The California Dressage Society had an exceptional turnout at their 43 Annual Championship Show on October 7-10, 2010 with several milestones and successes. This year it was held in conjunction to the Region 7 Championships and West Coast Breeders Series Final. Thank you to Jennifer Killinger of Cornerstone Event Management and to Sheri Scott photography for the following coverage and photos.

Enjoy the coverage and complete results !

Wet and Wild Preparations for Region 7 Championships Presented by CDS

Contrary to a popular song verse, it does rain in southern California, but persistent showers can not dampen the spirits of 325 dressage competitors as they prepare for the GAIG/USDF Region 7 Championships presented by the California Dressage Society (CDS) in Burbank, CA, October 7 – 10, 2010.

While the Regional Championship competition will spotlight those horses and riders who have worked throughout the year to qualify for a chance at a title, the weekend will also feature the GAIG/USDF Breeders Championships – West Coast Series presented by Arenus, the 43rd Annual CDS Championships, the CDS Young Horse Futurity, and $30,000 in prize money and awards.

Preparations have been underway all week to set up the Los Angeles Equestrian Center with a fall festival-themed flair for the largest and most prestigious show on the West Coast calendar. “I couldn’t be more excited about the quality of this year’s championships,” says manager Glenda McElroy. “The competition is really keen this year. We have two rings devoted to FEI-level classes, and the CDS Young Horse Futurity will definitely be a highlight of the show.” The CDS Young Horse Futurity is being offered for the first time with separate divisions for four-, five-, and six-year-old horses. This new age-specific format seems to be widely supported with the number of competitors doubling for this year, and includes the entry of reigning Markel/USEF National Four-Year-Old Dressage Champion,” DG Brendo”, from DG Bar Ranch.

An esteemed panel of judges from across the country will officiate, including FEI officials Linda Zang (“O” Maryland USA), Jane Weatherwax (“I” California USA), and Lorraine Macdonald (“I” CAN), in addition to Melissa Creswick (“S” California); Paula Lacy (“S” California); Michael Osinski (“S” Washington); Scott Peterson (“S” New York); Sharon Poulin (“S” Florida); William Warren (“S” Massachusetts); and Kristi Wysocki (“S” Colorado).

In addition to a showcase of championship competition, the popular “Dressage with the Experts” headset commentary will be offered, as well as an extensive trade fair. Saturday evening will feature an extravaganza of entertainment, including FEI freestyles, costume freestyle exhibition, pas de deux, and performances by Bryan Ludens and Friesian stallion “Phantom’s Music of the Knight”.

Best of the West Showcased at Region 7 and CDS Championships

Barbi Breen-Gurley and Octango (Photo SheriScottPhotography.com)

Best of the West Showcased at Region 7 and CDS Championships

Mother Nature tested the patience of exhibitors and show officials alike during the first days of competition at the GAIG/USDF Region 7 Championships and 43rd Annual California Dressage Society (CDS) Championships in Burbank, CA, October 7 – 10, 2010. Persistent rain caused extensive schedule and format changes before finally giving way to familiar sunny skies.

The most notable consequence of the weather conditions was the restructuring of the CDS Young Horse Futurity, which will now be based on a single test only for each age division. Persevering in a highly-competitive field of 18 four-year-olds was “Sanceo”, ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery of Thousand Oaks, CA for owner Alice Womble-Heitman. Performing Training Level Test 3 for the Futurity win, this bay Hanoverian stallion by San Remo thoroughly impressed judges Paula Lacy and Scott Peterson. “This was a very talented horse and rider who was a pleasure to watch,” said Lacy. Peterson echoed, “The quality of this class was very strong, with spectacular horses presented today.” The Adult Amateur division of this Futurity was won by the black Hanoverian mare “Danika” with a score of 69.400% for owner and rider Megan McQueeney of Thousand Oaks, CA.

An impressive number of entries in Prix St. Georges, Grand Prix, and freestyle championship classes necessitated two non-stop rings of FEI competition on Friday. Emerging the victor from a huge CDS Horse of the Year Open Prix St. Georges class to claim the Bent Roswall Memorial Trophy was Jan Ebeling of Moorpark, CA, riding Deborah Harlan’s black Hanoverian mare “Rosenzauber 8” to a final score of 70.395%. In the equally impressive Adult Amateur division, the Global Imaging Perpetual Trophy and a score of 68.421% was earned by “Lancaster”, a 10-year-old bay Danish Warmblood gelding owned and ridden by Sheryl Ross from Menlo Park, CA.

