Para-Equestrian
The USEF National Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships took center stage at the NEDA Fall Festival in Saugerties, NY. WEG veteran and Southern Methodist University student, Jonathan Wentz put in three calculated efforts to sweep his three Grade 1b tests and score his first national championship. Riding NTEC Richter Scale, Wentz tallied an overall championship score of 71.531% giving him the edge over Dale Dedrick and Bonifatus. A first-time National Championship competitor had a three test combined score of 71.223%.
The U.S. took a step forward in qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London by winning the FEI Team Competition at the Saugerties CPEDI3* (which ran concurrently with the National Championship). The U.S. team composed of Wentz, Hart, Mary Jordan riding Sebastian, and Wendy Fryke and Lateran, topped Canada.
Competition in the five Para-Equestrian Grades was held in the CPEDI3*. In Grade 1a competition, Donna Ponessa has topped both the team and freestyle tests. In the team test, she scored 66.765% on Otto and topped the freestyle on Western Rose with a 68.5%. Canada’s Jody Schloss and Inspector Rebus scored 68.417% in the individual test on the final day of competition. Dedrick won the team and individual tests scoring 70.079% and 72.063% respectively in Grade II. Hart and Dedrick rode to an equal score of 71.833%, Hart claimed the victory as her collective marks were higher.
Continue reading This Week in International Disciplines, September 20, 2011