Rachel Wade and Christian Hartung both pulled off a double of high-scoring championship wins at the GAIG/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships in Rancho Murieta, CA.

Wade and Reminiscence, Elizabeth Banga’s four-year-old mare by the Bordeaux son L Primo DG, recorded 76.9% in the Open Training Level class to stand 6.4 percentage points clear of the reserve champions, Josh Albrecht and Rockefeller HF. Wade’s second title, at First Level, was hard-won; the top five all scored over 70%. On her own five-year-old Paradigm — another horse by one of DG Bar Ranch’s Bordeaux-sired stallions, Koning DG — Wade secured victory with 73.614%.

Photo – Christian Hartung and the breeding stallion Velantis N (by Vitalis x Floriscount) remained unbeaten over the Region 7 show weekend, taking both Third Level titles on offer. (Terri Miller Photography)

Really Cool

Adult Amateur Christina Morin-Graham and DSP Dauphin (Photo: Darien Quinn Photography)

“I bred Paradigm myself, and his mother, Cambria, was my grand prix horse and my forever heart horse, so this is really special,” said Wade, who trains out of Pacific Equestrian Center in Wilton, CA. “He was overall high point on Thursday with 78% and Saturday with 77%, which is really cool. I also rode Reminiscence’s mother, Top Hit, and I was Training Level champion at Regionals with her six years ago while I was pregnant with my son.”

Reminiscence was bred by Wade’s vet and client, Sara Bartholomew, and bought by Banga as a foal. Wade has produced her thus far, with Banga riding her once or twice a week. The mare also won three non-championship classes at the show, including the Materiale class with 81.5%.

“She is unbelievable and took everything in stride with not a foot wrong all weekend,” enthused Wade. “She’s such a judge pleaser, and you barely even know you’re on a four-year-old. She’s got a lot of potential with a lot of ability to sit and collect, so she’s a fun horse to have in the program.

Coming Out

“Paradigm has really come out of his shell this year, and we got amazing comments from the judges. Things are clicking for him, and he’s exceeded my expectations for this year. He’s a super powerful horse, and I’m excited for the future with him,” she concluded.

German-born Hartung brought just one horse to the championships, Christiane Noelting’s seven-year-old Velantis N. Hot off a third-place finish in the seven-year-old class at the 2025 US Equestrian Festival of Champions, the breeding stallion by Vitalis was unbeaten in all four of his Third Level starts. He won both championship classes at the level with scores of 73% and 79.3% (including 81.925% from the judge at B, Kristi Wysocki), the latter being the highest championship score of the show.

Click here for full results from the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships.

The 2025 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® takes place October 30-November 2 at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. It is a national, head-to-head competition that showcases competitors in Adult Amateur, Open, and Junior/Young Rider divisions. Classes run from Training Level through Grand Prix, plus freestyle to music divisions, with Junior/YR sections at Training Level through Intermediate I. There is more than $125,000 in prize money on offer over the four days. Learn more at http://www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals/.