Rachael Hicks, James Koford, Heather McCarthy and Amy Leach were the FEI level title winners on the last day of national championship action at the 2015 US Dressage Finals for adult amateurs and non-high performance riders, held November 5-8, 2015 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
Rachael Hicks of nearby Prospect, Ky. (Region 2) and her black Westfalen gelding Fabio Bellini (Fuerst Heinrich x Dakota by Davignon I) have proven to be an unbeatable combination at this year’s Finals, and today they added the Prix St. Georges Adult Amateur Championship to their resume with a score of 69.079%, earning the right to have their names engraved on the Janine Westmoreland Malone Perpetual Trophy presented by USDF. “Fabio was a little tired today – I had to work for it to keep it going, but he’s such a trier and gives me everything he’s got. I think the competition has been tougher here this year, and it’s a great thing to see,” said Hicks, who now has her sights set on some new goals. “I’ve never done a CDI or a freestyle, so I think that will be a goal for me now, maybe in the CDI Adult Amateur division which could be a great way to get my feet in that type of competition. I think it would be fun and add a new challenge for us.” Heather Mason’s Hanoverian cross mare Damani (Duvall x Gqdiva by Gesandt, bred in the U.S. by Virginia Godfrey) carried Alexandra Krossen of Basking Ridge, N.J. (qualified in Region 8) to her third Reserve Championship title of the weekend thanks to a score of 68.202%. “I felt like she was more relaxed today, very happy and on her game,” said Krossen. “She has a lot of talent for piaffe and passage, so now we’ll see about moving her up. I’d like to thank my family and trainer and everyone from the farm that helped me get here.”
In the Prix St. Georges Open Championship, James Koford of Raleigh, N.C. (qualified in Region 3) and the impressive seven-year-old black Hanoverian stallion Doctor Wendell MF (Don Principe x Stellar Hit MF by Sandro Hit, owned and bred in the U.S. by Maryanna Haymon) earned a top score of 72.982% and were awarded the New Miki Christophersen Perpetual Trophy presented by USDF Region 4. “I was immensely happy with my ride today. For me, it was a shot at redemption because we went to the Developing Horse National Championships at Lamplight in August, and I just did not have the results I wanted. This was our chance at a second shot and it worked out,” said Koford after the ride. “I am a big fan of this horse and hope to do right by him. Even though he is only seven, he has an amazing talent for pirouettes and his strength is that he has no weaknesses! He is so happy when he goes. I enjoy riding him and the judges obviously enjoy watching him because he does everything with such joy and exuberance.” Heather Mason of Lebanon, N.J. (Region 8) wrapped up her busy weekend with the Reserve Championship aboard her Hanoverian gelding Romantico SF (Romancero H x Wesermelodie by Wenzel I) with 71.096%. “He was super, unfortunately I missed the last flying change after the extended canter which was costly, but he was really really good. I really like coming here, all my clients had a lot of fun, it’s such a great show.” Also of note, the lovely Wesfalen mare Rocky Lane (Rock Forever by Rica) ridden and owned by Rebecca Knollman of Maineville, Ohio finished fourth in this division and was presented with the Lloyd Landkamer Perpetual Trophy for FEI Highest Scoring Mare (presented by Janet Foy) for their score of 70.044% earned in their winning ride in Friday’s Intermediate I Open Championship.
In the Intermediate II Open division, less than four-tenths of a point separated the top three finishers but ultimately emerging as Champion with 68.509% was Heather McCarthy of Prairie Grove, Ill. (qualified in Region 2) riding Sandi Chohany’s Oldenburg gelding Sandro Paix (Sandro Hit x Ariyola by Absatz), a horse she’s developed all the way from Second Level. “In Saturday night’s Grand Prix freestyle, the atmosphere was a little too electric for him, so for this class I really focused on trying to have a relaxed ride and he was a different horse today. It was a very nice fluid test and I was very happy, he stayed with me,” said McCarthy. Stacy Parvey-Larsson of Reddick, Fla. (Region 3) finished a close second with 68.158% aboard Benidetto, a Hanoverian stallion (Belissimo M x Crispy Sweet by Cordoba) who she owns with Linda Woltz and has also brought along from a young age. “I got him in the fall of 2009 and brought him through the young and developing horse programs. The journey’s been amazing,” said Parvey-Larsson. “It’s a little bit like rolling the dice with a stallion, but he was a really good boy and came through for me today. He was spot on and I’m really happy with him.”
Amy Leach of South Elgin, Ill. (Region 2) overcame her show nerves to ride her Holsteiner gelding Radcliffe (Rantares x Felicitious by Coriolan, bred in the U.S. by Cheryl Kellerman) to a score of 65.351% for the unanimous victory under all three judges in the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship. “I’ve had him since he was three and he’s 17 now, so we’ve journeyed together all the way from green-as-grass to Grand Prix and have done all our training together,” said Leach. “My ride today was incredible, it was the culmination of everything we’ve been working on with both the technical and psychological aspects of the test. To be able to just ride in the moment and do the best that we could – it was an incredible feeling.” After earning 63.947% for Reserve Championship honors with her Hanoverian gelding Wilby (Walt Disney I x Doretta by Darling), lawyer Phyllis Sumner of Atlanta, Ga. (Region 3) mirrored so many other Finals competitors as she was headed to the airport to get right back to “real life” and a full day of meetings on Monday. “It was a little bit of a challenging weekend for me as I’ve been under the weather and had a very hot horse, but he settled into a good ride today,” she explained. “I appreciated how my horse was working so hard for me and that’s one of the things I love about him. Just being here has been spectacular.”
by Jennifer Keeler - Photos © Sue Stickle
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