I received official notification in mid October from the USEF that I was selected to be the United States representative at the Young Rider World Cup Final. Watson and I were going to Frankfurt in six weeks! I took a deep breath and began to organize my thoughts-there was a lot of planning and organization to be done. I also knew that my trainer, Marcel van der Burgh was going to be very demanding before leaving for Germany.

The next six weeks went by in a flash. I was back in school, training with Watson, packing equipment, working with my mother on hotel, transportation and other arrangements as well as finding the most efficient and safe travel logistics for Watson. My parents and I left from Miami on November 28 and arrived in Germany the following morning. The change in temperature was more than 40 degrees which I knew would be a big surprise for Watson. Marcel and Watson were scheduled to leave on Tuesday morning from Cherry Knoll Farm in Wellington en route to Miami for an afternoon flight to Amsterdam. It took several hours after arrival in Amsterdam for Watson and my equipment to clear customs. The final leg of the trip was an eight hour lorry ride to Kronberg, a beautiful town located 15 kilometer from Frankfurt. Marcel and Watson arrived at 9:30 on Wednesday evening-they had been traveling for 30 hours!

My parents and I had visited Schafhof, the farm of Ann Katrin Linsenhof, Klaus-Martin Rath and Matthais Rath earlier on Wednesday to make introduction and prepare for Watson’s arrival. Schafhof is the most beautiful equestrian facility. It is architecturally magnificent but so functional for horses and the people caring for them. We were welcomed in the most gracious manner by the Linsenhof-Rath family and everyone on the staff was helpful and enjoyable.

Marcel and I along with Dr. Patterson developed a schedule that would provide enough time for Watson to recover from his long travel, new environment and change in weather. The first four days would be for light work with training to begin on Monday. The indoor arena or reithalle at Schafhof is big with terrific footing. On most mornings Ann Katrin Linsenhof, Matthais Rath, and two or three other riders would be training in the reithalle. It was a great experience. On most afternoons I saw Totilas walking in the arena as he recovered from a minor injury (which was reported in the press).

We developed a routine over the next week. Mornings were for training, early afternoon for lunch (and getting warm as it was cold and damp) and later in the afternoon for equipment maintenance, hand walk Watson in the arena, laundry and other barn chores. Our nights were for fun and experiencing different restaurants in town. Kronberg is known for having a beautiful Christmas fair. We went Friday and Saturday night. The food was fantastic.

The beginning of a new week brought a new schedule. We would go to Frankfurt on Wednesday at 3 PM. I rode the PSG test on Monday and Tuesday and we were packing for the show. On Wednesday morning I rode my freestyle and then it was time to get Watson ready for a lorry ride. A few hours hours later the equipment was loaded, Watson was safely on board and I was in the front seat of the big lorry with the Schafhof driver heading for Frankfurt.

Arriving at the Festhalle in Frankfurt was a great experience. Show management was very organized with stall assignments as well as distributing straw and hay. The stalls were located in a big indoor garage. I could tell this would be a busy place over the next day as both dressage and jumper horses arrived. We unloaded our equipment, set up Watson’s stall and went to look at the venue. The Festhalle was decorated for Christmas with lighting everywhere. There were box seats at arena level and a full balcony of seating above. Retail shops and food vendors were located throughout the building It was now 6 PM and the arena would be available for riding between 8 and 10 PM. We sat in the stands and had a sandwich. I knew some energy would be required for the evening activity.

Watson and I entered the arena at 8 PM-so did 40 other horse and rider combinations. Dressage horses and jumper horses riding in every direction and at every speed. It was fun... so is NASCAR on the final lap. Just remember to keep your head up and stay focused. Riding in the Festhalle was so cool-very bright and electric with all the riders. Many of the finest riders in the world were to my left and right. There was also much activity outside the ring as the vendors were bringing in merchandise and setting up their booths. Watson was relatively calm and we had a quality thirty minute warm up. We would be back at 6:30 in the morning to do it again.

