The 2015 U.S. Young & Developing Horse Championships got underway on Thursday 20 August 2015 at the Lamplight Equestrian Center with three preliminary tests: the USEF 4-Year-Old Test, the FEI 5-Year-Old Young Horse Preliminary Test, and the Prix St. Georges Test for developing small tour horses. Tiko, Rosalut NHF, and Ripline are in the lead in their respective divisions after day one.
Tiko Wins USEF Four-Year-Old Test
Top-ranked Alice Tarjan (Frenchtown, N.J.) stole the show in the field of 13 as her own Danish Warmblood Tiko (by Temptation x Akinos) and the American bred Oldenburg mare Donatella M (by Furstenball x Jazz Time) took first and second place. Tiko performed with a lot of confidence, showed clear rhythm in his walk, and displayed good balance in his canter for an overall score of 7.860. Donatella M performed a great free walk and demonstrated good balance and scope during his canter for a score of 7.840. The future is bright for Donatella M as the judges see her with the potential to perform at the international level.
“They both have good basic gaits and are rideable. Donatella M is a bit hotter, which I tend to like, but Tiko is very rideable and easy,” said Tarjan.
It was a battle for third place between Vanessa Gesierich-Voltman (Holland, Mich.) and Sharon Wheatley’s KWPN Gladstone (by Uphill x Londonderry) and Brooke Voldbaek (Sherwood, Ore.) and Sonnenberg Farm’s KWPN Generosa S (by Uphill x Farrington). Both horses had a nice canter; however, the judges had a better impression of Gesierich-Voltman and Gladstone due to Gladstone’s confidence and expression and awarded them third place with an overall score of 7.600.
“[Gladstone] is a very nice horse to ride; very willing. His riding ability is great. He’s a little insecure here and there so he needs to get more confidence in the ring. He’s not very experienced in the ring either, but I’m really happy with how he behaved here, and I just enjoy being here. It’s great to see such quality horses and quality riders. It’s very motivating, and very inspiring,” said Gesierich-Voltman.
Rosalut NHF Wins 5-Year-Old Preliminary Test
It was a competitive preliminary for the five-year-olds. However, last year’s 2014 4-Year-Old Champions Carly Taylor-Smith (Malibu, Calif.) and Nikki Taylor-Smith’s Oldenburg Rosalut NHF (by Rosenthal x Salut) dominated the 16-combination field to take top honors in the FEI 5-Year-Old Preliminary Test. Rosalut NHF showed lovely cadence in his trot as well as great uphill balance in his canter for an overall score of 8.580.
“Today was great. We went really calm and really easy so that for Saturday he has confidence, maybe we pep it up a little bit, but today I was really happy,” said Taylor-Smith.
Nearly a seven-point gap separated Smith and Rosalut NHF and second-place finisher Katie Riley (White House Station, N.J.) and Cesar Parra’s Westfalian Don Cesar. Riley and Don Cesar (by Desperados x Manhattan) had a wonderful performance, scoring high individual scores in the trot and walk to give the combination an overall score of 7.900.
“I was so happy with [the ride]. [Don Cesar] was absolutely a star. I couldn’t be more proud of him. I’ve had the ride on him since March. I’m very grateful to Cesar Parra and Marcela Ortiz Parra that I get to ride a horse like him. I think he is one of the best horses I’ve ever sat on,” said Riley. “I’m super grateful to Markel, USEF, and all the sponsors and people who make it possible. It’s just such an important thing for the development of our young horses for them to get used to an atmosphere like this.”
Trailing right behind Riley and Don Cesar was Marcus Orlob (Annandale, N.J.) and his own Oldenburg Shyriana (by Shakespeare RSF x Fabriano) with a score of 7.880. Shyriana’s athleticism, expressiveness, and power impressed the judges as the combination earned high marks in the trot and canter.
Ripline Wins PSG Test for Developing Prix St. Georges Horses
Heather Blitz (Medfield, Mass.) and Oak Hill Ranch LLC’s Danish Warmblood Ripline (by Hotline x Cavan) had the momentum coming into the Prix St. Georges Test. After winning in the Prix St. Georges at HITS Saugerties last weekend, Ripline arrived at the ring with confidence to bring Blitz to victory with a score of 7.289. Since competing as a six-year-old last year, Blitz has been working with Ripline on gaining repetition, collecting muscles, and connection, and it worked for Ripline today.
“The overall test was really consistent. That nothing stood out as super or low, the whole consistency, that’s the character of the horse in general. From show to show, he is a very reliable type so we both can go in the ring with lots of confidence and not wonder what’s going to happen,” said Blitz.
A mere half of a point separated second and third place combinations. Christina Vinios (Wellington, Fla.) and her own Oldenburg Folkestone (by Fidertanz x Rubinstein) took second place with a score of 6.951 and James Koford (Raleigh, N.C.) and Maryanna Haymon’s Hanoverian Doctor Wendell MF (by Don Principe x Sandro Hit) came in third with a score of 6.903.
“I’m happy that I went in and had a pretty clean test. I had a little bit of excitement in the warm-up so I was slightly conservative as he was a little sensitive to the noise, but he held it together in the test,” said Vinios.
Photos © Sue Stickle
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