Lexington, KY – Some of the most promising dressage prospects in the country were showcased in the quest to qualify for the FEI World Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany, as the 2007 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program kicked off with two of the three official selection trials.

The first selection trial took place at Dressage at Lamplight, May 18-20 in Wayne, IL, as part of the central selection trial. In the five-year-old division, the championship was awarded to Solaris Hit, a black Hanoverian mare (Sandro Hit x Great Rubina, by Rubinstein I; bred in Germany by Heinrich Giesselmann). This mare was triumphantly ridden by owner Rebecca Knollman of Maineville, OH, to an overall score of 7.808. Reserve Champion was Vanessa Carlson’s dark bay Hanoverian mare, Roccoca WF, (Rienzi x Turtletaubchen, by Tin Rocco; bred in the United States by Vanessa Carlson, Claremore, OK), ridden by Verena Stock to an overall score of 7.320.

Claiming the six-year-old central selection trial championship with an overall two-test score of 7.128 was Welt Cup, a bay Hanoverian gelding (Weltmeyer x Graefin, by Gambler’s Cup; bred in Germany by Fenna Schulte Landwehr) and ridden to victory by Louisa Marcelle Eadie for owner Judith Sloan of Millbrook, NY.

The second Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials continued at Dressage at Flintridge, May 25-27 in La Canada-Flintridge, CA, as part of the Western selection trial. Champion of the five-year-old division with an overall two-test score of 8.376 was Lord Albert, a bay Hanoverian gelding (Londonderry x Brenda, by Brentano; bred in Germany by Dr. Albert Schmidt), ridden and owned by David Blake of Westlake Village, CA. Reserve Champion was DG Bar Ranch’s U.S.-bred Valeska DG, a chestnut Dutch Warmblood mare (Krack C x Polimbria, by Farrington), ridden by Willy Arts to an overall score of 8.112.

Claiming the Six-Year-Old Western Selection Trial Championship was Sancette, a bay Hanoverian gelding (Sandro Hit – Cascade by Contender; bred in Germany by Dietrich Meyer), and ridden to victory with an overall score of 8.020 by Dirk Glitz of San Jose, CA, for owner Gwen Blake of Enumclaw, WA. Only five one-hundredths of a point behind with an overall score of 7.968 was Lars Holmberg of Sylmar, CA, with his bay Danish Warmblood stallion, Mix Max DVH 840 (Milan x Gitte by Bajazzo; bred in Denmark by Joergen Olsen).

The third and final Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trial will be held at the CDI-W/Y/J Raleigh and Capital Dressage Classic, June 1-3 in North Carolina.

For more information, contact Jennifer Keeler, USEF’s National Director of Dressage, at (859) 225-2024 or via e-mail at [email protected].
~~~