2007 Palm Beach Dressage Derby

Chris Hickey and Regent Take Blue in Opening FEI Intermediaire II

by Lyndee Kemmet

Regent, a nine-year-old Dutch gelding (by Flemming), added a blue ribbon to his stall door after winning the opening day FEI Intermediaire II. Hickey scored 68.171% and headed a field of 18 riders. Elizabeth Austin and Olivier, who are back from their training stint at Klaus Balkenhol's in Europe, finished second with 67.927%.

It was Regent's very first I-2 competition, said rider Christopher Hickey. “We’re very pleased with him. There were a few mistakes, but he’s a big, strong, powerful, uphill mover,” Hickey said. “He makes a nice appearance and he goes in the ring and does his job.”

Regent is owned by Breena Kucinski and has been ridden and trained by Hickey from the age of four. Hickey said the horse’s strong points are his canter pirouettes, tempi changes and extensions. His weak point is his trot. “He still has a few different trots. It’s sometimes hard to keep the same trot through the half passes,” Hickey said. “But he’s very willing and he’s a hard worker.”

Considering that the pair had a few mistakes in their I-2 ride, their score of 68.171 percent was quite good. “There was the mistake in the one-tempis,” Hickey said. “And also I had a counting mistake in my zigzag. That was my fault."