Amy Gimbel and Eye Candy Win Largest US Finals Class Training Level Adult Amateur Championship

 

The first and the last ride of the Training Level Adult Amateur Class determined the Champion and Reserve. The appropriately-named Dutch Warmblood Eye Candy (Weltmeyer x UB40) was the big winner in the largest class of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan. The lovely five-year-old mare owned by Heather Mason was the final ride of the class but made the biggest impression with the judges as she carried rider Amy Gimbel of Lebanon, N.J. (Region 8) to victory in the hotly-contested Training Level Adult Amateur Championship with a score of 75.800%. "I started riding Eye Candy about nine months ago," said Gimbel. "The horse I had been riding before her was sold, so I was looking for something to catch ride and Heather offered her to me. She's been a super horse to show - even though this was only her fifth competition and it has a huge atmosphere, she handled it all so well. I feel so lucky to ride her and I have a lot to be thankful for."

First to go down centerline at 8am was Carolyn Desnoyer of Mosinee, Wis. (qualified in Region 4) aboard her warmblood mare Fresca (Festrausch x Rising Star by GP Raymeister). They posted a score of 73.533% that stood atop the leaderboard for the duration of the class until Gimbel's final ride, but ultimately was still good enough Reserve Championship honors. "She came out of her stall ready to work and two minutes after we got to the warm-up I thought 'hey, they could ring that bell any time, we're ready to go,'" said Desnoyer of her mount. "She went in and did her job and gave me everything she had. I was so proud of her. I feel like Cinderella - it's been an amazing experience here at the Finals."

First to go down centerline at 8am was Carolyn Desnoyer of Mosinee, Wis. (qualified in Region 4) aboard her warmblood mare Fresca (Festrausch x Rising Star by GP Raymeister). They posted a score of 73.533% that stood atop the leaderboard for the duration of the class until Gimbel's final ride, but ultimately was still good enough Reserve Championship honors. "She came out of her stall ready to work and two minutes after we got to the warm-up I thought 'hey, they could ring that bell any time, we're ready to go,'" said Desnoyer of her mount. "She went in and did her job and gave me everything she had. I was so proud of her. I feel like Cinderella - it's been an amazing experience here at the Finals."