2007 Palm Beach Dressage Derby

They’re Back! “Tuny” Page and Wild One Take Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Win
By Lyndee Kemmet for HorsesDaily.com

Arlene “Tuny” Page showed the world what it means to be a true competitor when she and Wild One took the blue ribbon in the FEI Grand Prix at The Palm Beach Dressage Derby with a score of 70.50 percent. Page had given Wild One the fall off with plans of bringing back in time for the Florida show circuit, but just as the winter show season got underway, Page’s husband was diagnosed with cancer. Keeping her mind on her riding and training became a nearly impossible task.

“I’ve never needed to win so badly,” Page said after Saturday’s victory. “The last month has been unbelievably hard with personal stuff, with my husband being sick. Thank God, he’s now doing great, but I haven’t felt like I’ve been in the groove.” Each day it was a struggle to keep going. “All week long I’ve had to get up and say, ‘quitters don’t win and winners don’t quit,’ because I really didn’t want to ride my horse, I really wasn’t with it, but as the week progressed it got a little bit better. David got home and is totally fine and feeling great. And my horse said, ‘okay, you’re a little bit back in the groove, so I’m right her with you’.”

Finishing second were Courtney King and Idocus with a score of 70.083 percent. King herself has been collecting blue ribbons this winter season and both she and Page joked that if King couldn’t win the Grand Prix, then Page most certainly should.

One thing Page said she’s learned the past weeks is that neither humans nor horses can be forced to get back on track. “You can’t force horses or yourself to get back in the groove. You have to find your way back into the groove, let it kind of happen.” She gave thanks to Lars Petersen, with whom she trains, for providing her with the support she needed in her emotional struggle. “I’ve got to say I owe this win to Lars, who’s just been great this weekend. I just haven’t been with it and he’s been really supportive.” Page said that Petersen treated her with the tenderness she needed.