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A REAL GLOBE-TROTTER THIS MARE IS RACKING UP THE FREQUENT-FLIER MILES. BY HOLLY CLANAHAN, AMERICA'S HORSE Miss Zippo Principle, at 5 years old, is already an experienced world traveler. When Guglielmo Passoni purchased her in 2006, he exported her to his native Italy, where trainer Matteo Salas of Milano took over the ride. AQHA Professional Horsemen Charlie Cole and Jason Martin helped facilitate that sale, and Matteo started flying back to train with them during the winters. He’d return to Italy and work there during the European show season. Matteo had also come to the United States in 2001 to work under AQHA Professional Horseman Michael Colvin. Matteo enjoyed success with Miss Zippo Principle across the pond. Last year, the mare was named AQHA international high point in junior western riding and junior western pleasure. She won the 2007 European Championship in junior western riding. With Guglielmo on board, she also made good showings in those three classes in the amateur division, as well as in amateur horsemanship in Europe. She was doing so well her connections decided to give her a shot at a world title. That meant a trip back to the United States, to the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, where she had qualified for junior western pleasure, junior western riding and junior trail. “We decided pretty late to bring her over; it was a sudden decision,” Matteo said. “And we decided we were going to organize things in three days.” But the plan came together quite well. Miss Zippo Principle flew to Columbus, Ohio, around the first of October with Matteo’s girlfriend, Jadasa “Dasi” Jablonowski. Miss Zippo Principle was kept in quarantine for almost 30 days, with Dasi standing by to make sure nothing happened to her and to give her a familiar face. Matteo arrived October 29, after showing had ceased for the season in Italy. When the Principle Investment mare was released from quarantine, she was hauled to Charlie and Jason’s High Point Performance Horses in Pilot Point, Texas. “They did a fantastic job to help Matteo to reach his goals,” Dasi said. Another horseman who pitched in was Keith Long, who loaned Matteo a show saddle so he didn’t have to have his shipped over. “It’s like teamwork,” Matteo said, thanking all those who made this trip possible, including the horse’s owner. When he stepped into the World Show arena, “it was my first time in the States to show. I’ve never shown over here.” So it was quite a debut, competing against the best horses in the business. Unfortunately, the pair didn’t qualify for the finals in any of their classes, but “I’m really happy about how she went in the classes,” Matteo said of the mare. “I have no problem with her. I’m really happy, and she did everything that I wanted her to, so I cannot complain.” And he knows that the more he competes against the tougher competition in the United States, the better an exhibitor he’ll become. “The more experience you have … it’s going to help me for sure. That’s why we came over, that’s why we’d like to come over again, because to get the level higher, you have to compete against people that are stronger than you. Otherwise, you don’t get better.” You read that right. Matteo and Miss Zippo Principle will return to Italy some time in December, depending on what sort of quarantine arrangements they can work out. And they’d like to return to Oklahoma City next November. He thinks the little blue roan mare will handle all the traveling just fine. “She likes traveling, actually,” he said. “She is not a horse that suffers about moving around or traveling … She is a globe-trotter.”
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