In the indoor Equidome, some of the West Coast’s best horses and riders contested the CDS Horse of the Year Grand Prix class, with the top three finishing less than half of a percentage point apart. But taking the blue ribbon was a delighted Barbi Breen-Gurley with her own black Dutch Warmblood “Octango”, which she has owned and trained since the gelding was just three years old. “He’s an emotional horse, so keeping him with me and his brain connected is always the challenge,” noted Breen-Gurley. “But as soon as I entered the ring, he was focused and listening to me, and he was so ‘there’ for me today.” Breen-Gurley plans to build upon the confidence earned in this win to pursue qualification for the 2011 USEF Festival of Champions.

CDS Freestyle Competition and More Regional Division Awards

 

CDS Freestyle Competition and More Regional Division Awards

Additional CDS Championships were awarded in two freestyle divisions. Winning the CDS Third Level Freestyle Championship and the De Medici Perpetual Trophy with 64.479% was “True Texas Colors”, a 10-year-old Paint gelding owned and ridden by Lesley Grove of Gardnerville, NV. At Fourth Level, Jill Cordsen’s “Luciano” earned the Ran Averett Memorial Perpetual Trophy, ridden by Kelli Newton of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA to a score of 67.396%.

GAIG/USDF Region 7 Championships were awarded in several divisions. The Open Training Level Championship was awarded to Kim Monk of Oceanside, CA, riding her own five-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding “Florencio” to a score of 78.200%. In the Adult Amateur division, the five-year-old Oldenburg mare “Winter Rose” earned a winning score of 68.600% with owner Jennifer Crandall of Moorpark, CA in the saddle. Taking the Open Second Level Championship sash with a score of 68.571% was Tigger Wright of Martinez, CA with Cynthia Rowland’s eight-year-old Friesian mare “Hilde Fan’t Alddjip”. The Adult Amateur division title was convincingly claimed by Emily Tears of Coto de Caza, CA riding Karen Ball’s seven-year-old Zweibrucker gelding “Absolute Zephyr” (72.143%). At the FEI Intermediaire II level, the blue ribbon in the Open division went to “Breanna”, Kathleen Raine and Jennifer Mason’s 10-year-old Hanoverian mare, ridden by Raine to a winning score of 70.395%. Gundi Younger of Walnut Creek, CA rode her own 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare “Renatino” to earn a score of 62.237% and the win in the Adult Amateur division. Rounding out the day’s Regional Championship classes were the Open Intermediaire I and Grand Prix Freestyles. “Finally”, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Finally Partners, was ridden by Mette Rosencrantz of Topanga, CA to a winning Intermediaire I Freestyle score of 73.750%. In the Grand Prix Freestyle, Barbi Breen-Gurley continued her winning ways with “Octango”, receiving a score of 71.125% from the judges.

Championship competition continues Saturday, including the five- and six-year-old divisions of the CDS Young Horse Futurity, and the GAIG/USDF Breeders Championships – West Coast Series presented by Arenus. Evening entertainment will feature FEI freestyles, a costume freestyle exhibition, a pas de deux routine, and performances by Bryan Ludens and Friesian stallion “Phantom’s Music of the Knight”.

California Dressage Society Congratulates Champions on Final Day of CDS and Region 7 Championships in Burbank

California Dressage Society Congratulates Champions on Final Day of CDS and Region 7 Championships in Burbank

 

An exciting weekend of championship competition concluded under sunny skies Sunday at the 43rd Annual California Dressage Society (CDS) Championships and GAIG/USDF Region 7 Championships in Burbank, CA, October 7 – 10, 2010.

In this final day of awarding CDS annual championship titles, Open Training Level Horse of the Year competitors started the day. Following their CDS Four-Year-Old Futurity win on Friday, Sabine Schut-Kery once again guided Alice Womble-Heitman’s Hanoverian stallion “Sanceo” to the victory with an overall score of 75.300%. At Third Level, “Fraktura”, a seven-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Joan Cinquini, earned a winning score of 71.479% and the Judith Elias Perpetual Trophy in the Open division with rider Ericka Reinig of Wilton, CA.

