Prior to the $25,000 Open Jumper, the evening session opened with the second annual Dressage Night, featuring the Continental Cup--a team Musical Freestyle competition. Riders at Grand Prix, Intermediaire I and First Level made up each of three teams. The riders on the Park Avenue Team won the Gold medal with a total score of 239. The team consisted of Cynthia Payne of Jupiter, FL, aboard Laredo, with a score of 81% in the Grand Prix; Gabriel Armando of Argentina who resides in Flemington, NJ, riding Euclid, with a score of 80% in the Intermediaire I; and Isabelle Leibler, 9, of Greenwich, CT, riding her German pony Get the Picture, with a score of 78%.

The Silver medal went to the Madison Avenue Team with 221 points. Making up the team were: Paige Finnegan of Chelmsford, PA, riding Karola I, who earned 67% in the Grand Prix; Silke Rembacz of Readington, NJ, aboard Bulgari, who scored 76% in the Intermediare-I; and Chelsea Allen, 11, of Eire, PA, riding Don’t Tell Daddy, who earned 78% at First Level.

The Bronze medal went to the Fifth Avenue Team, comprised of Silke Rembacz aboard Connecticut who scored 73% in the Grand Prix; 1976 Montreal Olympian Dorothy Morkis of Dover, MA, aboard Mr. Big, who earned 79% in the Intermediaire-I; and Rachel Chowanec, 10, of Columbia, CT, riding Hakunamatata, who scored 62% at First Level.

Individual ribbons were awarded to the riders based on their individual scores, with Chelsea Allen taking the blue for First Level (the tie was broken on the technical score of the freestyle); Gabriel Armando was the top scorer at Intermediaire I; and Cynthia Payne was the high scorer at Grand Prix.

“What I loved about my performance was that Laredo really rises to occasions like this,” said Payne. “He really enjoys the spotlight, and I love that. He gives 200% every time out, and tonight was another 200% night. I’m very proud of him.”

The duo has been together for four years and came up through the ranks from Fourth Level. They trained with Dutch Olympian Anky Van Grunsven and later with Bert Rutten, the coach of the Dutch Olympic Team. This was Payne’s first experience with the National Horse Show. “This has been a real treat. It’s a privilege to do this for a living and a privilege to be in such a great horse show,” she said.

Rembacz was competing in her second Continental Cup and this year rode two horses, filling in at the last moment for injured rider Courtney King. “I enjoy coming because it is a very old, prestigious competition,” said Silke. “I enjoy the fact that this is something that jumpers and dressage can do together a little bit. I also enjoy coming in to Manhattan. The audience is really great. It’s fun that we’re invited to come here and show a little bit of what we do.”

“It’s good to come back to the city and show,” said Armand, a former Manhattan banker who is now a professional rider who competed for Argentina in the 2003 Pan American Games. “I think the public of New York need to get closer to dressage, and when they do, I think they will enjoy it. This is a show that people can come to and enjoy. I brought 20 people who were there clapping for me. Next year I’ll bring more!”

The Dressage Night competition was by invitation only. The riders were selected and teamed up by two-time Olympian Lendon Gray, who also acted as announcer for the night’s freestyles. The judges were Margaret Freeman of Mt. Kisco, NY, and Heather Mason of Lebanon, NJ.