by Nancy Jaffer | May 23, 2026
A field of 48 at Aachen Saturday was headed by Lillie Keenan and her special partner, Kick On, finishing in 38.21 seconds to capture the 12-horse tie-breaker in the second qualifier for Sunday’s featured Rolex Grand Prix. The competitors in the 75,000 Euros class included the world’s top 25 show jumpers.
As always, Lillie didn’t set off on her round until she kissed her horse on the neck. It’s a good luck ritual, and it obviously works.
Fellow American McLain Ward, Lillie’s mentor, was tenth on a newer mount, Lestro VD Valckenborg, over the serpentine route laid out at the German show by Aachen’s resident course designer, Frank Rothenberger.
Lillie was more than a second faster than runner-up Abdel Said of Belgium with Wathnan Bonne Amie in 39.59, while Jose Maria Larocca of Argentine was third on Chris (I love a simple horse name), who was timed in 40.10 seconds on the stallion.
The other U.S. riders didn’t fare as well. as Lillie and McLain. Laura Kraut had a rail in the first round and a slow time to finish thirty-second with Una Mariposa, while Aaron Vale was two notches behind her on Gray’s Inn. Karl Cook, who had uncharacteristic rails on Friday with his beloved mare, Caracole de la Roque, wound up fortieth on Foxy de la Roque, who toppled two poles.
Most surprising was the forty-fourth-place finish of world number one, Kent Farrington, on his new star, Descartes SR, who also had two rails, but was slower than Karl.
Click here to read the Day 1 story.
Aachen is having a May show for the Rolex Grand Prix because the August show will be the World Championships in all FEI disciplines.
Click here for Saturday’s results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 16, 2026
The footing is perfect and the courses are intriguing. So take advantage of the extended entry deadline of May 25 and enter the historic Essex Horse Trials, to be held May 31 at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, N.J. Those entering now will not have to pay a late fee.
After its successful reinvention as a one-day competition last year, Essex took steps toward innovation by offering a Modified division, as well as an intercollegiate team challenge. The event, which offers divisions ranging from Starter through Preliminary, is held at a scenic venue best known as the home of the Far Hills Race Meeting.
The water obstacle on cross-country is always a popular tailgating spot at Essex.
The Modified division bridges the gap in fence height between Training and Preliminary, offering a more gradual increase in the challenge offered. Modified fences have the same dimensions as FEI 1-Star.
The event, which also features more than 20 vendors and five food trucks, is sponsored by Purina, Land Rover and Running S Equine Veterinary Services. Running S sponsors a riders’ lounge with breakfast and lunch provided.
There are lots of wonderful prizes. For the first time, the adult amateur rider with the lowest score in any division will receive the Jean and Elliot Haller award, named after the owners of Hoopstick Farm, site of the first Essex Horse Trials. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a 9” x 12” pastel custom commission portrait of their horse by local artist Andrea Gianchiglia.
The Gladstone Equestrian Association is sponsoring prizes that will go to the rider closet to the optimal time for each division.
Purina will give riders the opportunity to weigh their horse and get an exact number of his or her poundage. But those who can guess the horse’s weight most accurately are in line for a variety of prizes, including a saddle pad, a gift bag and coupons, among other goodies.
Want to be in the midst of the action? Get a tailgate sport and bring your friends to share the excitement.
Go to essexhorsetrials.net to obtain for more information about the competition.
The event is a benefit for the Greater Newark Life Camp that gives city kids an opportunity to get out in the country.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 22, 2026
The essence of the SAFE Act aimed at banning transporting horses for slaughter moved a step ahead after passage of a surface transportation reauthorization bill by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but it still has a lengthy road to travel before becoming law.
The Van Drew-Titus amendment to the Build America 250 Act, HR 8870, has the same language as the Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act, known as the SAFE Act, which has 229 cosponsors in the House. The bill, which also includes a ban on the shipment of horses in double-decker trailers, now must pass the floor of the House before the Senate addresses it.
