Donna Ponessa (USA) Grade Ia and Silvano (Photo by Lindsay Y McCall)

Katy, TX - April 27, 2012- Friday's Para-Equestrian Dressage competition at the Houston Dress Society (HDS) Spring Classic I & II CPEDI3* included the Team Test competition. Each horse and rider combination put forward their best technical execution of their respective test in Grade Ia, Ib, II, III and IV. Friday's FEI Ground Jury included Kathy Amos-Jacob (FRA), David Schmutz (USA), and Carlos Lopes (POR). For the United States the HDS Spring Classic I & II CPEDI3* is the last individual qualifier for the 2012 USEF Paralympics Selection Trials. For Canada, this is one more opportunity to gain international experience in a large venue such as the Great Southwest Equestrian Center under FEI judges and fellow competitors. The HDS CPEDI3* is sponsored by The COR Group and is running alongside the CDI3*and CDI1* sponsored by North Texas Equestrian Center and $10,000 HDS Dressage Derby.

With her qualifying score already obtained, Grade Ia rider Donna Ponessa (New Windsor, NY) has been focusing on her borrowed mount, Dr. Michele Miles' horse Silvano. Ponessa's ability to focus her athleticism and attitude without distraction has resulted in the top Grade Ia division score. Ponessa added, "I was thrilled with my overall performance Friday. With London on my mind, I am aiming for perfection so in my mind 70 percents are what I need to be pulling. However, I was thrilled with how the horse went and the way I was able to make the corrections that were needed. I am very appreciative of my trainer Wes (Dunham) setting Silvano up. He stayed nice and round and forward which is exactly what we wanted so all he had to do was his great walk. Now that I savored it, it is back to work for Saturday."

Following Ponessa for the second place finish in Grade Ia is Laura Goldman (Highland Heights, OH). After a successful CPEDI3*in California, United States teammate Laura Goldman partnered up with Patrick Truxillo's horse VPRH Pegasus VOM Niehaus-HOF. The pair will continue together through the weekend.

With a minor tempo change across the diagonal, Canadian Jody Schloss completed her test earning a 67.941%. Schloss dominated this winter while showing in Wellington, Florida and her success in the United States will hopefully translate to earning a spot on the Equine Canada Team that is headed to London.

Hometown Para-Dressage athlete Jonathan Wentz consistency in the Grade Ib division has net him top ribbons aboard Dr. Michele Miles' horse Silvano and Rachel Zent's NTEC Jabriel. Wentz executed his Team Tests showcasing freedom at each pace, the desire for his horses to move forward naturally, and technical accuracy. Under the tutelage of Kai Handt, Wentz is looking forward to preparing for the 2012 USEF Selection Trials.

In June, Wentz and his fellow United States Para-Equestrians will head to Gladstone, NJ where they will compete for the 2012 USEF London Paralympics Selection Trials and Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship. Olympian Courtney King-Dye will be joining the United States riders as a result of obtaining the score she needed to head to Gladstone as a Grade Ia Para-Equestrian. This has been a long journey for Courtney since her accident in 2010. "I am relieved that I earned my qualifying score," smiled Courtney. "To be showing again feels like coming home. Today was accompanied by a bit of anxiety, but now that I'm qualified, the next two days will be pure joy!"

Andrea Hart from Katy, TX graciously allowed both Sydney Collier and Courtney King-Dye to rider her talented horse Nicolai. Courtney noted, "Nicolai is the absolute perfect horse for this. He is beautiful, built on the bit, good off the leg and has an unbelievable temperament. Like any ride, there are points in the test you know will be difficult, but Nicolai was extremely willing to be corrected. I had my working student, Koryn Staehling, warm him up for me and work on the problem points. Of course, my issues are still my issues! My two problem points with him are turning right off the centerline and free walk on the diagonal going from right to left, so I took advantage of the 10 minutes I gave myself before my Clonus kicked in and did that repeatedly."

As with all international competition it takes a team to get to the show ring. Courtney agreed, "I want to thank so many people who been with me through this journey. I want to thank Kathy Jones from the Houston Dressage Society, Andrea Hart for loaning me the wonderful Nicolai, Lendon for coming and helping me, my working student, Koryn Staehling, and the numerous supporters who funded my trip here. This discipline is great. It gives all of us who have the passion and discipline for focused competition an avenue to enact our passion."

One very talented duo in the Para-Equestrian discipline is Lauren Barwick who is a Four-Star Parelli Professional and earned Gold and Silver for Team Canada at the 2008 Hong Kong Paralympics. The Houston Dressage Society CPEDI3* will be Barwick's last international horse show before heading to Canada for London preparation

Barwick and the Equine Canada mare, Off To Paris, continued to impress the judges with their finesse and execution of the Grade II Tests. Barwick earned the overall top score of the day in the Team competition with a 72.776%. "I was very happy with the mare," explained Barwick. "Paris went in and accomplished everything we were looking for her to do today. The basis of today was relaxation and Paris proved to do that really well. We now know what we need to add for the Individual competition tomorrow, so we will spice it up a bit."

While in Houston Barwick's team of support includes team mate and competitor Jody Schloss, Chef d'Equipe Mary Longden, coach Jessica Rhinelander, and groom Tori Murrly-Elley.

Off To Paris and Barwick have maintained a consistent training program throughout the 2012 year and after a quick trip to Washington for a demonstration she will head up to Canada to work with Equine Canada's National Coach Andrea Taylor.

Following Barwick for the second place position is Kim Jones (Georgetown, SC) and Nancy Hinz's horse Madoc Dylan. In third was Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, MI) and Nicolai, followed by Californian Barbara Adside and NTEC Manchada.

Grade III winner was Wendy Fryke of Parker, CO and her Westphalian Stallion Lateran who earned a 64.259%.

In the Grade IV division Jennifer Baker (Loveland, OH) and Kathy Jones' horse Rondo Del Rey earned the first place finish with newcomer Para-Equestrian Iana Gonzalez and her mounts Farol and Isleno Arm owned by Raul Armendariz of Montebello, CA.

Saturday will be the final day to qualify as an individual for the United States Para-Equestrian riders. Saturday begins at 8:00 a.m. and will continue through 11:00 a.m. On Sunday, April 29, 2012 the Freestyle Test competition will occur with the awards ceremony to follow.