When Ashley Holzer got the call about a “must have” championship quality mare from her good friend and mentor Carl Hester, she knew to trust his instinct, even if she may not have been quite as sure herself. On a rainy November day in the U.K., Holzer drove to Hester’s yard to see for herself the horse “meant for her.”
Hawtins San Floriana, also known as “Flo,” immediately impressed with her power and presence, with Holzer quickly picking up on the talent and potential the mare possessed. Holzer, along with longtime owner and supporter Dr. Diane Fellows, decided to act on Hester’s intuition, and brought the mare home to the U.S. to strengthen Holzer’s string in preparation for upcoming championship hopes.
“When we purchased her in December of 2023, I foolishly thought it would be easy to take over the ride from Carl and Charlotte, but boy could I have not been more wrong,” explained Holzer. “In the beginning it felt like we were speaking two completely different languages, and I realized we needed to learn to understand and speak with each other before we set any kind of goals, which was a humbling experience.”
Mares can be notoriously opinionated and strong-willed, but when you find the right mix of energy and understanding, they will meet you in the middle, and the bond established in that trusting space can lead to something truly remarkable. For Holzer, approaching their newfound partnership with patience and understanding has helped to develop one of the strongest foundations Holzer feels she’s ever established with a horse.
“She’s made me a true believer that real partnerships take time and can’t be rushed, regardless of the potential. We have spent countless hours together, learning from each other, trusting each other, and making that trust the foundation of our entire partnership,” she said. “I really love that as our partnership has continued to grow, so has her relaxation, and what a feeling, as an athlete, to have the belief from your horse that you can manage that kind of engine and movement.”
“Flo is so incredibly kind, and has a very maternal, loving personality,” Holzer said, as she described the 2012 British Hanoverian mare (San Amour I x Florestan I). “She’s always so happy to see you. My right hand at home, Allie Conti, has just done a tremendous job with her day-to-day. A happy horse will give you everything, and I genuinely feel Flo and I have a found a very mutual understanding of that together.”
In true form, “Flo” would not be who she is without a few alpha mare quirks defining her personality and putting her full sense of self on display. “Flo needs to be in charge when you’re walking her around. She is walking you and not the other way around. She can be a bit ‘large and in charge’ but I also think that’s what makes her feel confident, as cheeky as it can be sometimes,” Holzer said with a laugh.
With their championship debut quickly approaching, Holzer noted representing the Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team after taking the time to establish a formidable partnership with Flo has given her so much motivation and anticipation in their lead in preparations for the 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships in Aachen, Germany.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to work with Carl [Hester] to prepare for this championship. His confidence and knowledge of Flo has been so valuable for us in finetuning and really pushing for that next level,” she explained. “It’s such an honor to be able to bring such a lovely horse to a championship like this. I can’t wait to canter down the centerline with her in Aachen and show the world how incredible she really is.”
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