In only their second season together, Adult Amateur Madison Rezaei and her own Maximus were awarded the Grand Prix Championship win. Rezaei bought the 13-year-old Polish Warmblood — who is by the Thoroughbred sire Sword xx out of a Kostolany dam — 18 months ago from another amateur rider, and he is her first grand prix horse.

Photo – Madison Rezaei and Maximus improve on their 2023 placing to take top honors in the Adult Amateur Grand Prix with 66.92%. ( Sue Stickle Photography)

“He’s a sensitive, nervous guy and it seemed like when I sat on him, he understood me. He’s gotten so much stronger, more reliable, and more confident, and we’ve built a nice partnership. This is the sweetest horse with so much try, and he was so on today,” said Rezaei, who scored 66.92%.

“The Sweetest Horse with So Much Try”

“We were here last year which was crazy because we had only just started together and came sixth. I was over the moon just to be in the arena, so it’s kind of crazy to be winning it this year. I had no expectations, just to ride our best test and have a happy, relaxed horse. I think we did it,” added Rezaei.

She is currently on a sabbatical from her job as a strategy executive and has been able to dedicate more time than usual to riding. She is based in New Jersey and trains with Heather Mason.

Incredible Teacher

“She’s magic; an incredible teacher for horses and people,” enthused Rezaei. “The Heather Mason orbit and community is really special – everyone is really supportive. ‘Max’ will have a nice long break after this, then we’ll fine-tune over winter. The nice thing about Grand Prix is that you’re never really done, and there are always things to make better. He really hates nature, so we won’t do a lot of hacking, but we’ll find ways of keeping his work interesting in the ring.”

Competition resumes on Saturday, November 8, with a bonanza of 14 championship titles up for grabs from First Level to Grand Prix. 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.

RESULTS