USEF Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ Dressage National Championship Continues

The USEF Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ Dressage National Championship continued with the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Test. Outside of the ribbons on Wednesday, Lauren Asher (Wellington, Fla.) and West Side, Select Equine International’s 16-year-old KWPN gelding, made the necessary adjustments to win the test with a score of 69.026 percent.

Photo - Lauren Asher and West Side (SusanJStickle.com)

“The test went so much better today. I was super happy with the piaffe work. Yesterday, he was looking a bit and spooky, so I had some very expensive mistakes, but to come back from that and have the ride that I had today, I’m thrilled,” said Asher. “He’s a bit of a look-y horse in general, and he just flew from Holland where I’m based, so it was a long trip, and to come into a new arena not having done too many shows over the summer, I think he was a bit impressed by the atmosphere. Today, I was like,‘C’mon we have to do it,’ and he was there for me, so that was wonderful.”

Claire Manhard (Cardiff, CA.) and Wilfonia, her 16-year-old KWPN mare, placed second with a score of 67.564 percent, and Hope Cooper (Concord, Mass.) and Hot Chocolate W, Mary Mansfield’s 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, placed third with a score of 67.103 percent.

Following the FEI Intermediate II Test and the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Test, Lauren Asher and West Side have the overall lead for the USEF Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ Dressage National Championship. The national champion will be determined on Saturday following the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Freestyle.

Complete division results

On today’s test:
Cooper: “I’m amazed at the moment. This is only Hot Chocolate’s fourth time competing this test or anything in the Grand Prix [16-25], so I’m happy for him. As we have gone through the season, he’s gotten better and better. I liked my test a bit better yesterday. He felt a little more with me. Even though he was maybe a little bit more tired today, he really stayed with me and tried throughout the entire test. I couldn’t ask more from him. The one [tempis] have always been really hard for him. He did those quite well today. I’m just very proud of him.”

Manhard: “I thought today was very good as far as mistakes. She’s a little bit more tired today. We didn’t have as much oomph in the trot lengthening and cantor pirouettes, but I think we did them well. We had one little bobble; she decided to trot at ‘A,’ but we fixed it. Her piaffe-passage was good. She got a little tired at the end, but she tried really hard.”

On Saturday’s Freestyle:
Manhard: “I’m really excited. I have new music that I made with my brother. He is a Deep House DJ. It is his first time making a dressage freestyle, so I helped him, but we made it together, so I’m really pumped.”