It was an emotional end to a day of intense competition on Saturday, November 11, 2023, as one of the best known pairs at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® bowed out of top sport. The marquee national show, held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and concludes competition on Sunday, November 12. Competitors qualify via Regional Championships in nine USDF regions and compete head-to-head for championship titles and more than $120,000 in prize money.

Photo – Heather Mason and her faithful long-time partner RTF Lincoln enjoyed their final Grand Prix Open Freestyle together and captured the win for the second year in a row. (SusanJStickle.com)

Heather Mason and her faithful long-time partner RTF Lincoln made the most of their last-ever lap of honor after securing the Grand Prix Open Freestyle with 74.942% — a class they also won in 2022.

Almost Spoiled

The only rider who almost spoiled Lincoln’s farewell party was the reserve champion Nora Batchelder, who rode her own 15-year-old Faro SQF to 74.733%. Shelley Van Den Neste partnered Andreas Jeromin’s Eyecatcher to third place on 71.525%.

All eyes in the Alltech Arena were on Lincoln as he performed his ultra-difficult freestyle for the final time. Mason came out of the gate with a one-handed double pirouette on the first center line, following that up with 25 one-time changes on a curve before a piaffe fan and another one-handed double canter pirouette. The crowd whooped and clapped along.

“I’m happy because he had two really good rides at the show, and it’s nice to go out while he’s strong,” said Mason. “I finally let him do what he’s always wanted to do in the prize-giving, which is run. I’ve never done that before because he always gets really hot and then I’m worried about the next test, but this time I didn’t have to worry about that. He’s really been amazing.”

Mason has a long history with the horse, which she bought as a foal from his breeder, Cornell University. She sold him when he was three, but he was still ridden by some of her students. When Lincoln injured one front tendon and then the other during his first rehab, and the new owner had to have a double hip operation, Mason bought him back for one dollar.

“I knew he was good at shows, and I didn’t know what else he was going to do — sit in a field for the rest of his life? I wanted to give him a chance,” explained the rider from Lebanon, NJ. “He’s proven that a very difficult horse with soundness issues and rideability issues can actually do a lot with certain maintenance.”

Plans for Lincoln’s future remain in the air.

“He’ll have his usual month off after this show, then I’ll bring him back to work a bit and we’ll see if anyone wants to ride him next year,” said Mason, who is the only person to have sat on the horse in the past five years. “I have a few ideas, but I’ll have to see how they work out. He’s a very tricky horse so it’s going to take the right person if they want to give it a whirl.”

Mason has not missed a season of competing at Grand Prix level since 1990, so the thought of taking a break is actually appealing. However, it won’t last long as she has a 10-year-old who she’s hoping to show at the level in 2025.

“I’m feeling like some Third and Fourth level stuff is looking really good — much less stressful,” she concluded with a grin.

Shmoky Quartz Goes Three for Three

Mason logged a further victory on Saturday riding her six-year-old Shmoky Quartz, meaning the American-bred son of Shakespeare RSF was undefeated in all three of his classes at these championships. His final win was his highest score of the show, chalking up 75.316% to top the Second Level Open Freestyle with a complex, difficult test — a hallmark of all of Mason’s freestyles. The routine garnered a high score of 78.158% from William Warren thanks to an artistic score of more than 81%.

Competition concludes on Sunday, November 12, with the final nine championship titles to be decided, from Training Level to Prix St. Georges. 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.