Wagman and Ebeling Scores on Future Pathway Horses Heatcliffe and Bellini at 2021 CDI-W Thermal

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2021 CDI-W Thermal

U.S. Olympic team reserve rider Nick Wagman and shortlisted rider Benjamin Ebeling were victorious on the last day of competition at the 2021 CDI-W Thermal in California (22 - 24 October 2021) aboard their future pathway horses Heatcliffe and Bellini.

Nick Wagman piloted Heatcliff, owned by Beverly Jean Gepfer, to top honors in the 1* Intermediaire I, while Ben Ebeling and ACR Enterprises Inc.’s Bellini won the 3* Intermediate I Freestyle.

Wuthering Heights with Heatcliffe

San Diego-native Wagman closed out his week with a win Sunday morning in the 1* Intermediate I riding the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Heatcliff (by Florencio x Olivi). Making their debut in CDI competition this week, the pair received a score of 69.794%, earning high marks for their skillful display of pirouettes and flying changes.

Though Wagman has only been partnered with the gelding for two years, they have been progressively moving up the ranks since their start in Second Level competition. Wagman and Heatcliff dominated competition at Thermal as they rode to the win the day prior in the 1* Prix St. Georges with a score of 70.529%. The pair impressed the judges Saturday with their display of extended canter and balance in the eight-meter collected trot circle.

“He is owned by Beverly Jean Gepfer and Kirk Martins and I’ve had him for about two and a half years," said Wagman. "He was doing Second Level when we got him so we’ve come a long way and it’s really exciting. This is his first CDI, so we can’t complain about how he did. He’s a really fun horse to work with but with some challenges. He’s really noise sensitive, I’ve never had a horse this noise sensitive before. Everything depends on him getting acclimated to loud speakers and clapping and paper moving, so we’ve come a long way and I really feel like his confidence is growing. I’m super excited about where we’re headed.”

Whirlwind Year

Coming off of a whirlwind year qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Wagman looks forward to settling at home in San Diego to focus on his younger mounts for the upcoming 2022 season.

"I think having gone through the whole process and experienced everything it took to get to Tokyo, not only to qualify for the team but to actually get to Tokyo, I think I am a lot stronger. I think I realized there is a lot of stuff to not sweat anymore and take it all in stride. To realize, for me at least, the larger picture is the Olympics or something of that level so these wonderful shows are just a learning tool to help get to that place.”

Though Wagman has had to work diligently with Heatcliff to overcome noise sensitivity, he spoke highly of the gelding’s talent and promising future. He hopes to begin competing with Heatcliff in Intermediate II competition by the spring of 2022.

"I think he has really improved in his collection and he’s getting stronger," Nick said about his Inter I ride. "I’m feeling the piaffe-passage starting to develop at home and it’s showing in the test work as well. It’s still just a matter of him getting strong to consistently do that in the test, but his canter work and his pirouettes were a highlight today. He got all of his changes. There was some spookiness in there but considering it all he is now able to pull it back together and get through the test. I’m just thrilled that he is doing this. Huge thanks to my amazing groom Jose Alaniz who I can’t do anything without. He gets a ton of the credit because he spent hours walking [Heatcliff] around getting him used to the golf carts and everything. It’s not just me out there, it’s everyone.”

Ben and Bellini

Later in the afternoon, athletes gathered for the 3* Intermediate I Freestyle. In the end, it was Ebeling who rose to the occasion aboard Bellini, a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare (by Bertoli W x Weltmeyer). Showcasing Karen Robinson’s choreography, Ebeling and Bellini proved they were the ones to watch, scoring a 73.725% to top the class. Ebeling showcased the mare’s talent through flying changes on a curved line, as well as transitioning into a trot half-pass immediately out of a halt.

One handed extended trot by Ebeling on Bellini

"I think the highlights were the changes on the curved line," Ebeling said about his test. "She also has some really great half passes coming out of the halt directly into a trot half pass. That’s a difficult move for most horses as the queue is the same for the canter so they get confused. But she just handles it perfectly. I think it was a really great pattern for her.”

The mare has been under Ebeling’s family training since she was 3 years old, now moving up the ranks with him in the irons. He looks forward to eventually competing with Bellini at Grand Prix.

"She has been in my family since she was 3 years old. We bred her in Europe with a friend of ours Christian Heinrich and it’s been a horse that my dad was training. I started riding Behlinger in the Young Riders and [Bellini] was a horse for after. She’s really come into her own and today was awesome for her," said Benjamin.

Taking second place in the class was Laura DeCesari aboard Pamela Farthing’s 11-year-old KWPN mare Flower-Power (by United out of Watch Me, by Gribaldi). The duo rode to the musical stylings of Frozen, showcasing finesse around the arena to earn a score of 72.750%. The judges awarded the pair high marks for their shoulder-in and flying changes. DeCesari and Flower-Power most recently qualified for the 2021 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, earning fourth place in the Intermediate I Freestyle Final.