In 2025, more than 25,000 horses went from the U.S., where horse slaughter is banned, to be put to death in Canada and Mexico. Conditions on such a journey are barbaric..
“This was a tremendous bipartisan win for our horses in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but we still have a long way to go before the bill is signed into law,” said Chris Heyde of Blue Marble Strategy, a governmental affairs firm.
““However, the momentum and truth about the cruelty of horse slaughter won out over the outdated lies spread by those who want to profit from the horses’ suffering. I want to give special thanks to Mike Repole (a top owner of race horses) and Pat Cummings (from the National Thoroughbred Alliance) and (auction house) Fasig-Tipton, as well as my coalition partners who have worked tirelessly to advance this issue. Having worked on the effort to ban slaughter for 25 years, I feel we are so close and it is time to put all our effort into getting this across the finish line this Congress.”
Those who want to see this mandate become law should contact their representatives and in the next phase, their senators, urging passage of HR 8870, the Build America 250 Act.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 19, 2026
In the wake of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s National Grand Prix Dressage Championship that wrapped up over the weekend, a group of seven riders and eight horses was named to the short list for August’s world championships at Aachen.
They will travel to Germany to prepare for selection of the U.S. team that is going to ride in the global title meet. Not included in the group was the winner of the championship, Ellesse Gundersen and her homebred Quintessential 4. Ellesse, feeling her horse needed more experience, did not apply for the championships and therefore could not be considered, for the tour, according to the chef d’equipe Christine Traurig.
Some of those selected were no surprise, such as the 2025 national Grand Prix champion, Christian Simonson, with both his freestyle winner Fleau de Baian and Indian Rock, the horse on which he was second in the World Cup finals last month, but who was scratched from the Freestyle at the championships. Christian is the highest-ranked U.S. rider on the international dressage standings, in seventh place. He was fourth overall in the title meet at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.
Also selected were Olympic medalist Ashley Holzer, second in the championship with Hawtins San Floriana, and Meagan Davis, third in the championship with Toronto Lightfoot. Ashley and Meagan were the only riders selected for the tour who had an average score over 70 percent. Fifth-place Jordan LaPlaca and Gold Play, who were on the winning Nations Cup team in Wellington, also got a nod.
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana.
Then came the surprises. Kasey Perry-Glass , an Olympic and world championships medalist, was named with Heartbeat WP, who scratched from the Freestyle at the championships, was thirteenth in both the Grand Prix and the Special.
Anna Marek, who did not appear at the championship, was selected with Fayvel. Also going to Europe are Geñay Vaughn and Gino, whose best finish in Ocala was tenth in the Grand Prix. That combination was fourteenth in the Special and scratched the Freestyle, but was the top qualifier on the list of those eligible to enter the championship.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 9, 2026
Every other year, the Tewksbury Historical Society and the Tewksbury Trail Association collaborate on a tour of interesting barns in the township.
Whether you’re someone who keeps farm animals, or simply fantasizes about having a barn of your own, the tours offer an interesting glimpse into a type of architecture beloved in areas where the countryside is a valued asset — as it is in Hunterdon County.
One of the barns that will be on the tour.
This year’s tour, the fourteenth in the series, will be offered June 20 from 10 a.m.-3 pm.
Five barns will be showcased. A farm that has been in the same family for generations features a multi-use barn. An original dairy barn from Pennsylvania has been relocated for use as a stable.
A relatively new barn, just 20 years old, is situated at the end of a long, meandering driveway. At one location, visitors will see a barn constructed by the Amish and convenient to a trail offering access for those who want to go horseback riding.
Advance tickets are $40 until June 18 at 8 p.m. They will cost $50 per person if purchased on the day of the tour. Tickets for children ages 11-18 are $5, while children 10 and under are admitted free, both in advance and on the day of the tour. Tickets are limited and can be purchased on line thru PayPal at www.tewksburyhistory.net using any major credit card.
