Nora Batchelder Tops Prix St. Georges Division at First WEC Dressage Show of 2023

Nora Batchelder and her parents moved their RH Hanoverians from New England to central Florida in 2012, in Williston, near Ocala long before The World Equestrian Center was even on the radar.

Photo: Nora Batchelder topped the Prix St. Georges class with Improv 40Z. Photo by Q2 Photography

Now just a short trailer ride down the road, Norah and her herd of horses take turns competing at the world class phenomenon, securing Marion County and Ocala the trademarked title of "Horse Capital of the World ™ ". At the first WEC show of 2023 Batchelder scooped two of the top three places in Saturday’s FEI Prix St. Georges class, claiming victory on Improv 40Z with 70%.

Grayton Beach’s damsire, UB40 is the direct sire of Improv 40Z, who is out of a Rousseau dam and was bred in the U.S. by Sandi Lieb, who still owns him. Improv 40Z – another who is 17.3-hand horse – went on to net 72.059% at Intermediate I to finish second behind Tammy Feldmann on Free Tyme (73.235%)

Batchelder claimed another win at Prix St. Georges level – and her highest score of the show – when she rode Francis S3 to 73.824%. The eight-year-old mare by Franziskus is owned by Carol Glover.

Batchelder’s final win came aboard another of Glover’s horses, the 17.1-hand Divo, by Washington. She piloted him to 68.085% in the FEI Test of Choice class, topping the leaderboard riding the FEI Grand Prix Special.