2004 Dressage at Devon - Performance Division

Dream Dacardo

October 01 , 2004

Once in a while you see a horse in the show ring that just takes your breath away. My entire Devon trip got vindicated simply by having seen Dacardo. I first saw him being schooled by Lars Petersen on Wednesday. My mouth just fell open. He's an absolute diamond in the rough, a dream horse.

Abounding in talent and potential and blessed with three superb basic gaits -- his trot is extraterrestrial, by the way-- Dacardo won the six-year old FEI Young Horse test on Thursday in the Gold Ring at 2004 Dressage at Devon. Judges Cara Whitam and Lois Yukins gave Petersen and Dacardo a quite low winning score of 71.800% as his test had several severe hiccups.

The overall problem with the ride was tension. The gray gelding is green and inexperienced in the show ring and just felt very uncomfortable there. There was tension throughout the test, especially in the walk. Dacardo's trot, on the other hand, was absolutely superior. This horse has so much engagement, bounce, elasticity and freedom in the shoulder, yet he could have been looser in the body and swinging more forward. The canter was very satisfying. In the extended canter, Dacardo should have opened the frame more. His flying changes were fine, but the first one especially was delightful.

Debutante Dacardo has been absolved from his mistakes in his very first show ride, here at Devon. His overall quality is just so huge that you feel reassured the future of this horse will be bright as starlight.

Dacardo is a Swedish branded gelding by D-Dur x Calypso I. He is owned by Melissa Taylor-Yee, but was discovered at his breeder in Sweden by Melissa's trainer Lars Petersen.

Taylor-Yee was jumping with excitement when her horse completed a good FEI Young Horse test in Devon. "I'm very happy. He's such a super ride," Taylor-Yee said. "He's going to be a lot of work because he's so sensitive, but he's great. Lars can ride and compete him as much as he wants. He'll tell me when to get on him. I do ride him at home, though."

Petersen himself is thrilled with Dacardo. "He's a hot horse, but you need that. He has the looks and he has the gaits," Petersen said. Dacardo's hotness and sensibility was very obvious in Devon. Regularly spooking in the warm up, Dacardo needed constant reassuring from his rider. "He's scared of other horses," Petersen said, "he needs another year to get more routine."

Petersen is absolutely not a rider, who wants to have his students sponsor a fantastic horse and he benefiting from the opportunity. The Danish native, who is living in Wellington, Florida, gets more satisfaction out of his students doing well at shows, than he performing in competition on their horses. "I like it when my students win. I'm not that show crazy anymore. I rather like to see Melissa on the horse than myself," Petersen explained.

Text and photos copyrighted: Astrid Appels

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