Lexington, KY - The Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials concluded the 2010 qualifying season with competitions held across the country in Illinois, California and Virginia to select the U.S. representatives for the 2010 FEI World Breeding Championships to be held in Verden, Germany, August 5 - 8, 2010.

The first Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trial was held at CDI 3*/Y/J Wayne & Dressage at Lamplight in Wayne, IL, May 21 - 23, 2010.

Dominating the Five-Year-Old division was WakeUp, a black American Warmblood stallion (Wagnis x Maiden Montreal by Macho) owned and ridden by Emily Wagner. Bred in the United States by Beverly McLean, WakeUp earned an overall Selection Trial score of 8.232 to claim the Championship and qualify for the USEF Short List for Verden. Reserve Champion was the chestnut Swedish Warmblood Beall Spring Savanna (Bellini x Sahara by Chapman), who was bred in the United States by owner Thora Pollack. This mare was ridden by Shelly Reichart to an overall score of 7.384.

In the Six-Year-Old division, Kassandra Barteau rode Grand Prix Equestrian's black Hanoverian gelding GP Super Crusador (Stedinger x Weltgraefin by Weltmeyer, bred in Germany by Hermann Meyer) to an overall score of 7.468 and the Selection Trial Championship.

Next was the Western Selection Trial held at Dressage at Flintridge, May 28 - 30, 2010 in La Canada-Flintridge, CA. For the Five-Year-Olds, Champion was Mark Carter riding his own dark chestnut Hanoverian stallion Bellino (Belissimo M x Donnacette by Donnerhall, bred in Germany by Gerlinde Reinhardt) to an overall score of 7.628. Willy Arts rode the chestnut Dutch Warmblood gelding Amethyst (United x Gita by Seclusive Z, bred in The Netherlands by JMJ Van Arkel) to the Reserve Championship for owner Joan Williams with a score of 7.600.

Sweeping the Six-Year-Old division was the 2009 Five-Year-Old National Champion Selten HW, a black Hanoverian stallion (Sandro Hit x High Princess by Hohenstein, bred in the United States by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold), ridden by owner Elizabeth Ball to an overall score of 8.564. Reserve Champion with a score of 7.736 was Willy Arts and Zalona DG (Olympic Ferro x Jagermeester by Wanroij, bred in the United States by DG Bar Ranch), a black Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Sandra Harper.

The final Selection Trial was held at VADA/NOVA Summer Dressage in Leesburg, VA, June 4 - 6, 2010. Champion of the Five-Year-Old division with an overall two-test score of 7.804 was Suntreader (Sandro Hit x Rivage by Rubirando, bred in the United States). The bay Oldenburg gelding was ridden by Inga Janke for owner and breeder Pamela Erdman. Reserve Champion was Betsy Spence's Aesthete (Trento B x Unusual by Gribaldi, bred in The Netherlands by GEBR Van Der Steen). This bay Dutch Warmblood gelding, who was crowned National Champion Four-Year-Old in 2009, was ridden by Karen Monks-Reilly to an overall score of 7.764.

Claiming the Six-Year-Old Selection Trial Championship with an overall score of 7.752 was De Facto (Don Rubin x Fuerstenstern by Rouletto, bred in Germany by Sager Berit Jens Zuchtgemeinschast), a black Oldenburg gelding ridden by Christopher Schruefer for owner Martha Singh. The Reserve Championship was awarded to Zandor (Florencio x Nancy BS by Amulet, bred in The Netherlands by J.B.F. Heemink), a brown Dutch Warmblood gelding ridden and owned by Laura Wharton-Mero to an overall score of 7.448.

In order to qualify for the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Short List, horses must have earned an overall score of 8.2 or better at one of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials or via international competitions. Qualifying for this year's Short List is WakeUp and Emily Wagner (5-year-old) from the Central Selection Trial, and Selten HW and Elizabeth Ball (six-year-old) from the Western Selection Trial.

For complete Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program information, please visit the Federation website, www.usef.org, or contact Jennifer Keeler, USEF National Director of Dressage, at [email protected].