Patrons must pick up their tickets at Tewksbury Historical Society Headquarters, 60 Water St., Mountainville in the Lebanon section of the township on June 20 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.. Tickets purchased in advance will not be mailed.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 22, 2026
One Aachen horse show is never enough. So there are two this year.
Strictly speaking, the second show in Germany is actually the multi-discipline FEI world championships in August, but this weekend, Aachen is hosting an all-jumper competition with the Rolex Grand Prix as the highlight. The first qualifier for Sunday’s finale began Friday, with 49 riders entered in a one-round, 1.55-meter competition against the clock. The top placing belonged to Ireland’s Danie Coyle and the speedy Farrel.
They were timed in 70.99 seconds for a fault-free trip over the 1.55-meter test set by the venue’s course designer, Frank Rothenburger. Luciana Diniz of Brazil was second with Vertigo du Desert in 71.47.
“This is a really nice way to start the weekend,” said Daniel after his victory.
“To win the first qualification class is not something that always happens. In speed classes, you often need a little bit of luck – which I had – and that is very normal. The best riders in the world are here, and today I was fortunate to come out on top. Farrel, is now 16 years, and I have had him since he was seven. He has gone through every level with me and been incredible. He is like a best friend. When I need help, he is always there, and today we needed to qualify, so he really stepped up.”
The highest-placed U.S. rider was McLain Ward on a newer mount, Lestro VD Valckenborg, tenth with a time of 73.15. Next best from the U.S. was Lillie Keenan aboard Kick On in twentieth place (75.99)
With two more days of jumping to come, World Cup champion Kent Farrington on the incredible Greya didn’t pull out all the stops, so he wound up twenty-fifth in 78.30. Laura Kraut had a rail with Bisquetta to be thirty-first, while Aaron Vale was slower with a rail on Carissimo 25 to stand thirty-fourth.
Karl Cook had an uncharacteristic three rails with his star, Caraole de la Roque, and finished forty-seventh.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 17, 2026
Dominating the 3-star dressage competition at the World Equestrian Center, Adrienne Lyle and Helix added victory in the Grand Prix Special on Sunday to their 73.213 percent win from the Grand Prix on Friday.
Adrienne and Helix all ribboned-up after their win in the Special.
Adrienne hadn’t done a Special in a CDI (international) show with him since before the Paris Olympics, where the pair was on the U.S. team. Since then, he has changed greatly, and it’s more than the beautiful dapples Helix is sporting in his chestnut coat.
“He’s developed a lot, I think, since Paris. When I go back and watch my videos from Paris, he does not look as strong or as powerful as he is. And obviously, we were a very new combination to each other then. He’s two years older, and he’s got two years more of Grand Prix under his belt (girth?)
“I figured out what works, what doesn’t. You know, like you do with all the horses, it works for a bit, then it doesn’t. You go back, you change your plan, and then you come back out. It’s definitely not, like I said, not a linear process, but I’m happy with where he is right now.
“I’m super proud of him” added Adrienne, noting the 14-year-old Dutchbred son of Apache was kind of a last-minute entry at the show in Ocala, Fla.
“I’m just totally thrilled with him. It’s hot and it’s the end of a long week, so I had to support him a little bit more to help him through the test today. He was just really accepting of that and let me ride him and put in, I think, the best effort that he could. So that’s all you can ask for. I was really happy.”
Adrienne and Helix with their supporters from Zen Elite.
For Adrienne, no matter how well things go, there’s always something else to do.
She has been working on her position, explaining, “It’s how I can sit differently to balance him differently, get more on my seat, and be able to open the frame and lift, and find a more uphill balance. I think we’re starting to click into that.”
Helix went to Europe to be sold last year, but no buyer was found, so he came back to the Zen Elite stables in Florida and Adrienne’s happy about that.