The next day, vet check began at 3 PM. Watson was great at the jog-a true professional. We were in and out in ten minutes. Later in the afternoon was the draw hosted by Ann Katrin Linsenhof and the senior executive from DB Shenker, the lead sponsor for the Young Riders competition. I drew number three out of fourteen. Thursday night would be early to bed after night check as the Prix St Georges class was the following morning.

Watson and I had a solid warm up and we were ready to ride our PSG test. As we came from the dim light of the warm up tent toward the stage lights in the Festhalle Watson also lit up. I gave him a pat on the shoulder and a “good boy” and we were off. I was very focused and only paid attention to Watson for the next six minutes. Only after did I see the people and hear the noise. Our ride was mistake free and I was very happy, but had a feeling the 65.5 score I received would not be enough to make the A final as the scores would increase later in the class.

Friday evening was a social night beginning with a reception for the Young Riders hosted by the mayor of Frankfurt at his offices in a beautiful building. We were welcomed by the mayor and the sponsors. Next was a champagne toast and the draw for the A and B freestyle competition for Saturday and Sunday. I would ride 4th on Sunday morning. Of course my new goal was to do well in the B final. We all returned by bus to the Hotel Hessischer Hof for a beautiful reception and dinner hosted by Ann Katrin Linsenhof and Klaus Martin Rath. Most of the riders sat at one table and we had a great time sharing stories and learning about one another.

Saturday was a day to train in the morning and watch the senior Grand Prix in the afternoon. The evening was the Young Rider A final won by Sanneke Rothenberger with Carina Nevermann Torup second. I enjoyed watching during the day but my mind was focused on Sunday morning. I went to sleep early and was up and out of the hotel by 6 AM. Watson and I had a good walk and then it was off to the warm up ring.

I love to ride my freestyle. The music makes me feel wonderful and Watson knows it is showtime when he hears the introduction. We had a great ride and received a score of 68.8. The comments from the judges were positive and we were second place to a lovely combination from Switzerland. I will remember my freestyle in the Festhalle for the rest of my life and cherish the ribbon, trophy and picture presented in the arena.

Now it was time to pack. As we all know, everything that comes off the lorry has to go back on. Except for the food and hay consumed during the show! I spotted Patrick Kittels in the aisle across and made introduction. Watson had been in his barn two years ago and he had sent me a congratulatory email following young riders in July. It was fun to hear about a part of Watson’s history.

We returned to Schafhof on Sunday afternoon for a few days until Watson was scheduled to fly back to Miami on Thursday. It was now time to relax and give Watson a few days of long and low before heading home. I had so many emotions-happy to be done, sad it was over; but most of all thankful for the opportunity to compete and experience..

2011 was an amazing year for me. I could not have imagined two gold medals at Young Riders and winning the young rider championship at Gladstone. To be honest, the year did not begin well. The training program previous to my partnership with Marcel was not working for Watson or me. We needed to understand him better and I have to thank Marcel who began training me and Watson last May along with Dr. Bill Patterson, Sal Salvetti, Ira Green and my mother, Renee Leibler for listening to Watson. He is a wonderful horse, partner and friend. Upon return to Wellington I stabled Watson at Diamonte Farm in October and was welcomed by Devon Kane and Michelle Gibson. In November our planned move to Cherry Knoll Farm occurred and I want to thank Margaret Duprey and Todd Flettrich for their support as I was preparing for the Young Rider competition.
It was a unique experience to be a United States representative at the age of sixteen. I met so many wonderful people along the way. My team mates at young riders, competitors at Gladstone and my new friends in Germany. A big thank you to the USEF for their support and also to Lendon Gray, Robert Dover, Jessica Ransehousen and Gary Rockwell for their training, advice and counsel during final preparation. I am honored to join the small group of US riders to compete in Frankfurt and look forward to helping other young riders who have the opportunity to enjoy the experience.