Titleists named at U.S. Dressage Finals

Two New Jersey riders, who often have been winners at the U.S. Dressage Finals, continued their success as the competition moved its full schedule to a new venue, the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.

Since the competition there this week is in several indoor arenas, participants were able to avoid the cold and rain that are prevalent in November in Ohio and neighboring Kentucky, where the competition presented by Adequan was held previously.

Lauren Chumley of Pittstown and Leeloo Dallas won the Intermediate II Open Championship with 68.48 percent to top a class of 14 starters. The combination won the Prix St. Georges title at the 2023 Finals and the Intermediate I Freestyle last year, so there has been a measurable metric of their progression.

“This is Leeloo’s first year at I-2, and I’ve had some really good and some not-so-great rides,” said Lauren about her efforts with the nine-year-old mare (Gaspard De La Nuit DG X Negro).

“She’s never naughty, but she’s green at this. She’s only been doing this level for, like, 30 seconds. She was good in the test, but she was amazing in the warm-up, so that was a feeling of what’s to come. I can’t wait until I can have it all in the ring.”

Lauren has trained Leeloo Dallas up the levels herself since buying her sight-unseen as a foal from her breeder Racheal McKinney in Arizona. Initially, she couldn’t afford her, but when her price was reduced, she was able to cobble together the funds.

“When she arrived, I realized I’d never asked how big she was,” Lauren recalled.

“She’s a hair under 16.1 hands now, which is actually fine as I’m not that tall.”

Lauren is “endlessly grateful” to her coach, Michael Bragdell, who finished fourth in the same class.

“The decorations are incredible, and they’ve created a super atmosphere here. I’m just wondering what the pumpkin budget is as I think I’ve seen about 3,000 of them,” she laughed.

“I love that everything is indoors because it’s been pouring with rain. Plus, the footing is phenomenal.”

Since coming to prominence with Finals wins, Leeloo Dallas has attracted some hefty offers from potential purchasers.

“I’m not wealthy and this money would change my life, but I don’t care; she’s not for sale,” Lauren emphasized.

She called her test, “a perfect end to Leeloo’s first season at I-2. She put in a solid albeit green test and really tried her little potato heart out for me today and it was good enough for the neck ribbon. Thank you, my little Perfect Princess Potato Muffin, you make this life worth the extraordinary continued struggle.”

Heather Mason of Lebanon, N.J.,who has earned many titles at this year-end championship over the years, rode to another on the eight-year-old Manuskript SCF.  She earned the Prix St. Georges Open honors with 70.392 percent.

Manuskript, who along with another horse was the youngest in the class, had the only score over 70 percent. Manuskript (Jazz X Krack C).

Heather also coached a multiple winner, Christina Morin-Graham. In the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship, Christina’s 66.961 percent performance on her 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, Mondlicht, was just what she needed for her first Finals win, with the reserve champion finishing nearly five percentage points less.

 

Christina, who has eight championship class rides, bought Mondlicht five years ago from Germany and was advised that she would not make a Grand Prix horse.

“They said she was too hot for the one-tempis and wouldn’t be able to do the piaffe/passage,” explained Christina, who topped the same class at the Region 8 Championships on her mare (Sarkozy X Ravallo).

“I was happy to have her as a Small Tour horse, but over the years, we’ve done a lot of growing together, and here we are doing Big Tour,” she pointed out proudly.

A week before leaving on the nine-hour journey to WEC from her home in Malvern, Pa., Mondlicht pulled a shoe and had a slightly swollen leg. Christina, who works full-time as a partner in a private equity firm, decided to give her a full week off, only schooling the day before the championship test.

“I got on yesterday, and she felt super,” noted Christina.

“She loves getting ridden; she loves work. I adore her, though she’s definitely an alpha mare and very opinionated. You have to get her on your side and then she really gives you her best.”

The very busy Christina had another win on Friday in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur class on Ici de la Vigne, with a score of 66.912 percent. In the Amateur Grand Prix that day, she also was tops with DSP Dauphin on 68.696 percent and was second with Mondicht (66.920).

In the Third Level Open Championship, Coloradan Taryn Anderson, was first to go in the Third Level Open Championship, and her 71.625 percent on seven-year-old Figardo proved unbeatable.

Figardo, owned by Taryn’s mother, Tammy, gave Taryn “a magical ride” to win with  the day’s highest Finals score.

“He warmed up kind of tight in this big atmosphere, so I didn’t know what to expect. I went in the ring, and he was just so lovely,” said Taryn.

“Everything I asked him to do, he was right there, and his back was soft. He gives me a magical feeling, and it was a magical ride. I could think about each movement, and it felt like ‘Ta-da!’”

Figardo (Fürst Wilhelm X Fürst Piccolo) was found by Anderson’s friend Jenny Wetterau as a four-year-old, and she has produced him through the grades with help from her Colorado-based trainer Petra Warlimont and Florida-based trainers George Williams and Lars Petersen.

“He’s super special to me because he was only walk, trot, canter when I got him. I put all the movements on him, and he’s the first one that I feel I’ve brought along and been successful with it. I’ve had horses before, but we made mistakes, and I learned a lot. Now, I feel like I’m starting to understand how to make a grand prix horse,” she said.

Coupled with his athletic ability, Figardo’s unflappable nature has helped him flourish.

“We have our own farm, and I take him out in the field. I can hack him by himself and train him on the hills,” she continued.

“He’s a happy-go-lucky guy.”

She also praised the new venue.

“I love it,” she said. “I haven’t been to Finals for years, but I remember getting drenched in the rain. When I heard Finals was going to be at WEC, I really wanted to come. I’m very much impressed; the decorations and the shopping are awesome, and the footing is perfect.”

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