Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti, the combination that won the Open Grand Prix Freestyle at the U.S. Dressage Finals in 2021, did it again on Saturday night during the show at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
“I could not have been happier with my ride; I didn’t care what the score was,” said Kristin, who rode to a Bugs Bunny operetta she edited herself, as well as well as designing the complex floorplan. Her efforts earned a mark of 72.25 percent.
“I wanted to use that music, and it took me years to try to get it the way I wanted it,” revealed Kristin. who was the runner-up in the Grand Prix on Saturday.
Vashti, who is by the pinto Friesian Sporthorse Nic, also sire of Jim Koford’s famous ride Adiah HP, was bred by Sherry Koella. She was at Finals to witness the cherished 17-year-old mare’s victory. Sherry likes to breed for color, and when Vashti turned out to be a bay and then became an orphan, Kristin and her mother, Dede Wasemiller took her in.
Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“We have been second several times in this class, so it was our goal to come back and win it,” added Kristin, who trains mostly with her mother and is based four miles away from her farm in Oklahoma City.
Jennifer Roth, who had 11 rides at the show, was the reserve after making a last-minute decision to contest the class when another competitor scratched. She and Barbara Lightner’s 12-year-old Lusitano, Imperador DR, earned 71.258 percent.
“I wasn’t even supposed to be in this class,” she explained. “The horse is an absolute machine and Kathy Rizzoni made him such a fun, upbeat freestyle. I was up there just dancing and singing, and when I hit that last line of ones, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve done 15, let’s see how many more I can fit in.’ He was right there for me. That’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had doing dressage.”
Roth partially attributed her great performance to help from long-time coach Sharon Ridge and warm-up help from Jim Koford, and partly to her brand new tailcoat bought on the day.
“It must be good luck; I’m never taking it off,” laughed Roth, who has been riding the Lusitano only since the spring of 2025. “I was given the ride to just play around, and here we are. Jim’s been convincing me that it’s okay to be fancy. I tend to go with the safe seven, and he’s helping me figure out that I can go for more. It’s pretty cool.”
Josefine Parada, who was jetting off on her honeymoon Sunday morning, filled third place with a 71.125 percent ride on her own 14-year-old Floriscount gelding, Floyd.
Her four-year-old Rock It P on Saturday won the First Level Open Freestyle with 77.241 percent, with a boost from a plus-80 percent mark from the judge at C. Heather’s music was from the mystery movie Enola Holmes, put together by Kevin Whitney.
The 17.3 hand (and still growing) Rock It (Grand Galaxy Win X Everdale) made a comeback from his Friday Training Level test, where he was distracted by the camera person.
Heather Mason and Rock It P at home. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Today he put on his bravery and was fantastic. It’s a very difficult floor plan, with bold movements and combinations because he’s an honest horse, which is lucky, because being so big it would be a problem if he wasn’t. I bought him as a foal, and he was only supposed to make 16.2 hands,” said Heather, who is based in Lebanon, N.J.
Heather’s total wins at the show mounted to four by the end of Saturday’s action. She was the first to go in the Intermediate I Open Freestyle Championship on Manuskript SCF and her 73.325 percent mark on the eight-year-old Jazz gelding was good enough for the title. Then she rode Rock It P again to take the First Level Open Championship with 73.194 percent.
Next for Rock It is a rest and maybe some jumping over the winter until serious work resumes in the spring.
Heather Mason and Rock It P rock their winning freestyle. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“I have to let Rock It’s body catch up; everything comes so easy for him, and he’s not stressed about the work but he’s still physically immature. He’s definitely a super horse, and I look forward to many years with him,” Heather said.
A Lusitano stallion was named Grand Prix champion for rider Jorge Arauz Friday night, topping a field of 14. Jorge and the “sweetheart” of a horse, London Do Vouga, earned 65.036 percent. The stallion is an inexperienced 11-year-old that just started competing at the highest level during the summer. It was only his third show at Grand Prix.
“It has been an amazing journey with this horse,” said Jorge, who works for Dulce Borjas at her Los Encinos Equestrian Hacienda in Magnolia, Texas.
“He came to us from Brazil three or four years ago as a kind of average horse schooling Second Level for Dulce to ride,” said Jorge.
A a native of Nicaragua, Jorge now rides for the U.S. He soon realized that London Do Vouga had the quality and talent for the upper levels, and in a few short years, he learned all the Grand Prix work. The stallion’s owner also earned her U.S. Dressage Federation silver medal on the horse 18 months ago.
Grand Prix winner Jorge Arauz and London Do Vouga. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“Honestly, we were very happy and humble to be here,” explained Jorge.
“We are new in this, so we had no big expectations, but we tried our best and the test went really well, his best so far. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but from his breed, the piaffe/passage are strong exercises for him. He’s a sweetheart.”
Jorge has trained with Rafael Soto, as well as riders from the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.
“Hopefully, we will get him to some CDIs next season in Florida,” he added, “and we would like to get him qualified for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship at WEC Ocala in May.”
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