2004 American Grand Prix Association Year End Awards Honor Beezie Madden, Derek Petersen And Glasgow

It was a successful but also a sad and shortened season for the AGA Horse of the Year, Glasgow, owned by the Glasgow Group and ridden by Norman Dello Joio.

Rider Norman Dello Joio had his sights set on the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and had designed Glasgow’s show schedule with that in mind. All seemed to be on track as the season started with a top placing in the $100,000 Cosequin US Open Jumper Championship in Wellington, Florida, on March 14, 2004.

The dynamic duo followed with a dramatic win in the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitation at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on April 3, 2004.

They completed their abbreviated Florida tour with $63,000 in the bank.

With an eye on a spot on the squad for Athens, it was on to the Olympic Selection Trials at the Del Mar Arena in Del Mar, California, for Glasgow and Dello Joio.

The Olympic dream for Dello Joio came to an abrupt end in California. Glasgow suffered a leg injury that forced Dello Joio to withdraw him from the trials. The 2004 season that started with so much hope and promise was over just that quickly.

The good news is that Glasgow will return to competition sometime during the 2005 season. “Glasgow is doing very well now,” Dello Joio reports. “He’s in full work and is sound and healed up but I think I’ll put him on the back burner this coming year,” he explained. “I don’t want to burn him out early because I’m planning on having him ready to compete in the 2006 World Equestrian Games.”

The 2004 Horse of the Year Award is something Dello Joio was very proud to receive.

“It’s great that he won the AGA Horse of the Year award. It is a real honor to have a horse like this in my barn, he’s a great horse,” Dello Joio said. “I think he has a few great years left in him.”

Hidden Creek’s Perin, ridden by Margie Engle, with $60,000 finished up second in the Horse of the Year race, just $2500 off the pace.

AGA Horse of the Year Standing:

For more information on the American Grandprix Association, visit the AGA website at: http://www.stadiumjumping.com/aga/index.cfm