Christine Calao brought three of her own horses and one for a client to the Region 9 Championships at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX. She came away with an armful of wins, leading the Open Fourth Level on Rena Davis’ mare Sternentaenzerin and following up with Prix St Georges victory on Charlotte CR and Intermediate I glory with Freshman SHS. Two of the horses are home-bred, and the third, who is blind in one eye, Calao bought as a yearling.

Photo – “He’s off the sales list now.” — Christine Calao piloted Freshman SHS to the Region 9 Intermediate I title, despite the gelding by Fürstenball being blind in one eye. (Sue Stickle Photography)

In the Prix St. Georges, Calao captured the title with 68.897% on her own eight-year-old home-bred Charmeur mare Charlotte CR, who she describes as “a hot, sensitive red-head.” She occupied three of the four top slots in the class, finishing as Reserve Champion on another eight-year-old, Freshman SHS, by Fürstenball. She finished fourth on Faith CR, also by Fürstenball. In the Intermediate I championship, Freshman SHS leapfrogged his stablemates to the title with a 68.162% performance, sealing a stellar show for Calao.

Happy Crew

“I was really happy with my crew,” said Calao, who bought Freshman knowing he had a detached retina but liked his sire. “Freshman used to be a sales horse, but I decided to keep him because he was so nice. He hit his comfort zone when we started showing last year. My coach, Lesley Morris, says he’s a machine. He is honest and uncomplicated with no grump or overreaction. He’s off the sales list now.”

Calao is the owner and head trainer at Cadence Ranch in Hutto, TX, where she breeds a couple of foals each year. The USDF gold medalist debuted all three of her horses at Intermediate I level for the first time just a month before Regionals. She attributes much of her success to years spent training intensively in Germany.

“Charlotte is the most spectacular of mine,” she continued. “She’s fancy with a lot of chrome and very extravagant with an active hindleg. She’s sensitive though, so we’re working on the balance between using her power but not getting tense. In the Prix St. Georges, she was absolutely on the money, and we had a blast. All three of mine are schooling the grand prix movements — they all have the one-times and the piaffe/passage already. It’s really exciting.”

More Success

Calao’s horse Dean Martin CR finished reserve champion with AA rider Lauren Vega at Prix St. Georges level. The 16-year-old by Don Frederico x Weltmeyer netted 64.853%. Bailey West rode the American Dutch Harness Horse Reece BRB to the title with 65.809%.

The final fixtures of the 2024 GAIG/USDF Regional Championships take place October 10-13, with the Region 1 Championships in Lexington, VA, and the Region 4 Championships in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

The 2024 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® is a national, head-to-head competition that showcases competitors in Adult Amateur and Open divisions. Classes run at Training Level through Grand Prix, plus freestyle to music divisions and sections for Junior/Young Riders at Training Level through Intermediate I Level. There is more than $125,000 in prize money up for grabs over the four days. Learn more at www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals/index.asp.