Changing up her floorplan and taking a risk paid dividends for the Third Level Freestyle AA winner, Laurie Saldana-Rich, who also won this class in 2022.

Both victories came aboard her own “perfect amateur horse,” the nine-year-old De Niro mare Straight Horse De Milla, who came from Helgstrand Dressage in Wellington three years ago. She is out of the Blue Hors Zack mare Zackonik, herself a Grand Prix horse under Chris Hickey.

Photo – Third Level Freestyle AA winner, Laurie Saldana-Rich, repeated victory with Straight Horse De Milla. (SusanJStickle.com)

Their 70.492% performance to a freestyle made by Cynthia Collins of Luna Tunes Freestyles put them more than 3% clear of the reserve champion Janelle Williams on Barn Dance at the US Dressage Finals.

“Yesterday I didn’t have a very good ride,” said the 56-year-old rider. “George Williams schooled me here and said, ‘You weren’t riding; you were just guiding,’ so I knew I had to redeem myself. That was my job, and I feel like I did that.

Changed the Ending

“It was a similar freestyle to last year except Jennifer [Conour, with whom she also trains] had me change the ending,” she continued. “She wanted me to do a circle of changes and I hadn’t done that until this show, so I tried it in the warm-up and thought, ‘Okay, I’m just going to go for it.’ Two judges commented that I went for a big risk and it paid off, so Jennifer was right. She says I’ll have to try Prix St. Georges soon, so I guess I’d better buy a shadbelly.”

Saldana-Rich will spend the winter in Florida based at Blue Marlin Farms training with Williams. When she returns to her Indiana farm in the spring, two embryo transfer foals out of Straight Horse De Milla — both by Glamourdale — are due.

Sunday’s classes conclude competition in the 2023 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®. Catch up with all the action via the USDF Facebook page, the US Dressage Finals website, and on the USEF Network. To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, view results, and read daily news releases, visit the official US Dressage Finals event website. Next year’s US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® take place November 7-10, 2024. Mark your calendar!