Wayne, Ill. – A rainy morning gave way to a shining day of competition at the 2022 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. Laura Graves and SenSation HW led the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship from start to finish to win in impressive fashion. Two arenas with two busy schedules displayed some of the country’s top dressage combinations for an exciting day of competition.
USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship
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Twelve combinations started the day of competition in the Grand Prix Arena, riding the Grand Prix Special of the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship. After winning the FEI Grand Prix Test on Wednesday, Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF took the top spot again in the division by winning the Grand Prix Special. Tarjan (Oldwick, N.J.) and her 2013 Hanoverian mare had a strong test to earn a score of 73.467%.
“I was really pretty pleased with the trot tour,” said Tarjan. “I think it was probably one of the better trot tours we've put in for the Grand Prix Special, so that was nice. I think the piaffes improved over yesterday, so that was good. I missed both sets of [one tempis], and that's a little disappointing, but it's hard to get everything in the same test on the same day, so that's okay.”
Katie Duerrhammer (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Paxton, Kylee Lourie’s 2011 Westphalian gelding, finished second with a score of 71.680%. Abraham Pugh (Greencastle, Pa.) and Elfenperfekt, Alice Drayer’s 2006 Trakehner stallion, were third with a score of 68.041%.
The FEI Grand Special on Thursday counted for 40 percent of the overall score. Wednesday’s FEI Grand Prix Test counted for 45 percent of the overall score, while Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Test will count for the remaining 15 percent.
Overall championship standings
From the Mixed Zone:
Tell us about your test.
Tarjan: “I was really pretty pleased with the trot tour. I think it was probably one of the better trot tours we've put in for the Grand Prix Special, so that was nice. I think the piaffes improved over yesterday, so that was good. I missed both sets of [one tempis], and that's a little disappointing, but it's hard to get everything in the same test on the same day, so that's okay.”
What are your thoughts heading into the freestyle?
Tarjan: “We'll try to school a little better tomorrow. The horse has some familiarity with the lines of it. She is a good girl and she does what you ask her, but it's easier, of course, if they’re familiar with the lines [in the freestyle], which she is not [due to not having practiced the freestyle recently]. It's okay. We'll just go in there and have fun.”
How has Serenade MF developed since being at Festival of Champions last year?
Tarjan: “I think the horse is drastically different than she was last year. And from where she was the year before. Trying to get the balance, and get her to [sit back] on the hind legs, and get the connection better in the bridle, is now what we're working on. It's way better than it was, but there is still a lot of work to be done to finish it up. I think in another year, it's going to be that much better. We're still losing points everywhere out there, and the horse is pretty competitive.
“I'm lucky in that sense, this horse is really good at horse shows. She's not spooky, she just goes down the centerline, and she does her job every time. You could put a child on this horse and she would do her job. The horse has definitely had more exposure this year. It was her first year doing the CDIs over in Europe, and I think it's been a growing experience for both of us.
“The horse is learning how to ride with better balance, and I'm also learning. I came up doing all of the young horse classes and you try to put the gaits on the horse, and then you try to put the [movements] on the horse. Of course, you learn that it's one thing to be able to do all of the movements in the Grand Prix, and another to be able to string together a cohesive test that's harmonious in its self-carriage and that's for sure where I struggle. The aim with this horse has been trying to understand how to ride a test that's more on the hind legs and more harmonious.”
Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship
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Ten combinations began their quest for the Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship with the FEI Prix St. Georges Test. Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Johnny Be Goode had a lovely test to win the class. LaGoy-Weltz (Haymarket, Va.) and Fritz and Claudine Kundrun’s 2014 KWPN gelding impressed the judges and earned a score 74.558%.
“I thought [the test] was really good,” said LaGoy-Weltz. “He's still quite young, doing all of this at this level, so I was super happy with him. I think that he actually even got just a hair impressed and just a hair tired as we were going in, so I think that we might tweak the warm-up just slightly and maybe have even a little bit more in store for the next test, which would be fun. I feel like he got an A for effort, and he was a super good boy.”
