Apollo was scratched due to some tenderness in his hocks but horses bred in the USA did quite well. BW Callista and Brigadier finished at the 2006 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships as Champions! We are particularly excited about the four year old champion since we have a young hourse in our barn, Concerto, out of the same stallion.

BW Callista, the four year old Oldenburg N.A, mare by Contucci out of Ariane (by A Jungle Prince) was bred by Linda Santomenna of Blue Waters Farm in Chesapeake City, MD. She performed her winning test under rider Tami Glover. Judge Axel Steiner’s commented that Tami’s ride “spoke for itself as an example for what he and co-judge Jayne Ayers were looking for in the performance of a four year old horse”. Both judges rewarded BW Callista and her rider with an overall score of 9.0, consisting of a 9.5 for walk and trot, an 8 for the canter, a 9 for submission and a 9.5 for general impression.

ISR-OLDENBURG N.A. Horses Claim Champions

It is official. Apollo and Andi are in. In the last couple of weeks Andi had resigned herself to the possibility that their scores were just not good enough. We both were amazed that 46 horse and riders accross the U.S. that had applied for the Four Year Old Dressage championship. Over 120 horse and riders applied in the three divisions! We knew that all of the horse and riders are good and only the top twenty were going to get invited. So wish us luck! If you are in the area and curious about these up and comers in dressage, the 2006 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships will be held at the MSEDA Dressage at the Park show, Lexington, Kentucky, September 8 – 10, 2006.

Andi has competing Apollo in the 4 year old test and has done moderately well. The good news is that she has her two qualifying scores for the Nationals. The bad news is that the top two horses are really good!

The first show was the Spring Classic at Paxton Farms. Although Apollo and Andi did well, Rich and Famous ridden by Leigh Kennedy showed us that they were the horse everyone was going to be measured against. They got a very nice 73%.

I took the press release from USEF and added a few pictures my wife took. Sorry about the picture of Royal Prince and Susanne but the fuzziness is because it was raining. It is a amazing feat that they scored so well while riding in the rain!

ROYAL PRINCE AND REVOLUTION WIN TOP HONORS AT 2004 USEF/MARKEL YOUNG HORSE DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 13, 2004
Lexington, KY—An outstanding field of five and six-year-old horses held audiences captive at the Kentucky Horse Park over the weekend. September 10th through 12th, horses and riders from across the nation gathered for the 2004 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Nineteen five-year-olds and 15 six-year-olds, including a record 12 United States-bred horses, vied for the prize the Dr. Edgar Hotz Memorial Trophy, which commemorates the top young horses in the country.

Lars Baekgaard rode Revolution (Royal Diamond — Fuela by Furioso II) to the six-year-old division title, with a winning score of 7.48. The German-bred black Oldenburg gelding is owned by Dr. Mary Hughes of Moorestown, New Jersey. A mere two-hundredths of a point behind, Rykaard (Kimberley—Milonia by Caruso), a bay Dutch Warmblood gelding bred in the Netherlands, claimed reserve champion with a score of 7.46. Owner and rider Ashley Fornell of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, received the award for highest-placed amateur rider in the division.

Winning the silver cup for highest-placed United States-bred horse in the six-year-old division was Raison d’Etre (Regulus—Little Doozie by Uzi), bred in Kentucky by Dreamtime Farm, Inc. Ridden by owner Elly Schobel of Williston, South Carolina, the chestnut American Warmblood gelding earned a score of 7.22 for a top five placing in the overall division Championship.

In the five-year-old division, an awe-inspiring and dominating performance from Royal Prince (Rohdiamant—Piri Piri by Prince Thatch) captured not only the Championship honors, but also the highest score of the day an impressive 9.14. Ridden to victory by Susanne Owen Hassler, the German-bred dark bay Hanoverian stallion is owned by Hilltop Farm, Inc. of Colora, Maryland. In July, Royal Prince represented the United States in the FEI World Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany, capturing fourth place and the highest finish ever by an American-owned horse.

Winning the five-year-old reserve championship with a score of 8.26 was Sir Sinclair (Lord Sinclair I—Krishna by Flemmingh). The bay Dutch Warmblood stallion, bred in the Netherlands, was ridden by Dorie Addy-Crow and is owned by Iron Spring Farm, Inc. of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Katie Stanton of Carmel, Indiana, earned the award for highest-placed amateur rider in the five-year-old division, on her own bay Dutch Warmblood mare Savanna (Jazz—Wanna by Doruto, bred in the Netherlands) with a score of 7.44 and an overall fifth-place finish. With a score of 7.46, the award for highest-placed U.S.-bred horse and fourth-place overall went to Saint Simmon (Rafurstinels- Katouchels by Goodtimes), ridden by Emilee Reed. The bay Dutch Warmblood gelding was bred by Kim Jackson & Hunters Run Stables, and is owned by Lisa Blackmon of Valley View, Texas.
Horses were judged by international officials Axel Steiner (O-USA), Jayne Ayers (I-USA), and Gary Rockwell (C-USA).

The 2004 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships were hosted by MSEDA Dressage at the Park and were sponsored by Markel Insurance.

Complete results from the Championships will be posted on the Federation website: http://www.usef.org/content/equestrianSports/disciplines/international/2004-YH-Program.php

For more information, contact Sarah Lane, Public Relations Manager, at (859) 225-6974 or e-mail slane@usef.org

USEF press releases are available on our web site www.usef.org

6 Year Old Young Horse Championship Results

5 Year Old Young Horse Championship Results