Tag Archives: Christopher Hickey

US Teams Win and Take Third at FEI Dressage Nations Cup in Florida

Christopher Hickey and Witness Hilltop earned the top score at the Intermediaire I Freestyle (Susan J. Stickle)

Wellington, FL – Two U.S. Dressage teams competed in the Intermediaire I Freestyle Saturday night at the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO 3* presented by Stillpoint Farm. Both went home with medals.

Helped by three of the night’s top seven scores, the first U.S. team beat out their American counterpart, a team from Europe, and two teams from Latin America to capture the FEI Nations Cup crown. The team was led by Christopher Hickey riding Hilltop Farm’s Witness Hilltop. The pair kept their momentum from Friday’s Prix St. Georges and scored a competition high 71.425%. Caroline Roffman and Pie scored 70.050%, Shelley Francis and Patricia Stemple’s Doktor 68.650%, Devon Kane and Diamante Farm’s Destiny 67.525% and together they edged out a victory on Saturday night. With a final score of 210.125 (the lowest score from teams of four riders was dropped) the first US team beat out the European team by less than one whole point.

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Christopher Hickey Earns Highest Score at Global Dressage Festival National 2 Horse Show

Christopher Hickey and Balissa HTF. Photos: www.susanjstickle.com

Wellington, FL – April 4, 2012 – Christopher Hickey of Colora, MD rode Balissa HTF to the highest score of the day at the Global Dressage Festival National 2 Horse Show on Wednesday.  The pair scored 75.323% in the USEF First Level Test 3 – Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF).  Mary Ambrose of Canada and Ming Dynasty were reserve high score receiving 71.757% in the USEF Fourth Level Test 2 – Open.

Balissa HTF is a Hanoverian owned and bred by Jane MacElree of Hilltop Farm in Colora, MD.  MacElree and Hickey were pleased with the five-year-old mare’s performance.

“Jane and I are really excited that Balissa is doing so well,” said Hickey. “Morten Thomsen, my trainer from Denmark, was here for nine days and he helped me with my all my horses including Balissa.  I think it really made a difference in her performance.  Morten knows her so well because I spent four months training in Denmark prior to my arrival in Florida.  I am really happy that she showed so well today.”

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Alix Szepesi and William Repeat Winning Ways at Global Dressage Festival National Classic 2

Alix Szepesi and William. Photos: www.susanjstickle.com

Wellington, FL – March 21, 2012 – Alix Szepesi of Hamilton, MA topped the leader board again at the Global Dressage Festival National Classic 2 on Wednesday, the second and final day of the show.  Szepesi and William, owned by Margie Kelk, scored 75.541% in the USEF First Level Test 2-Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF).  Szepesi was not even supposed to compete this week and was a late entry.

“His owner was originally going to compete with William, but sometimes he gets nervous in the warm-up and he was a little naughty, so I decided to show him instead,” said Szepesi.  “Thankfully management was able to accommodate the changes. We are very appreciative of their efforts.”

William was originally slated to be a show jumper and showed exceptional talent, but he did not like Liverpool fences, so Kelk turned him into a dressage horse.

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