Martin Kuhn (New Berlin, Ill.) and Ronin, his and Kathryn Fleming-Kuhn’s 2013 Hanoverian gelding, were second with a score of 71.029%. Katie Duerrhammer (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Zaphira, Kylee Lourie’s 2013 Danish Warmblood mare, finished third with a score of 68.970%.
The Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship concludes Saturday with the USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Test.
From the Mixed Zone:
What were some of the highlights in your test?
LaGoy-Weltz: “He's a very striking horse. He's very elegant in his trot work and his extensions. He just kind of draws you in. I think he's a horse that potentially has no weaknesses. He's scored up to 10 on the walk, and I don't know that we were able to show that today, but I think that he really has the ability to have no holes.
Did you expect this result today?
LaGoy-Weltz: “In our last show before coming here I felt like he really started to learn how to grow in the test. Sometimes I feel like he can be a little shy. He felt a tick shyer today. And with the last test we did before we came here, we got a 76 in the Developing Horse Prix St. Georges, so I know he has the abilities. This is for sure a personal best in the Prix St. Georges, so I couldn't be happier with him. I think he has lots in store.”
How long have you been riding this horse?
LaGoy-Weltz: “He came into my training program in December, so it's been a little bit of a crash course. The changes were pretty green, and a bit inconsistent. And he's not done so many away shows, and that kind of thing. We're really still just developing a partnership, but he's a wonderful guy.”
Adequan®/USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
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The talented field of five combinations rode the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Test to complete the second of three tests in the Adequan®/USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship. Quinn Iverson and Beckham 19 continued their winning ways from Wednesday and earned the top spot in the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Test. Iverson (Wellington, Fla.) and Bille Davidson’s 2009 Hanoverian gelding had a lovely test to score 70.102%.
“He was right there for me every step of the way,” said Iverson. “I was so happy with him. He had a little energy coming in, but we were able to simmer it down and pull it off. He was such a good boy.”
Callie Rose O’Connell (Wilmington, Mass.) and Eaton Unitechno, Ruling Cortes, LLC’s 2009 KWPN gelding, finished second with a score of 69.102%. Emma Smith (Mound, Minn.) and Stedemann, her 2004 Oldenburg gelding, were third with a score of 65.820%.
The FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Test on Thursday counted for 45 percent of the overall score. Wednesday’s FEI Intermediate II Test counted for 40 percent of the overall score, while Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Test will count for the final 15 percent.
Overall championship standings
From the Mixed Zone:
What were some highlights from the test?
Iverson: “Overall, I'm pretty happy with most of the test. I think there are still things that we can improve on, but for where we're at right now, I was so happy that he went in there and was honest.”
What things would you like to improve upon?
Iverson: “Working towards the future, we'd like to work on the walk. We would like to help that out somehow, if there's a magic cure somewhere, that would be great! And pirouettes, a little bit more work on those.”
Tell us about the freestyle.
Iverson: “I have one of Susie Dutta's freestyles. I've only ridden it one time, and I don't even know the test. So tomorrow, I'm going to learn the test, and we're going to go from there! It's beautiful music though; I love it.
Any final thoughts?
Iverson: “A big thanks to Beckham's owner, Bille Davidson. She's been incredible through this whole journey, and I'm glad she's able to fly out to Chicago to see us.”
Markel/USEF Young Horse Four-Year-Old Dressage National Championship
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The Markel/USEF Young Horse Four-Year-Old Dressage National Championship started with 13 combinations riding the USEF Four-Year-Old Horse Test. Adrienne Lyle and Fürst Dream had an excellent test to win the class with a score of 9.5. Lyle (Wellington, Fla.) and Betsy Juliano, LLC’s 2018 Hanoverian stallion earned 9.5 for the trot, 8.5 for the walk, 9.6 for the canter, and 10 for both submissiveness and general impression. It has been a special summer for Lyle and owner Betsy Juliano, who owns this promising stallion and also owns Lyle’s mount, Salvino, at the ECCO FEI World Championships.
“I was incredibly proud of him today,” said Lyle. “This is a big venue, and there's a lot going on for a four-year-old. We've done very limited showing. He handled everything just super well, he was focused, and he was right there with me. He's just got such an incredible brain, which is something I really like, besides his talent. And he's got lovely gaits, but he's really got a super brain, especially for a stallion.”
