Horsesdaily News: Tami Hoag’s Feliki Celebrates Birthday and a Grand Prix Win at 2007 Palm Beach Derby

Tami Hoag’s Feliki Celebrates Birthday and a Grand Prix Win at 2007 Palm Beach Derby

Loxahatchee, FL –Writer/Rider, Tami Hoag’s grand prix mare, Feliki celebrated her 20th birthday at the Palm Beach Derby this past weekend. Hoag also celebrated Feliki’s win in the AA Grand Prix on Saturday.

Feliki and Hoag have a special affection for the Palm Beach Derby since they won the high score Grand Prix horse award at the Derby in 2001. At 20 year’s old, Feliki proved she’s still “got the right moves!” At the DressageDaily/Markel Inspection Reception catered by Paradise Cafe, Hoag and feliki shared the limelight, serving a fabulous cake with a phelpsphoto of Feliki as part of the icing.

Hoag and Feliki’s stable mate, Coco Chanel also danced her way to into the ribbons scoring a 68.5% for an amazing Grand Prix Musical Freestyle that earned them a 6th place finish in a very competitive field. On Sunday after the Grand Prix Freestyle awards presentation, Tami switched hats, literally. Out of her top hat and tails, and armed with a pen, Tami switched into best selling author mode and headed to the main pavilion for a book signing event on the show grounds. To onlookers Hoag -the rider, looked a little like super woman, when she slipped into her tack stall and came out as Hoag-the writer. Maybe Hoag isn’t super woman (yet), but she sure enjoyed a super show weekend at the Palm Beach Derby.

Tami Hoag Benefits From Lessons with US Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe, Klaus Balkenhol

Best Selling Mystery Author and Grand Prix Dressage competitor, Tami Hoag won two dressage lessons with US Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe, Klaus Balkenhol at the USET Foundation Benefit at Gladstone last June.

Just in time to warm up for the Palm Beach Derby and the Challenge of America’s charity, Hoag cashed in on her lessons. Hoag enjoyed two days in row training with Klaus. Hoag’s trainer Betsy Steiner also attended the sessions and said “It was very beneficial and Klaus gave me several new ideas to incorporate in Tami’s training sessions.”

“It was a great experience,” said Hoag about her opportunity to ride with Klaus Balkenhol. “Klaus can quickly pinpoint the small things that really make an enormous difference. The fresh ideas he offered on working the pirouettes is one example. At the Palm Beach Derby, Hoag utilized some of the training to dance her way to into the ribbons scoring a 68.5% for an amazing Grand Prix Musical Freestyle that earned them a 6th place finish in a very competitive field. Hoag, who also won the AA Grand Prix on Saturday, said, “There was no doubt that the sessions with Klaus contributed to our success.”