forward.
In addition to their current horses, former Mad Season, LLC horses are currently garnering top results this year. Christian Currey won 1st and 2nd in the $10,000 Child/Adult Prix at Tryon Summer 3 with Vigaro and Paramount, and Phoebe Alwine and Zenith Dance are currently leading the nationwide standings in the Child/Adult Jumpers.
Mad Season, LLC will be competing in the August show series at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina as well as taking a brief trip to Kentucky for Young Jumper Finals. They will have a few weeks off from showing in between the Summer and August series where they plan to work with their string at the farm as well as continue to care for and rescue miniature horses through The Peeps Foundation. They also will be doing copious amount of tubing on the Green River and dining at the Hare & Hound.
Alex Granato is a professional show jumper from Salt Lake City, Utah who has competed in Nations Cup competition for the U.S. and won over 40 Grand Prix events. He also runs the show barn Mad Season, LLC, based out of Wellington and Tryon, with professional rider Josh Dolan. They are proudly sponsored by Cavalor, CWD, Equithrive, Farmvet, Premiere Equestrian and Samshield.
Mad Season, LLC will be competing in the August show series at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina as well as taking a brief trip to Kentucky for Young Jumper Finals. They will have a few weeks off from showing in between the Summer and August series where they plan to work with their string at the farm as well as continue to care for and rescue miniature horses through The Peeps Foundation. They also will be doing copious amount of tubing on the Green River and dining at the Hare & Hound.
Alex Granato is a professional show jumper from Salt Lake City, Utah who has competed in Nations Cup competition for the U.S. and won over 40 Grand Prix events. He also runs the show barn Mad Season, LLC, based out of Wellington and Tryon, with professional rider Josh Dolan. They are proudly sponsored by Cavalor, CWD, Equithrive, Farmvet, Premiere Equestrian and Samshield.