Emma Batchelder and Eminem are no strangers to Finals, having won the AA Training Level Championship in 2023. This year they stepped up a level and reigned supreme in the AA First Level Championship with 72.963%, just 0.1 percentage points ahead of the reserve, Katrina Heilbroner on Odanse GS. Batchelder bought the son of Escolar at the Hanoverian Elite Auction in 2022.

Photo – Emma Batchelder’s five-year-old Eminem, by Escolar, returned to claim another championship, this year the AA First Level with 72.963%. (Sue Stickle Photography)

“He’s grown up so much, and he feels like an old pro,” said Batchelder, who works as a nurse anesthetist and has been traveling back and forth between Savannah, GA, and Florida with “Slim.” “I think he’s five going on 15. Now he’s filling out too — he’s getting a lot more power and more control of the power,” she said.

Playing it Safe

“Yesterday I played it a little safe [in the AA Second Level, where they finished third], and today I just wanted to have fun with it as it will be his last year at this level. I can’t wait to start moving up and confirm those changes,” added Batchelder, who trains with her sister Nora.

Competition concludes on Sunday, November 10, with the final 10 championship titles to be decided. The full digital show program is available here. Follow the action via the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website, plus live online streaming of all the action from the Alltech Arena on USEF Network. To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® and read daily news, visit the official US Dressage Finals event website. Start times and results can be found on www.horseshowoffice.com.