Traverse City, MI - The 2010 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 2 Dressage Championships continued on Saturday at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, MI. Yvonne Barteau, of Maple Park, IL, had a great day with her mount GP Raymeister, first winning the FEI Intermediaire II Championship and then topping the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle Championship later in the day. The championship classes are being held in conjunction with the Dressage by the Bay Fall Classic, which offers a full schedule of competition through the grand prix level and concluding September 12.

Competition in the Grand Prix Ring was judged by Scott Petersen at 'R' and Hilda Gurney at 'C', with many of the Midwest's top horses and riders competing throughout the day. In the FEI Intermediaire II Championship, Barteau and GP Raymeister took top honors over second-place finishers Judy Kelly and Rakker. Barteau and 'Ray' then went on to win the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle Championship over George Williams and his mount Don Bailey.

GP Raymeister is an 11-year-old Holsteiner Stallion (Rantares x Miss Nickel Annie), owned by Gina Frantz of Grand Prix Equestrian. Barteau and her husband run their business, KYB Dressage, out of Frantz's farm and run a 63-stall training facility. "Gina has been a great sponsor of ours and we are also good friends. She is so nice and supportive and it is great that she lets us keep the horses and work through all of the levels with them," Barteau stated.

Ray was purchased as a seven-year-old when he was still competing as a Training Level horse and Barteau rode him for the first year-and-a-half until her daughter, Kassandra, took over the ride and took Ray to the Young Rider World Cup Finals last year. "We switched over during the winter, and I started working with him again, and it has worked out really nicely with us," Barteau explained. "I will probably keep him and finish him for the Grand Prix for another season and then go on."

Barteau commented on both the Intermediaire I Freestyle and Intermediaire II tests, first stating, "I like freestyles, and I spend a lot of time playing around with freestyles. As far as an Intermediaire I freestyle, I think this is the best one that I have put together music wise and the way it works out. If it works and he rides his music nicely, it is very nice to watch and really fun to ride."

"The Intermediaire II is a stretch for him," she continued. "He did Gladstone and won the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I championships there, and I had enough scores to qualify and I think he was great today. He is super honest, and I think that he is going to be a good Grand Prix horse next year. I could not have asked for him to be any better; I did not even care how the scores worked out, I was just super happy with how good he was. It is very new to him, and he is not strong enough in the piaffe and passage, but he has a good idea. He is really good in the one-tempis and I was happy with all of the canter work."

"He is good; stallions are not always 100% reliable, and I underestimated my warm-up yesterday because the weather changed," Barteau added. "It was cold and he has a lot of energy and he is super fit, but today it worked out. I have never seen him get tired, which is kind of nice when you have an FEI horse that is so ambitious."

This was Barteau's first time competing in Traverse City, and she noted what a great time she has had. "This is our first time here and we love it," she smiled. "The footing is fabulous, the management is fabulous and everyone is really helpful. I absolutely think it is a great place to show."

In addition to the exciting Freestyle classes held in the evening on Saturday, Hampton Green Farm, known nation-wide for their dedication to dressage and to the development of the PRE Horse for Dressage in America, hosted a Dressage 4 Kids Fundraiser and exhibitor party. The fundraiser featured a silent auction which included riding helmets donated from English Riding Supply and other retail pieces donated by Sporthorse Saddlery and Equine Source among others. Funds collected from the auction and from ticket sales to the exhibitor party will go directly back to Dressage 4 Kid's extensive education campaign. Started by trainer Lendon Gray, Dressage 4 Kid's mission is to encourage riders under 21 to become true horseman with correct position, competitive skills and knowledge of all aspects of riding and horse care; to offer scholarship to enable competitors to further their education; to have fun and to develop good sportsmanship throughout.

Horse Sports by the Bay would like to thank the title sponsor Great American Insurance Group, as well as the United States Dressage Federation for choosing Flintfields Horse Park to host this special event. Tuff Rider is the official supplier of championship jackets and coolers. Dressage by the Bay sponsors include series title sponsor Hampton Green Farm and morning hospitality sponsor Linda Wanstreet's Lost World Farms LLC, and LWF Sporthorses.

For more information, visit www.horseshowsbythebay.com.

ENDS