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.
In Grade III competition, Fryke rode Lateran to top honors in the team test scoring 66.728%. Erin Alberda and Pavalina won the two remaining tests, 69.333% in the freestyle and 67.056% in the individual test. Grade IV saw a clean sweep from Ireland’s James Dwyer and Orlando scoring 69.271%, 73.667% and 69.624% for the three tests. Mary Jordan and Sebastian were the highest placing American pair in each test for Grade IV; they were third in the team test and second in both the freestyle and individual tests.
Results are available here: http://www.foxvillage.com/FVDShowResults/(n55ukgrctzzc3efardkszneo)/ClassList.aspx?sh=480&st=1.
Dressage
At the Saugerties CDI-W, Catherine Haddad-Staller proved dominating in the grand prix taking the top two spots with Winyamaro and Cadillac 35 respectively. Winyamaro proved just a hair better than his stablemate in the grand prix, scoring 68.660% to Cadillac’s 68.553%. Based in Germany, Haddad-Staller has spent most of the summer in the U.S.
Winyamaro settled for second in the freestyle behind Idaho-based rider Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. The cross-country journey proved worth the miles for Lyle, the pair scored 74.925% to finish ahead of Haddad-Staller and Winyamaro on 71.475%. Canada’s Jacqueline Brooks was third on D-Niro.
Cadillac picked up a win of his own in the Grand Prix Special, dominating as the only American entry. With Haddad-Staller he scored 67.750% for the victory.
Complete results are available here: http://www.foxvillage.com/FVDShowResults/(n55ukgrctzzc3efardkszneo)/ClassList.aspx?sh=480&st=1.
Eventing
Show jumper-turned-eventing-rider Marilyn Little-Meredith topped a star-studded field of horses and riders at the Plantation Field CIC3* in Unionville, PA. Riding RF Rovano Rex, Little-Meredith outran dressage winner Boyd Martin on Remington XXV by 13 seconds on the cross-country to win by 1/10th of a point. Peter Atkins and HJ Hampton were third.
In the CIC2*, Buck Davidson won wire-to-wire on The Apprentice, adding only a rail to his dressage score. Will Coleman was second and third on Obos O’Reilly and Vancover respectively. Just 4.2 points separated the first three horses, and of those only The Apprentice made the time on the cross-country.
Coleman did pick up a victory in the CIC* with the former racehorse, Ole Boy. He, too, had the lead after all three phases, finishing on his dressage score of 45. Canadian Lisa Marie Fergusson was second on Uni Spirte and Sinead Halpin and Classical King jumped up to third.
More than 250 horses ran over the weekend, the results are available here: http://www.evententries.com/livescoring/14808.html.
Jumping
The Kessler family’s successful European tour continued in Italy at CSI3* La Bagnaia. Young Rider Reed Kessler jumped to the win in two classes – she won a new car with Onisha for their victory in the 1.35m Fiat 500 Tour. She also galloped to the top spot in the Memorial Guido Dominici Derby riding Flight. She then picked up two top 10 finishes in the World Ranking Classes on Mika. Reed’s mother Teri won two 1.20m classes on Ice d´Ancoeur to round out the family affair.
Results and video of each round is available here: http://cavallomagazine.quotidiano.net/.
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