Alice Tarjan (Oldwick, N.J.) and Ice Princess, her 2018 Oldenburg mare, earned a score of 8.94 for second place. Michael Bragdell (Colora, Md.) and Sir Real, Leslie Waterman’s 2018 Oldenburg stallion, were third with a score of 8.40.
The Markel/USEF Young Horse Four-Year-Old Dressage National Championship concludes Saturday with the USEF Four-Year-Old Test.
From the Mixed Zone:
How long have you been working with this horse?
Lyle: “We got him about a year and a half ago. We found him in the two-year-old stallion auctions in Germany, bought him out of that, and then lightly competed him.
Were you expecting that you would get such a high score?
Lyle: “I was hoping he'd do this well. He's gotten some really big scores in qualifying competitions, but I haven't done that many young horse classes, so this is also a learning experience for me. I'm thrilled.
Why did you decide to come to the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships?
Lyle: “I've always ridden young horses, it's what I love to do. I've always brought them along and tried to produce my own horse, I just haven't done the actual young horse competitions much before. This has been really fun to learn more about them, and they've grown so much here in the U.S. The quality of these horses here now has really improved and, it's really exciting to see.”
Adequan®/USEF Junior Dressage National Championship
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Twelve combinations began the Adequan®/USEF Junior Dressage National Championship with the FEI Junior Team Test. Madison Sumner and Briar, fresh off an FEI North American Youth Championships junior freestyle silver medal, continued their success by winning the class. Sumner (Wellington, Fla.) and her and Wayne Sumner’s 2007 KWPN gelding had a quality test for a score of 70.201%.
“It went really well. I was really happy,” said Sumner. “We had really good canter work, so I was really happy with that, and he was just with me. I was very happy for a clean test.”
Tiggy Gates (San Marcos, Calif.) and Shadow’s Dream, her 2006 Hanoverian gelding, were second with a score of 70.050%. Ella Fruchterman (West Lakeland, Minn.) and Holts Le’Mans, her and Todd Fruchterman’s 2011 Danish Warmblood gelding, were close behind in third on a score of 70.049%.
The Adequan®/USEF Junior Dressage National Championship concludes Friday with the FEI Junior Individual Test.
From the Mixed Zone:
What were some of the highlights in your test?
Sumner: “Definitely my extended trots, and my extended canter was really good. Also, my half-passes, I was really happy with those.”
Anything you want to improve for the next test?
Sumner: “Maybe a little bit of the walk. I would like to [improve] some of the changes. They get a little bit high, so that is something to improve on.”
Have you been to Festival of Champions before?
Sumner: “This is my first year. I have hoped to come every year. This is my first year in the Junior division.”
Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old Dressage National Championship
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Fourteen combinations kicked off the Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old Dressage National Championship with the FEI Five-Year-Old Preliminary Test. Adrienne Lyle put in another excellent ride to win the class with Valor on a score of 9.26. Lyle (Wellington, Fla.) and Kylee Lourie’s 2017 Westphalian gelding earned scores of 8.5 for the trot and walk, 10 for the canter, 9.5 for submission, and 9.8 for general impression.
“He was really, really phenomenal today,” said Lyle. “Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve asked him to do much better than what he did. He is so fun in the ring. He is so light to the aids, soft in the contact that you can just kind of sit there and try to stay out of his way. And he really lets you navigate him through all of the different questions in there.”
Lindsey Holleger (Middletown, N.Y.) and MW Fürstenchantment, Jennifer Vanover’s 2017 Oldenburg stallion, were second with a score of 8.96. Rebecca Rigdon (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) and MSJ For Vips, Lauren Fischer’s 2017 Oldenburg gelding, finished third with a score of 8.68.
The Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old Dressage National Championship will conclude Saturday with the FEI Five-Year-Old Final Test.
From the Mixed Zone:
How long has Valor been in your program?
