Less than one point separated the top three horses in the 7-Year-Old National Championship at this year’s FOC, but in the end it was Willy Arts (Hanford, Calif.) and Makanabria DG (Rock Forever x Gamebria DG), his homebred 2017 Danish Warmblood mare owned by DG Bar Ranch, who secured the win with a 73.427% overall score.

Photo:  Willy Arts and Makanabria DG_2024 (Photo Credit:  ©Leslie Potter_US Equestrian)

She’s A Fun Horse

“She’s still a little bit green, so we brought her along for the experience,” said Arts. “She’s a fun horse. She’s a worker. She has a little bit of a mind of her own, but once she has your confidence, she will go forever. She’s a little green, but the tempi changes and the pirouettes turned out very good today—especially the pirouettes were better than I expected. The lateral work and the trot work and the walk work were all very good, so the ability for collection is there. I think she’s well on her way to be ready for Developing Prix St. Georges next year.”

Makanabria was also recognized as the highest-scoring U.S.-bred horse in the class. Her bloodline is a pillar of the breeding program Arts manages at DG Bar Ranch, and he explains that her dam line traces back to some impressive ancestors.

“We bred the mare—it’s a four-generation breeding,” said Arts. “Her grandmother and mother both did all of the young horse stuff, and she was born with us, and we have a 2-year-old out of her.

“The bloodline goes back to Colimbria, and Colimbria was a full sister to Barbria who went to the Olympics with Tineke Bartels for Holland years back,” he said. “There were three full sisters, and I knew when I was in Holland that they were all at the national mare show, and one was sold to the U.S. Later on when I came [to the U.S.], I heard that this mare (Colimbria) became available, so that kind of had the connection and I was able to buy her.”

Reserve Champion Honors

Reserve champion honors went to Laura Brandt (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) and Ikon (Asgard’s Ibiza x Havanna Byager), her own 2017 Oldenburg stallion. Brandt admitted to having some nerves during the first test, but ultimately was able to overcome them to post two good scores.

“Honestly, I was a little nervous myself,” she said. “This is first time I’ve been at a national championship in 15 years, so my heart was beating out of my chest a little bit before I got on. And so when I got in there, I might have not been riding the way I needed to ride. So the first test, I was like, ‘Okay, great. We got through it without any major mistakes.’ It was a fairly good test. Today felt really good. He was a lot more on; he had a lot of power, but I was riding better. They only go as good as you ride, so today felt much better.”

Brandt has owned Ikon for nearly his entire life, although they had a bit of a delayed start due to COVID-19.

“I have owned Ikon since he was six weeks old, a foal,” she said. “I’ve known him his whole life. He was born in Denmark and did his licensing in Germany, and I brough him over here at the end of his 4-year-old year, and we’ve been a partnership ever since.

He Has An Awesome Character

“When I got him, I was thinking as an investment and that I would sell him after he was licensed,” she said. “But I sat on him once at the end of COVID when I could finally go over there, and his rideability is just—that’s the best thing about this horse. He has an awesome character.

Elizabeth Bortuzzo (Frenchtown, N.J.) took third place with Viconte (Vivaldi x Poetin VI), the 2017 Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with Mark Paul. Viconte came to Bortuzzo’s barn in the spring of 2024.

He Woke Up

“He was supposed to be a very hot horse—the type I like—and he was a little lazy when he came,” she said. “But he woke up, and then we had to deal with, you know, training. He’s come a really long way. I didn’t think we’d be here this year.”

FOC was only the second show that Viconte has competed in away from home, but his performances didn’t seem to be those of an inexperienced horse.

“I thought that our first test was quite energetic and forward, and he gave it his best shot,” said Bortuzzo. “He needs to learn to carry more and sit more and power up more, and all the things, but I think he did as best as he could do right now. He just learned how to do all of this three months ago, so I couldn’t be happier with him.”

The 2024 FOC takes place Aug. 19-25, at HITS Chicago Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill. Competition takes place in two arenas and will be broadcast on USEF Network. Bookmark the FOC event page on USEF.org for the latest coverage of this year’s show.

Ring Schedule | Orders of Go and Results

2024 Festival of Champions Livestream

 The U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions replay is available on-demand on USEF Network. US Equestrian members and subscribers, and fans can watch all classes live. Not a member? Join today!