After the first two competitions, results of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Grand Prix Dressage National Championships didn’t offer much optimism for how the riders would fare at the world championships in August.
In the Grand Prix, only three broke 70 percent in their scoring. In the Special, that was down to one — Ellesse Gundersen with Quintessential 4 — and she’s not even a candidate for the world championships.
But pessimism has no place in the DNA of U.S. Technical Advisor/Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig.
The World Championships this year aren’t the end game — the U.S. is focused on the 2028 Olympics at home in Los Angeles. Happily, as the home team, the U.S. doesn’t have to qualify for those Games, but medals are the goal there. And before that, there are the Pan American Games next year. Since the competition doesn’t include the likes of Germany, Belgium, Britain, etc., it’s not as tough as the other major goals, but it is a chance for horse/rider combinations to prove themselves on a big stage and show their potential.
In the meantime, Christine is doubling down on her determination.
“I always look at it this way,” she said.
“Roll up your sleeves, tell them to step it up. It comes down to keep at it; good training, good riding leads to good performance.”
When it comes time for riders to discuss their performances with Christine, “There’s explanations, no excuses,” she told me.
I often mention how impressive Christine was in clinching a bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Even before she rode, the Danes already were getting ready to collect the bronze. But her gritty performance clinched the honors for the U.S. and all the Danes could do was untack their horses and go home.
She retains the same brand of determination in preparing the riders.
Christine Traurig was instrumental in the development of Ellesse Gundersen and Quintessential 4.
“I think right now with the combinations we choose to go to Europe, they will really say `Okay, we’ve got to train, we’ve got to practice, we’ve got to perform. It’s always like that once the riders go to Europe . They say, `We better straighten up,” Christine observed.
There will be “more of that, I think as we go towards LA, but it also has to happen at home.
“We need to train, we need to produce more horses and not always look to the handful, because things can go wrong.”
A case in point is what happened to defending national champion Christiann Simonson and Indian Rock in the Special, where they produced a subpar test that also included a rider error.
“When we only have a few, the ones in that group of the few can also get a little complacent. So within our country, we need to build competition.
I think we have to up our game in the training and develop a bigger group of horses.”
In addition to “the coaching of the riders and training of the riders, we have to look at all aspects of developing horses. We cannot just say, `That’s a good rider, that’s a good horse’ and then see what happens We have to step up our game,” Christine advised.
While she expects a great deal from others, she also has a big responsibility.
“I look critically at myself. Do I need to be more clear, do I have to be more firm, does the conversation have to be a little more in depth? For myself, I have to have a strategy, a format, an approach, so the outcome is productive.”
Ellesse and Quintessential 4 are an example of what Christine’s involvement can produce.
“When the horse was nine years old doing the Grand Prix, Christine was a big part in helping me kind of shape the direction to take him,” Ellesse said. “I’ve followed that very carefully for the last three years now, and she wasn’t wrong,” said Gundersen. “I trust her guidance completely, and like she said, you’re building the team for more than just one event. LA28 is really important. Pan Americans are very important. We need to have a strong presence in all championships.”
Ellesse Gundersen and Jodie Kelly-Baxley with Christine Traurig.
While she felt it was too soon for her and her homebred mount to compete at the world championships, she is hoping to gain experience by being among the eight or so riders who will show in Europe before the title meet.
In talking about what needs to happen for U.S. riders to excel on the world stage, Christine mentioned there also is the growing awareness of how to handle social license to operate that must be taken very seriously.
“It’s not only about the movements in the test, it is also that they are very aware of what, nowadays in the sport — after the sport has been under such scrutiny — do the judges want to see?
“The judges are under as much pressure as we as coaches trainers and riders are. We are still in the period of transitioning from what was and what is now, (what) it is going to be and has to be. When the judges are out there, they are being tough. This is what we have look for in order to keep the sport loved and popular.”
Here is Christine’s answer to that: “A horse that is through and gymnasticized. It is adjustable and flexible, uses his body and uses his topline, therefore can create the right amount of energy from the hind quarters. That is not necessarily accomplished by numerous repetitions of exercise for the test. it is the basic work that is just as important.”
Saturday night is the final class of the championship, the Grand Prix Freestyle, but Indian Rock was withdrawn from the start list after his Special. Christian is still part of the Freestyle, but with his other mount, Fleau de Baian, second in the Special.
Also scratched were Kasey Perry-Glass (Heartbeat WP) and Genay Vaughn (Gino), thirteenth and fourteenth respectively in the Special. Tina Konyot did not break 60 percent in the Special with Grover and did not qualify for the Freestyle.
Marcus Orlob, who was the top qualifier for the championships with Jane, was not entered, as the mare was recovering from an injury.
