Raleigh, NC (June 8, 2011) – Dressage rider Caroline Roffman encountered a few setbacks as she headed north to compete at Allentown and Raleigh, including three flat tires, a broken axel and having to scratch one of her horses from competition at Allentown. While Roffman could have been singing the blues during the ill-fated trip to New Jersey, she turned things around and brought home the blues in North Carolina at the prestigious 2011 CDI3*Y/J Capital Dressage Classic in Raleigh. Roffman, who was named the 2010 FEI Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation, won two USEF Developing Horse classes on Pie with scores of 73.235 and 69.706, and also took home the blue in the USEF Brentina Cup aboard Beemer with a 68.974.
“After what was a disastrous start to our two-week show tour, Raleigh ended up being a great success. I finished qualifying Beemer for the Brentina Cup and Pie for the Developing Horse Championships. After a minor setback for Pie when we were broken down on the side of the road, it was necessary to scratch him from Allentown,” Roffman said. “With several days off and many fingers crossed, Pie went back under saddle at Raleigh where he really rose to the occasion and won both of his classes in a highly competitive field of horses.”
Roffman added, “One of the judges wrote on Pie’s test that he was an ‘incredible horse,’ which really made my weekend,” Roffman said. “This is his first year back in the show ring and to be in the winner’s circle with him is just phenomenal. I have had Pie since he was four years old and he is eight now. I trained him myself and he qualified for the Six-Year-Old Championships but wasn’t able to attend due to a lameness issue. But he is back now, stronger and better than ever.”
Roffman said that Pie, a Hanoverian by Worldly, came from her trainer Lars Petersen. “I was also really pleased that our sales horse Beemer dominated the Brentina Cup classes. My goal for him this year was to compete him in the 16-25 Grand Prix and the Brentina Cup and see where it would take us, and I am so happy that it took us into the winner’s circle in Raleigh,” she said.
Roffman said she enjoyed competing at Raleigh, a show that not only offered 2011 Pan American Games qualifying classes, but was an official qualifying competition for the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Championship; Intermediaire I Championship; FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships; USEF “Brentina Cup” Championships; 2011 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program; and the 2011 USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship.
“Raleigh was a big show and everyone from Legacy Farms, where I train with Lars, did fantastic so it was a great experience all the way around,” Roffman said. “Lars piloted Willano, owned by Global Dressage Sales, to the win in the highly competitive CDI Prix St. Georges and placed second in the Intermediaire I class.”
Roffman, who is based out of Wellington, Florida, said she is looking forward to continuing the 2011 show season. “I have so many great horses to show and I feel very fortunate,” she said. “I have set many goals for myself and my horses and I plan on working hard and accomplishing them.”
For more information contact:
Caroline Roffman Dressage
1-617-633-1003
cara9588@aol.com