Day two of the 10th anniversary edition of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® on Friday, November 10, 2023, held the show’s first gala evening in the atmospheric Alltech Arena. The national show, which runs through Sunday, November 12, 2023, offers a wealth of championship titles and more than $120,000 in prize money.

Photo – Heather Mason and RTF Lincoln won their third straight Grand Prix Open Championship. (SusanJStickle.com)

Just as in 2022, Heather Mason and RTF Lincoln led the charge in Friday evening’s showcase class, the Grand Prix Open Championship. This year they topped the field with a harmonious and very well-presented test in which Mason made full use of the corners to balance and prepare the 18-year-old for each movement. As in previous years, Mason rode him in a snaffle with a simple Cavesson noseband.

Their 69.203% left them 0.8% ahead of the reserve champions Shelley Van Den Neste and Eyecatcher. Nora Batchelder and Faro SQF rounded out the podium with 68.007%.

Third Consecutive Year

This is the third consecutive year that Lincoln has won this class at Finals, and Mason has decided that he will bow out of top-level competition on a high. This is their final show together.

“He was a little bit tricky to ride but very good and did what he needed to do,” said Mason, who is from Lebanon, NJ. “It was a nice last Grand Prix for him. He was getting a bit hot at times and a little bit normal at times, switching back and forth, so when he does that I have to be really tuned into him.

“He can be many different ways in a test,” she explained. “I’ve been riding this horse for a very long time, and I have no idea what makes him one way or the other. He can start dead quiet and then rev up, or start hot and then calm down — there’s no telling. I just have to be ready to ride eight variations at all times; it’s like having eight grand prix horses in one.”

Mason bought Lincoln as a foal, then sold him on. She kept in touch with the owners and ended up buying him back for $1 when the new owner had to have a hip replacement. She has built an incredible rapport with the quirky son of L’Andiamo, carefully managing his foibles with lungeing, patience, and custom-built thigh blocks to help withstand his lightning-fast spins. Nobody else has ridden the horse in the past half decade.

Despite her myriad success, Mason does not currently have a coach, though she has “trained with pretty much everyone at some point.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve regularly trained with anyone,” she said. “It would be good, but I do so much teaching and have six horses to ride a day, so it’s hard to find the time. Maybe I’ll seek out some help with the two young horses next year.”

Hanging Up the Hat

Mason may have a little more time if Lincoln is no longer on her riding list. The pair’s final test together will be on Saturday night when they contest the Grand Prix Open Freestyle in the atmospheric Alltech Arena.

“Hopefully he’ll have a nice freestyle, and we’ll have fun — and hopefully the judges will like it too,” grinned the 54-year-old. “Finals is a great show, and the atmosphere was good tonight.”

Competition continues on Saturday, November 11, with 13 championship titles up for grabs from First Level to the evening’s Open Grand Prix Freestyle. Follow the action via the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website, plus live online streaming on the USEF Network. To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, view results and start lists, and read daily news releases, visit the official US Dressage Finals event website.