Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Program graduates include U.S. teammates and dual medalists from the 2011 Pan American Games; Weltino’s Magic and Big Tyme. Ridden by Steffen Peters to Team and Individual Gold medals at those Games, Weltino’s Magic had his first taste of championship success in 2008, when he won the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championships as a 6-year-old with Peters’ wife Shannon. Team Gold and Individual Bronze medalists Big Tyme and Marisa Festerling competed in Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials earning the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the 2006 FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Verden, Germany.
Four-Year-Old Division
Fifteen of the best young dressage horses from the 2008 foal crop will go head-to-head in the four-year-old division of the Championship. On Thursday, these horse and rider pairs will have the opportunity to perform an optional Warm-Up Test. The champion of this division will be crowned Saturday as all entries perform the USEF Dressage Test for Four-Year-Old horses.
The top two horses on the ranking list, Ballerina DMV and Rohan, will both travel to Lamplight from the Northwest. Leroy Fuller’s Hanoverian mare, Ballerina DMV (Ballet Master-Dreaming DMV by Dimaggio) topped the ranking list by earning an average of 8.78 at qualifying competitions with rider John Dingle. Rohan (Rock Forever-Florin by Fidermark) will look to showcase the form that propelled him to an average of 8.51 during qualifying. The Westphalian stallion will be ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery for owner Alice Womble.
Five-Year-Old Division
The Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship for five-year-olds will host 14 promising entries. These horses will earn the first 40% of their championship score on Thursday as they perform their Preliminary Test. The remaining 60% of the score and overall winner will be decided
Lientje Schueler and Regalo (Genia Ply Photography)
The second and third place finishers from last year’s Four-Year-Old Championship return in 2012 to display their progress over the last year. Reserve Champion from 2011, the Oldenburg mare Horizon (Hotline-Revue by Don Schufro) will be aiming to go one better this year for owner Betsy Juliano and rider George Williams.
Pinky Roberts’ Regalo (Rosario-Dandiell by Nandino) collected third-place honors in 2011 ridden by Lientje Schueler and has been on a tear in his five-year-old year. In 2012, the Oldenburg gelding won the 2012 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Western Sele
ction Trials on his way to earning the top spot on the ranking list.
Six-Year-Old DivisionThe six-year-old division is always one of the most competitive and 2012 looks to be no different as 11 promising horses line-up to compete. Just as with the five-year-olds, this division will also be decided by two classes. On Friday, the six-year-olds will compete
in their Preliminary Test, which will count for 40% of the overall score. Sunday will feature the Final Test and the remainder of their
championship score will be awarded.
Six-year-olds Biscaya and Somer Hit are no strangers to the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. Biscaya (Johnson-Audrey by Argentinus) competed in 2011 as a five-year-old cruising to fifth place honors. The Oldenburg mare, who stands second on the Ranking List, will once again be ridden by Ulla Parker for owner Nancy Holowesko. Somer Hit (Sandro Hit-Rhussia by Rotspon) is making his third appearance at the Championships after competing as a four and five-year-old. The Hanoverian stallion ridden and owned by Alice Tarjan finished the qualifying period as the third ranked six-year-old on the ranking list.
Six-year-olds Biscaya and Somer Hit are no strangers to the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. Biscaya (Johnson-Audrey by Argentinus) competed in 2011 as a five-year-old cruising to fifth place honors. The Oldenburg mare, who stands second on the Ranking List, will once again be ridden by Ulla Parker for owner Nancy Holowesko. Somer Hit (Sandro Hit-Rhussia by Rotspon) is making his third appearance at the Championships after competing as a four and five-year-old. The Hanoverian stallion ridden and owned by Alice Tarjan finished the qualifying period as the third ranked six-year-old on the ranking list.