Adult Amateurs were also spotlighted with CDS Horse of the Year awards for Training through Fourth Levels. A score of 69.600% earned Janet Stier of Laguna Nigel, CA and her Holsteiner gelding “Cervaro” the win at Training Level, while the five-year-old American Warmblood gelding “Rubin Black” claimed another championship by winning the First Level division and Full Cry Perpetual Trophy for owner/rider Maureen Lamb of San Jose, CA. Also continuing their successful partnership was Emily Tears of Coto de Caza, CA riding Karen Ball’s seven-year-old Zweibrucker gelding “Absolute Zephyr” to claim the CDS Second Level – Adult Amateur Horse of the Year title and the Two-Tone Malone Perpetual Trophy with 71.543%.The Third Level blue ribbon for the Adult Amateur division was won by Kasey Perry of Orangevale, CA riding her own eight-year-old Trakehner gelding “Royal Windston” to an overall score of 65.584% and the Stanford Perpetual Trophy. Finally, the Fourth Level title and the Fox Run Perpetual Trophy was presented to Susan Bunnell-Brent of Agoura Hills, CA for her winning overall score of 68.201% with her 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding “Wincent”.

CDS trophies were also presented today for two national-level freestyles, and Chermaine Hurtado of Moorpark, CA swept both First and Second Level. Riding Molly Cope’s five-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare “Amazingh Welcome”, Hurtado earned the First Level title with a score of 68.333%, in addition to claiming the Dawn West Perpetual Trophy for Second Level Freestyle with “Winter Kiss”, a 10-year-old black Hanoverian mare owned by Ardean Bennett.

GAIG/USDF Regional 7 Championships Conclude

Emily Tears and Absolute Zephyr (Photo SheriScottPhotograph.com)

GAIG/USDF Regional 7 Championships Conclude

GAIG/USDF Region 7 Championships also concluded. In the Open divisions, the First Level Championship went to the previously-crowned CDS Horse of the Year “Harmony’s Armani”, a five-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, ridden by Leslie Webb for owner Harmony Sporthorse to a score of 73.684%. At Fourth Level, Chelsey Sibley of Sonora, CA rode her Dutch Warmblood gelding “Titus DG” to a top score of 66.341%, while the Adult Amateur Fourth Level Championship sash was awarded to Georganne Benesch of Livermore, CA riding the Dutch Warmblood mare “Serenade”. Marisa Festerling of Moorpark, CA and her her nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding “Big Tyme” proved to be unbeatable this weekend at Intermediaire I, winning the Open championship on a score of 72.763%. Ten-year-old Danish gelding “Solvangs Rivaldo”, ridden and owned by Jane Hayes of Wildomar, CA, won the Adult Amateur division with a score of 66.447%. Rounding out the Open and Adult Amateur classes were the Grand Prix-level championships, where “Weltclassiker”, a 13-year-old warmblood gelding owned by W Equestrian Enterprises, was ridden to the Open division win by Alisa Wilson of Chino Hills, CA (67.766%), while Nancy Szakacs of Hollister, CA rode her Dutch Warmblood gelding “Normann” to the Adult Amateur blue ribbon with a 57.234%.

Juniors and Young Riders were also showcased on Sunday in GAIG/USDF Regional Championship divisions. After winning yesterday’s Training Level championship, Gabriela Glumac of San Ramon, CA, returned with her Dutch Warmblood mare “Zodessa” to win the First Level Junior/Young Rider Championship with a score of 70.132%. Kelli Newton of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, riding Jill Cordsen’s Holsteiner gelding “Luciano”, added a third championship sash to their stable for their Third Level Junior/Young Rider score of 70.116%. In perhaps her last ride as a Young Rider, Mackinzie Pooley of Coto de Caza, CA rode her black Oldenburg mare “Jonkara” to the Young Rider Team Test Championship and a solid score of 70.526%. And at the Intermediaire I Junior/Young Rider level, Brianna Dutton of Walnut Creek, CA rode her Dutch Warmblood gelding “Tibet” to a score of 67.368%.

Finishing off the day were the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Finals presented by Dressage Today. In the 13 & under division, Rison Naness of Burbank, CA rode her mother Kristina Naness’ black Lusitano gelding “Kingsley” to the championship, earning a score of 78.000% from Paula Lacy and Scott Peterson. In the 14-18 division, Grace Goodby of Oakland, CA impressed the judges for a score of 80.000% and the win while riding her own Westfalen gelding “Montfleury”.

For a complete CDS information, including championship results, visit www.california-dressage.org.