Meet the British reining squad
Doug Allen
Doug, 47, was a member of the British Reining Team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, where the team finished fifth and he was placed in the top 10 in the individual competition.
Doug has represented Britain at the 2004 and 2005 FEI World Reining Masters, where he placed in the top 10. He was ranked fifth in the FEI World Rankings last year. He is also one of Europe’s most highly respected judges.
Doug has been a professional horse trainer for 30 years, specializing in reining for the past 15 years. He is based in Bodiam, East Sussex, where he is the trainer at Sterling Quarter Horses. He is married to fellow team member Francesca Sternberg and they have two children Tabitha, 8 and George, 5.
Mark How
Mark has been riding western for 16 years, competing successfully in youth and open events since 1993. He travelled to America in 1995 to work with a reining trainer, before returning to England to train reining horses professionally the following year.
Mark was first selected for the British reining team in 2001. Since then he has become a continental judge, won the British Reining National Championship in 2003 and represented Britain twice in 2005. Aachen will be Mark’s first World Equestrian Games.
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Francesca Sternberg
Following a successful career in eventing and riding show hunters, Francesca turned her hand to riding quarter horses in 1987. In 1988 she became the first European to compete, show and attain a top 10 position at the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Show.
A multiple European gold medallist, Francesca represented Britain in the reining demonstration event at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome and was a team member at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain in 2002.
In 2004 Francesca was third at the AQHA World Show and finished third in the world rankings for non-professional riders. Francesca is the highest National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) money earner in Britain and one of the most successful NRHA riders in Europe. She is married to fellow team member Doug Allen, and they have two children.
Rosanne Sternberg
Rosanne has been riding reining horses since 1990. She is a six time European champion in amateur reining and has placed in the top 10 four times at the AQHA World Championship in amateur reining.
Rosanne is the breeder and owner of Smart Spook, the 2004 NRHA Open Futurity and 2005 Open Derby and AQHA World Champion, who is currently NRHA’s highest money earner. Smart Spook helped Rosanne win the coveted Quarter Horse News Leading Breeder Award this year.
A member of the British Reining Team at the 2002 WEG in Jerez, Spain, where Britain came fifth, Rosanne was also individual silver medallist at the 2003 FEI European Championships in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
- The team’s chef d’equipe at WEG will be Adam Heaton.
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