Lyle: “We got him when he has just turned three from Germany. Kylee Lourie is his owner. We bought him off of a video right at the beginning of COVID. We got him in just before everything shut down due to COVID, so we have been together for the last two years. He had just a few rides in Europe, maybe two weeks under saddle so he was pretty much very green when new got him. He just seems to have an amazing mind and really tries super hard for his rider. He is a very special horse.”
When did you decide to come to the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships with this horse?
Lyle: “This was my first year doing the young horse competitions. We have several young horses in the barn, so we said, ‘You know what? Let’s just give it a try.’ We did two qualifiers, which was what we needed to get here, and he did well in both of them. He hasn’t scored as high as he did today and I don’t think he has had as good of a ride as we did today, so I am just thrilled that he peaked when he did.”
USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship
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The USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship came to a close with the exciting freestyle portion of the competition. Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and SenSation HW, Carol and Scott McPhee’s 2013 Westphalian gelding, performed a masterful freestyle to finish second in the class with a score of 76.005%. The week’s performances from Graves and SenSation HW, members of Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program, earned high marks from the judges and clinched the National Champion title with an overall score of 75.104%.
“It was the second time I have ridden this freestyle and the first time in this big atmosphere, big for him anyway, he certainly thought so,” said Graves. “It is just the beginning. I’m super proud of him for the test he put in at the beginning of the week. I’m moving forward and excited about it.”
Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program members Emily Miles (Paola, Kan.) and Daily Show, Leslie Waterman’s 2014 Hanoverian stallion, won the FEI Intermediate I Freestyle with a score of 77.300% and earned the Reserve National Champion title with an overall score of 73.301%. Rebecca Rigdon (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) and Iquem, her 2013 KWPN mare, scored 69.710% in the freestyle and were third overall with an overall score of 71.350%.
From the Mixed Zone:
How does it feel to be a national champion?
Graves: “I’m always so excited to stand in the top three with women because I just think it is so amazing for us to support each other. It is such a difficult industry, and just to see smiling faces and people who are really supportive of you. That, for me, has topped this week so far.
Talk about your freestyles.
Graves: “We put it together last minute because that’s how I roll. I don’t like to ever count my eggs before they hatch, so when we were kind of seeing that I was in a good place to qualify for this, I decided I better put together a freestyle. I always go to Terry Gallo who lives right nearby me in Florida. She is able to come and see my horses and help me pick out music that I like, the owners are happy with, and suits the horse. It was also in our mind to pick music that could be morphed into something bigger so we can use pieces of it moving forward to hopefully to become a Grand Prix horse.
Miles: “To be able to ride that freestyle tonight and to put pedal to metal and say, ‘Come on, buddy. Let’s do this!’ And he was like, ‘Cool. Let’s do it!’ That’s an amazing feeling. It is a really special freestyle for me because it is [her former mount] WakeUp’s freestyle and the music is the music that I got my first dance with my husband, so there’s a lot wrapped up in that freestyle. The first time I rode it [recently], I pretty much broke down and cried the entire test and it was terrible. So, I’m very proud that I did not do that today. But [Daily Show] lived up to that and I’m sure WakeUp is looking down here and thankful tonight. Erin Boltik designed it, and she is a schoolteacher from Minnesota.”
Rigdon: “Today wasn’t our best day. But that’s okay. The music was loud. It is only the second time I have done a freestyle and the first time in this environment. She is a very, very hot mare, and I have had her since she was coming four [years old]. This is, honestly, the most confident she has ever been at a show, so I am beyond proud of her. She has really put her big girl pants on and she’s doing it. We got ahead, and then all of the sudden, our gaits were three times bigger than normal. Anyway, it is what it is, but I was very happy with the I-1 and Prix St. Georges.”
Competition continues Friday at 8 a.m. CT in the Markel Arena with the FEI Six-Year-Old Preliminary test of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Six-Year-Old Dressage National Championship, while the Grand Prix Arena starts at 8:30 a.m. CT with the FEI Pony Rider Team Test of the USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship.
Watch the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions live stream this week on USEF Network.
Keep up with the 2022 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions on USA Dressage Facebook and Instagram and US Equestrian Twitter. Use #USADressage and #FestivalofChampions.