Wayne, Ill. – A total of 168 combinations are set to compete at the 2022 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions during a week packed with exciting competition at HITS Chicago at Lamplight Equestrian Center. The day began with jogs for the Para Dressage and Intermediaire I horses, followed by the first of three tests for each division. Charlotte Merle-Smith and Guata took the early lead in the USEF Para Dressage National Championship, while Laura Graves and SenSation HW stood atop the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship leaderboard.
USEF Para Dressage National Championship
(SusanJStickle.com)
A small but seasoned field of competitors compose the USEF Para Dressage National Championship, and Grades I, II, and III are competing in one division. Charlotte Merle-Smith and Guata had a lovely test to earn a score of 70.735% in the FEI Para Dressage Grade III Team Test for the win. Merle-Smith (Ocala, Fla.) and her and Susan Merle-Smith’s 11-year-old KWPN mare punctuated their solid test with an impressive final centerline to top the four-person field of accomplished combinations.
Lamplight Equestrian Center holds special meaning for Merle-Smith, and she is thrilled to be back at the venue which served as a starting point for her para dressage journey. “I have been here one time for the very first para show I ever watched 12 or 13 years ago,” she said. “And I got graded here for the first time and I haven’t been here since. It is full circle; it is fun. It is cool and it is a wonderful atmosphere.”
Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) finished second with a score of 66.606% in the FEI Para Dressage Grade I Team Test with All In One, Going for Gold, LLC and Georgina Bloomberg’s 2009 Hanoverian gelding. Mia Rodier-Dawallo (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Jayden, her 2014 KWPN gelding, were third with a score of 66.514% in the FEI Para Dressage Grade II Team Test.
The FEI Para Dressage Team Test counts for 40 percent of the overall score, while the FEI Para Dressage Individual Test on Tuesday counts for 45 percent. The division will conclude on Wednesday with the FEI Para Dressage Freestyle Test, which counts for 15 percent.
From the Mixed Zone:
Tell us about your test.
Merle-Smith: “First, I want to say how proud I am to be here and how excited I am to have para here involved with Festival of Champions. My test was great. It is awesome to be here in this atmosphere. My horse is just soaking it up and learning how to deal with it all. It is so fun to be part of this learning experience. I have all of the tools now to make it better and better and better. That’s all it is going to be from here—even better.”
What were some of the highlights in your test?
Merle-Smith: “The highlights were my ability to think in there. I felt like I was really able to do the things like keep my reins short and keep thinking about not just the test pattern but also the riding. I know there will be improvement tomorrow. It is awesome to be here in an atmosphere like this. I just love it! I really love being here and being in this arena.”
What do you want to improve upon in your next test?
Merle-Smith: “Rhythm consistency and attention consistency for me and my horse.”
USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship
(SusanJStickle.com)
Fourteen combinations competed in the FEI Prix St. Georges Test in their first test of the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship. Laura Graves and SenSation HW won the class with an impressive score of 75.117%. Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and Carol and Scott McPhee’s 2013 Westphalian gelding wowed the judges with a smooth, flowing test to hold the top spot on the leaderboard in a talented division. The pair has been developing a partnership since 2020, and the hard work was on display in the arena.
“He is such a supple horse. We had a couple small mistakes. I was really happy with his canter pirouettes. His trot half-passes are always beautiful because of his suppleness,” said Graves. “Overall, I think it was a pretty tidy, very clean test. Hopefully it was able to show his power, but also trying to show a little relaxation too. He’s got a super walk. We had a little mistake in one of the walk pirouettes. But in general, he does everything really well. A lot of highlights for this horse. The overall picture is exciting.”
Nick Wagman (San Diego, Calif.) and Heatcliff, Beverly Gepfer’s 2012 KWPN gelding, were second with a score of 73.529%. Emily Miles and Daily Show finished third with a score of 71.646%.
From the Mixed Zone:
Tell us about your test.
Graves: “I was super thrilled with my horse. He was obviously shown here at lot as a young horse. I didn’t really know what to expect. He has kind of caught me by surprise with his experience at a couple venues being more than I bargained for, just with the tension catching up with him. So, being here on familiar territory, I wasn’t really sure what I would have, but he has been amazing. Every day schooling he has just been amazing in this stadium. I reached this point in my career with Verdades where we finished a test and it finally stopped feeling so daunting, and I had that feeling today. When I finished my final centerline, I was like, ‘We could go again.' It just felt nice. And when the judges really appreciate that, that’s when I really feel confident in the work I’ve done. I just can’t wait for the rest of this week and really the future with this horse.
Have you been to this venue before?
Graves: “I have. I’m super happy to be back. I was just chatting with the other competitors. It is just so fun to have us all together. The camaraderie of everyone really wanting everyone to do well.”
The FEI Prix St. Georges Test counts for 40 percent of the overall score, while the FEI Intermediate I Test on Tuesday counts for 45 percent. The division will conclude on Thursday with the FEI Intermediate I Freestyle Test, which counts for 15 percent.
Competition continues Tuesday in the Grand Prix Arena with the FEI Intermediate I Test of the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship at 9 a.m. CT, followed by the FEI Para Dressage Individual Test of the USEF Para 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.