Michael Barisone traveled 10 hours from Long Valley, NJ with HF Victor (Gribaldi X Miana X Burggraf) owned by Virginia Alling and won the Grand Prix with a 67.66 and the Grand Prix Special on Sunday with a 68.208. Photo: BobTarr.com
The Kentucky Dressage Association’s 2013 23rd Annual show which has grown into a CDI 3** offering over $20,000 in prize money drew competitors from not only their region but was the show of choice for entries from across the eastern and central United States. The Poulin family of DeLeon Springs Florida was there with over 26 rides and multiple students. "The Kentucky Horse Park is a great facility to show," said Michael Poulin who with his wife Sharon and daughter Kate and Gwen spend the week in Kentucky. "The footing is excellent, hotels and airports are nearby and stabling and parking just make it an easy place to show and worth the journey." Michael Barisone traveled 10 hours from Long Valley, NJ with HF Victor (Gribaldi X Miana X Burggraf) owned by Virginia Alling and won the Grand Prix with a 67.66 and the Grand Prix Special on Sunday with a 68.208. Only his third outing with the sensitive 10-year-old Trakhener stallion he has been training for four years, Barisone works with Poulin about once a month. "Michael (Barisone) gets all the credit,” added Poulin who was Barisone’s eyes on the ground in Kentucky. "He takes the time to develop the correct connection with his horses, and puts quality into the gaits without adding too much pressure."
"He is the best student to work with, follows direction to a ‘T’. Michael is an asset to our country because he can and has throughout his career developed all of his horses from beginning to end. "Poulin added the KDA Spring CDI is an excellent show to compete in as it is not as high pressure as many of the Florida events which come so early in the year. Although Barisone lives in Loxahatchee in the winter, he shows lightly at the beginning of the season while he works together with his wife Vera on training and with his students.
Kentucky resident Angela Jackson did not have to travel as far and continued her winning ways with Kerrin Courtney Dunn’s Allure S the lovely 8-year-old mare (Rousseau x Farrington) Photo: BobTarr.com
Another Michael Poulin student, Kentucky resident Angela Jackson did not have to travel as far and continued her winning ways with Kerrin Courtney Dunn’s Allure S the lovely 8-year-old mare (Rousseau x Farrington) who has worked her way through the Markel/USEF Program to Developing Horse. Jackson, a German native who trains and raises horses on her Rhine River Farm in Henderson, Kentucky spent the winter months training in Germany with Klaus Balkenhol and visiting family she has not seen in years. Because 2012 was a busy year for Balkenhol’s operation several of his staff were finally able to take some vacation time, and Angela was able to ride many of the horses he had in training. "I just worked hard and took advantage of the opportunity that was given to me," said Jackson. The results have reflected in her return to America and the horses she trains and shows for her clients. Always professional, the dedicated Jackson continues to persevere and maintains her business year-round in Kentucky.
With Saturday night’s Freestyle classes under the lights in the legendary Rolex arena home of the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games, a large crowd gathered to watch an evening of entertainment with a full bar and buffet for those in attendance. The KDA Cancer 5K 7 Fun Walk concluded just before the evening classes began raising funds in Memory of Mary Kearny.
DressageDaily’s Mary Phelps and a Markel Equine Insurance from Kentucky was on hand doing a raffle for Markel’s Register to Win giveaways. Winning the Back on Track Saddle pad was Jamie Kment of Palmyra, Nebraska. Jamie also won the Prix St. Georges on Zania with a 68.763. Other drawing winners were Julia Boss of Black Star Farms, Traverse City, Michigan winning the Back on Track Mini Blanket, and Sue Kolstad of Florence, Kentucky winning the "The Making of the Modern Warmblood Book" was the name drawn of Christina Cardena of Joya de Andalucia Farms, Somerset, Kentucky won the “I Do DressageDaily T-Shirt”.
Congratulations to all and to the fabulous members and volunteers of the Kentucky Dressage Association for yet another well managed event.
A special thank you to BobTarr.com official photographer of the KDA Spring Dressage show for providing the photos for our image gallery.
Results for the Kentucky Dressage Association’s 2013 23rd Annual Dressage Show on showsecretary.com
