Ermelo, Netherlands – Three U.S. athletes made the trip to the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses (WBC), competing on the world stage in a field of some of the most promising young equine talent in the sport. Two combinations finished in the top 10 of their respective finals, and all three received valuable experience representing the U.S. in an internationally competitive environment.
Meet the U.S. horses of the 2023 WBC here.
The WBC offers the opportunity for athletes to receive direct feedback from the judges after their tests to gain insight into their horses’ strengths and areas for improvement as they work toward the highest levels of the sport. The judging panel awards a score of up to 10 points for each of the following categories: trot, walk, canter, submission, and perspective. The judges provide feedback to the riders on each of those categories immediately following their tests.
World Breeding Championship for 7-Year-Old Horses
Hope Beerling (Califon, N.J.) presented Vianne (Kastel’s Vitalis x Raureif), an eye-catching dapple gray 2016 Hanoverian mare, for owner/breeder Catherine Haddad Staller in the 7-Year-Old division. They earned good scores of 8.0 or higher across all categories in the first qualification, with the canter earning a standout score of 8.7. They progressed to the CH-M-D YH Final for 7-Year-Old Horses where they finished in 10th place with a score of 75.122%. The judges rewarded Vianne for her rhythm and elasticity in the trot, and uphill jump in the canter.
“I felt like my tests went very well this weekend,” said Beerling. “In the first tests, we had two minor mistakes, but she came right back to me and gave me her all throughout the rest of the test. The second test I thought was a very good test and she was with me throughout every single movement. The feeling was amazing! I’m very lucky to have been on Vianne as atmosphere and scary situations have never really affected her. She just went in there and did what she always does: try her absolute best.”
Beerling said the feedback she received from the judges reinforced her knowledge of Vianne’s strengths and weaknesses and that she’ll now be able to go home and continue to work to improve. For Vianne’s future, Beerling is looking ahead to competing in the Developing PSG Challenge this winter with an eye on the CDI small tours.
World Breeding Championship for 6-Year-Old Horses
In the 6-Year-Old division, Rebecca Rigdon (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) showed MSJ for VIPs (Foundation 2 x Mount St. John VIP), a 2017 Oldenburg gelding owned by Lauren Fisher. The pair completed the first qualification with an overall score of 81.0%, then returned to the Small Final for 6-Year-Old Horses to finish in ninth place with a 79.4%. The athletic bay gelding earned a standout score of 8.8 for his trot work, which the judges described as active, forward, and elastic with good cadence.
"I was very pleased with how my tests went. VIP was with me every step of the way outside of one small moment in each test," said Rigdon. "However, those moments were his youthful side anticipating what he thought he was supposed to do next in order to please me. In my opinion, that is the sign of a highly intelligent horse that is relaxed enough to be listening to me, confident in our partnership, and therefore his work. After every ride he was so pleased with himself, as if he was saying, 'Did you see how good I was, Mom!?'
"I felt that the judges' comments were that he was on the right track and that the improvements will simply come with time, patience, and building strength," said Rigdon. "It was clear they all felt that this is a horse for the future. As the competition went on, Christine and I were very happy with all the positive and complimentary comments we got about the horses from trainers, judges and riders and we know that we are developing quality horses for the top international sport."
Also in the 6-Year-Old class, Adam Steffens and Candoit Stables’ 2017 Oldenburg stallion Candoit’s Fabuleux Coeur OLD (Furst Jazz x Levantina) made their international debut together at this year’s WBC. The judges remarked on the young stallion’s good trot rhythm and solid canter, and they gave him good marks for perspective as they saw him as a promising prospect for the future.
“For this being only my fourth competition on him and our third doing young horse classes, I was quite happy with my tests,” said Steffens. “There is much I would love to improve upon, and I felt I was able to do that in my second test. I was shocked about how he reacted to the atmosphere in the sense that I was anticipating it would make him more electric than it did. He was quite calm and stayed with me.
“’Fabi’ will have a little vacation until after [U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions], and then we go back to work on training and developing the movements, looking toward the 7-year-old test next season,” said Steffens. “I’m looking forward to developing my partnership with this horse and continue learning together.”
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