Sanceo (Carolynn Bunch Photography)
Cordiak Takes Top Honors in USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 14-18
Wayne, Ill. – The 2014 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com came to a conclusion on Sunday with three newly minted National Champions. Developing Prix St. Georges and Six-Year-Old horses, as well as Seat Medal 14- to 18-year-old riders, put their best efforts forward in Lamplight Equestrian Center’s Championship Arena in front of the judging panel of Christel Carlson, Sandy Hotz, and Jane Weatherwax. Sanceo took top honors in the Markel/USEF Developing Prix St. Georges Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com, while in the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Six-Year-Old National Championships presented by HorseShow.com, Ripline earned his first U.S. National Title. Bronwyn Cordiak took the title in the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 14-18.
Developing Prix St. Georges Horse
The 2014 Championships on Sunday featured 15 Developing Prix St. Georges horses performing the USEF Developing Prix St. Georges Horse Test. Sunday’s Championship Class was worth the remaining 60% of the overall score.
Sanceo (San Remo x Rivera/Ramiro’s Son II), ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), repeated her polished effort from Friday again on Sunday, winning both classes and the title with an overall score of 76.516%. Throughout Sunday’s test, the eight-year-old Hanoverian stallion was polished and poised in the Prix St. Georges movements, distancing him from the rest of the field and earning a 76.912%. Schut-Kery expressed how grateful she is to ride a horse like Sanceo, as finding the right horse can be challenging.
“You look to have all your ducks in a row, but in the end you don’t know until you have them home,” Schut-Kery said. “To me the most important part is the work ethic and the willingness, and this horse, as an example, has the biggest heart and the best work ethic and willingness. You just cannot know when you go and try them a couple times. You can get a feel for them and see the gaits, but it’s always a little bit of playing poker, and you just hope it turns out.”
Angela Jackson (Henderson, Ky.) earned the Reserve Championship crown with Kerrin Courtney Dunn’s Allure S (Rousseau x Sizarma/Farrington). The nine-year-old KWPN mare garnered a score of 67.794% on Sunday, giving her an overall total of 69.203%. She was also the Highest Place U.S. Bred award-winner in the Prix St. Georges.
Petra Warlimont (Hygiene, Colo.) and Susan Alvey’s eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Highschool MCF (Hochadel x Ria/Rotspon), maintained their spot in third place with a score of 68.480% on Sunday and an overall total of 69.141%.
Six-Year-Old Championship
Six-Year-Old competition at the Lamplight Equestrian Center shined as 13 up-and-coming horses showcased their talents in the FEI Six-Year-Old Final Test to earn the remaining 60% of their overall score.
Oak Hill Ranch’s Ripline (Blue Horse Hotline x Riviera/Blue Horse Cavan DH) continued to impress to win the Six-Year-Old Championship. Ridden by Heather Blitz (Medfield, Mass.), the Danish stallion demonstrated athletic, expressive gaits, including the canter, for which he was awarded 9.0. He also received an 8.4 for the trot and an 8.9 for the walk. Additionally, the judging panel rated his submission and general impression highly, giving 8.8 and 9.0, respectively.
The stallion received 8.82 on Sunday and finished on an overall score of 8.612. He was also the Highest Place U.S. Bred award-winner, and Blitz stressed the importance of riding American horses.
“I was really impressed – I read through the program and at least half of the horses in each one of our young horse classes are U.S.-bred, and that’s huge,” Blitz said. “That’s a lot more really nice horses being bred in this country than we’ve ever had. I’m really encouraged by that. You can find a nice horse anywhere in the world, but it’s very encouraging that our country is starting to get good enough broodmares that we can make horse that can compete with the European horses. We need that kind of talent in the horses, and the trainers need to keep matching the talent of the horses that we’re breeding. Then we can really be a strong force world-wide.”
Earning Reserve Champion honors were Angela Jackson (Henderson, Ky.) and Theresa Schnell’s Hemmingway (Hofrat x SPS Alsonara/Archipel) on a class total of 8.7 and an overall total of 8.572. The Oldenburg stallion was regarded highly for his trot, walk, and canter, earning 8.8, 8.8, and 8.7, respectively. He earned scores of 8.3 for submission and 8.9 for general impression.
Fashion Designer OLD (Faustinus x Forst-Design/DeNiro) earned third place on an overall score of 8.120. Ridden by Nadine Buberl (White House Station, N.J.), Dr. Cesar Parra’s Oldenburg gelding received a score of 8.32 on Sunday. He received 8.8, 8.0, and 8.4, for the trot, walk, and, canter, respectively, as well as 7.9 for submission and 8.5 for general impression.
Camilla Van Liew (Charleston, S.C.) rode her own KPWN gelding, Dartesch (Special D x Sedesch/Jazz) as the only Adult Amateur in the class. She expressed her excitement in competing with such esteemed riders and horses.
“It’s really heady for me,” said Van Liew. “It’s kind of crazy to look around and see who I’m surrounded by. A lot of hard work has paid off. I’m really proud of my horse and myself to be here. It’s pretty awesome company.”
Seat Medal Final 14-18
The USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final for 14- to 18-year-old riders saw 14 of the nation’s top juniors competing Sunday in the Championship Arena. Bronwyn Cordiak (Argyle, Texas) and her own Dschingis Blue won the class with an impressive score of 90%. Cordiak showed great presence and composure on her nine-year-old Oldenburg mare.
“My ride was good. I knew that it was hot and I wanted to keep her rested and prepared for the class, Cordiak said of Dschingis Blue. “She did really well with the weather. I’m really proud of her.”
Earning the Reserve Championship title with a score of 86% were Madeline Joy (Dallas, Texas) and Kim Rhind’s 14-year-old Rheinlander mare, Feinhardt.
Third-place honors went to Nicole Gallant (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) and her 11-year-old KWPN/American Warmblood gelding, Parvus, with a score of 84%.
To learn more about the 2014 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com, visit: http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/alldressage/DressageChampionships.aspx.
To see scores from the 2014 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com, visit: http://www.foxvillage.com/fvdshowresults/(sf5xgf3dvvmhtw451awvzr45)/ClassList.aspx?sh=2226&st=2.
By Eileen Schnettler