E-Mail This Page

Friday, May 9, 2008

Paxton Farm CDI - May 9-11 - Batavia, Ohio

Leatherdale Farms and Diane Creech Have a Successful Partnership

Ask Diane Creech the secret to her competitive success, such as her Prix St. Georges win at the Paxton Farm CDI, and she’ll tell you it’s not just good horses and good training that brings success, but also a strong support team. She gives much credit to Doug and Louise Leatherdale, owners of four horses in training with her.

“The support I’ve had has been so amazing,” she said. “I’m so grateful to Doug and Louise for being such great sponsors and wonderful owners.” Creech also gives much credit to her long-time groom, Chris Bacher. “She is a wonderful groom who has been going with me for years and years and years. She knows all the horses. She’s been my right hand and she helps me whenever I need it. She also listens to my whining and gives me the strength to keep going.”

Creech is definitely a fighter, having survived a breast cancer diagnoses in 2006, a mastectomy and months of follow-up treatment. Despite treatment, she managed to continue riding and qualify for last year’s Pan American Games. It is the horses that helped get her through her cancer and it’s clear that she has a tremendous love for them. And she certainly couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of Devon L and Wiona on the opening day of the Paxton Farm CDI.

"The horses went really well,” she said. Of Wiona, whom she broke to ride before the Leatherdales bought her at the age of five, Creech said, “She’s a horse you can go to war with. She’s a working girl who really tries everything for you. She never, ever says no. She never shuts down on me. She always tries. Any mistake we make is probably mine because she really works very hard at what she does.”

Devon L was home-bred by the Leatherdales. “Doug actually pulled him out himself and they were really surprised it was a chestnut and not a black horse because the mother was black and the father was black,” Creech said. “Devon L is very, very special and very talented. All he needs to do is grow up, get more mature and get stronger and he’ll be there. He doesn’t feel this is work. For him, this is all fun and games.”  

Prior to Paxton, the Leatherdales sponsored a three-month trip to Europe for Creech so that she could take both Devon L and Wiona to Germany to train with the Canadian team coach, Norbert van Laak. It was too late after her Friday showing for Creech to call him in Europe and tell him how she had done, but he’ll be getting a call Saturday. “I know he’ll be very proud when I call him tomorrow,” Creech said.

Next - George Williams and Rocher Win Grand Prix CDI
Results on horseshowoffice.com