Kathrin Dancer (Woodside, Calif.) drove away with a national championship with her own Redford (Rodgau x Ilka), a 1999 Hessen gelding, and Watson (Wolkentanz x Bon Bijou), a 1999 Hanoverian gelding.

“They’re both 25, and I’ve owned them since 2007,” said Dancer. “They’ve been in multiple world championships, and they’ve been all over the United States. We have a long, long partnership. They trust me and I trust them, and they’re finally starting to mellow at the ripe old age of 25.”

Photo – Kathrin Dancer with Redford and Watson. (©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian)

Dancer and her husband, Scott, spend a large part of the year competing their younger Warmbloods at FEI competitions in Europe, so tackling the intermediate level with her longtime equine partners is an enjoyable experience.

“The horses stay here year-round. We have a farm here in Ocala, and when I’m not here they stay at Goldmark Farm out on an 80-acre pasture,” said Dancer. “We come out in late October, drive them around a little bit, and ask them, ‘Hey boys, do you want to do one more season?’ They go up to Keady and Randy Cadwell up in Southern Pines, N.C., and they put a couple of months of fitness on them so that by the time we get here and the season starts in January we are ready to go.”

As the leaders in their division across all three phases, including a double-clear cones phase, Redford and Watson appear keen to keep driving with Dancer.

“It’s a little more relaxed, and especially competing intermediate as opposed to advanced,” she said. “Since these guys are 25, I’ve gotta dial it down just a notch for them, and going intermediate is kind of like the good old days of driving, and it’s a really nice atmosphere.”

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