Showing horses in Belgium is much different than in the United States. The programs are slower and people buy their horses “for life” so they are very demanding. They pick a horse apart and vet it out several times before a deal is sealed. It’s a lifestyle that took some adjustment for Eron Dampier but she loves living in the stone farmhouse she and her husband, Peter Fels have been restoring and proud of the training operation she has been building for 14 years.

To many, Dampier is living a fairy tale. Born and raised in Florida, Dampier says her uncle had  some “pasture ornaments” at his place and her grandfather often took her there to ride.

In the early 1980s, Dampier did a lot of competing at open shows in the Tampa area. She says she tried nearly everything, from hunters to speed events — all on the same pony.

“After school I would pedal my bike to the barn, get on bare back and ride with all my other horsy friends,” Dampier says. “We rode everywhere, to the beach, in the woods, to the local  7-11 when we were thirsty and then back to the barn where our parents picked us up after work. Showing was extra and it was the only time I rode with a saddle.”

While in middle, school Dampier met a girl who introduced her to American Quarter Horse Association shows.

“She took me out to her trainer, Lori Belien, of K-Lor Farm. I watched her ride and I was totally hooked,” Dampier says. “She ended up being my first real trainer. Then when I was a bit older I trained with Lynn Palm, Andy Moorman and Nancy Cahill.”

After graduating from high school in Plant City, Dampier went to college in Tampa. One evening, while taking a break from homework, she stopped in at a bar in YBor City. There she met Fels, who was there on vacation and leaving the next day.  Fels grew up in Hasselt Belgium, went to the University in Leuven. The two exchanged numbers and talked often on the phone.

“Then he invited me to come over to Europe for a two-week vacation,” Dampier says.  “Needless to say, being a girl of 21, I said ‘yes’ to that. In 1997, Peter asked me if I wanted to move.  He already had a job and I was still in college. I thought, what the heck…if it doesnt work out I can always come back home.”

But Dampier stayed in Belgium, learned the language, attended the University Of Amsterdam and married Fels, who is a registered Treasurer and works in Holland.

It wasn’t long before Dampier started to miss horses so they bought a Warmblood and she rode dressage for a time. One day, she got in her car and started out in search of a boarding facility. She ended up at a barn owned by Michael Spaas, Belgium’s top Grand Prix Hunter-Jumper breeder.

“I walked in the barn and told him I needed to rent a stall but couldn’t afford it,” Dampier explains. “When I told Michael I rode Quarter Horses in the States he didn’t even know what that was. He gave me a job, mucking stalls and grooming. Barn life in Belgium is really weird. In the local boarding barns, it all revolves around the bar.  Every public barn has one.  Before and after each ride everybody has a drink and talks about anything and everything except horses.  Oh yeah, and everybody stays really, really clean.”

In 1999 Dampier and Fels bought a 200-year-old farmhouse and began what would be a long restoration process. At the same time,  Dampier started her own training operation. Today, Dampier Quarter Horses focuses on breeding, training and showing AQHA all-around prospects for amateur and youth competitors

“Our focus is on producing a fun horse for amateurs to enjoy,” she explains. “I mainly train those that have bought babies from us.  In fact, my barn is full of horses that were born and raised here and that’s an awesome feeling.”

Dampier says the focus of her raining program is on  keeping the horses happy and thinking outside the box.

“We keep a very steady program that includes lots of turnout time. The horses are worked five days a week and we keep the work varied.  We work in a positive training environment and tailor our program to each horse.  Our farm backs up to a national park with miles of horse trails.  All the show horses go for a walk in the park at least twice a week.

Because horses in Belgium are not permitted to be shown under saddle until they are 3-year-olds, the training process is much slower.

“We saddle break them as 2-year-olds  in the late spring and continue to ride them. But because we can’t show them under saddle until they are 3-year-olds,  the pressure is off and you naturally take it a lot easier,” Dampier says. “I believe it’s a much healthier, horse friendly program.”

The show season starts in Europe in March and ends with the German Championships in October. Dampier says her barn attends only one to two shows a month.

“We mainly show in Germany, since this is were the largest and best-organized shows are held,” she explains. “The show grounds are normally very nice, in particular Krueth where the European Championship is held.  It’s like going on vacation there.”

Dampier has shown horses to the title of Belgian High Point Junior Trail and Halter Mares and Geldings; German Reserve Champion 2-Year-Old Halter; a Reserve NSBA Hunter Under Saddle Champion and a Reserve NSBA 2-Year-Old Longe Line Champion, in addition to numerous AQHA Open Circuit Championships.  She placed sixth at the European Championships in Junior Trail and fourth in Longe Line at the Pleasure Celebration.

Dampier owns four broodmares and prides herself in breeding for horses in her own program. This year she is expecting three foals and will be showing a 3-year-old by Watch My Potential out of one of her mares. She sells her foals and also serves as European agent for AQHA stallions Chocolua and Absolute Option.

When she is not training or showing, Dampier enjoys spending time with her 6-year-old son, Kieran, wine tasting and dining out at restaurants with her husband. The couple recently completed construction of a 10-stall addition to their existing barn and a new outdoor arena.

To learn more about Dampier Quarter Horses visit www.dampierquarterhorses.com.