“He is super sweet. He’s very personable. He’s very much a ‘person’ horse. He’s not attached to other horses, but he wants to be out of a stall all day and investigating. You’ll see me wandering around the grounds. I just kind of let him lead me wherever he wants to go. You know, he wants to look in the restaurant window.”
She noted, “There’s not a `no’ in his body. You know, there’s not a negative thought in there, so I really appreciate that.”
While she’s headed to Europe with several horses and her student, Christian Simonson, she doesn’t know what Helix will be doing there yet, though they will be based in Holland, close to Germany. They also will be involved with the U.S. contingent, since Christian likely will be named for the team that competes in August’s world championships in Aachen.
Adrienne will be in touch with the U.S. technical advisor, Christine Traurig.
“Christine is wonderful, and she has got her eyes on everything,” said Adrienne, who started as a working student with Debbie McDonald, so she’s always ready for some pointers.
Adrienne said of Christine, “I can always go to her for advice, and she can come to me. It’s really helpful to have her eyes kind of overseeing the whole program and guiding us.”
Adrienne and daughter Bailey.
Also going to Europe will be Adrienne’s two-year-old baby, Bailey. Yes, of course, she rides her mini. She’s well-traveled and speaks Portugese (her father is from Portugal), Spanish and of course, English. You can bet she also will be learning German while she’s abroad.
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 17, 2026
There was a surprise winner of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Grand Prix Dressage National Championship, and no one was more surprised than Ellesse Gundersen to find herself holding the sterling silver trophy.
An hour after she clinched the honor with her homebred Quintessential 4, she admitted that earning it hadn’t really sunk in yet. But she acknowledged, “I’m really over the moon about it, and he really deserves it, and my entire team the last couple years deserves this more than anything as well, because they’ve been a huge part of it.
“I think we’re going to enjoy it now, and then we are going to make smart decisions and look to the future for this horse.”
Elleesse Gundersen leaves the arena after her freestyle on Quintessential 4.
The title meet was a final test to determine which eight riders will be going to Europe to compete, prior to selection of a team for August’s world championships at Aachen. Ellesse isn’t a candidate for the championships, as she didn’t apply for them, feeling her horse wasn’t quite ready for a test of that magnitude.
I asked if she regretted not applying to ride in the world championships and she was firm in her answer.
“It’s very easy to for me to wish that I could go, but I think I stand behind the decision for my horse that it would have been a lot for him. I 100 percent believe in the athletes and combinations we have that are prepping for it,” she emphasized.
“I think maybe for me, even doing this is going to inspire other riders that thought they were too green, that actually this is how we could take that step towards being part of the team. I hope that I can also be that for the greener combinations coming.”
A Filipina who grew up in Malaysia and became an American three years ago, Ellesse explained why she chose the U.S. for her nationality. The 34-year-old rider said, ” I wanted to be in a team, or in a country, in a sport that really supported the riders, provided opportunities for the riders, and were excited for the riders.
“And, for example, there’s a national championship providing this opportunity and this stage and this atmosphere, it was never provided to me before. I think to become the best rider and the best team and have the best horses, these opportunities have to be part of it and that was a big factor for me when I made the switch. I knew I wanted to be better than I was, and I think the U.S. offers those opportunities.”
The evening was punctuated by thunderstorms that caused delays in the competition. Most affected was Meagan Davis and her Toronto Lightfoot, who had to be warmed up, put away warmed up, put away and finally warmed up to actually compete.
“I was not sure what was going to happen when I tacked him up the third time within a couple hours,” recounted Meagan, who finished third overall.
“But we walked to the warm-up ring, and he was like, ‘Okay, we can do this again.’ For a horse to warm up 20 minutes twice, and then to come out, warm up a third time, 20 minutes, and go in and do a test as well as he did just shows how much heart and stamina he has, and how he loves to perform. I was almost in tears at the end of my ride. It was the first time we’ve done that freestyle, so it was a lot of fun.
Everyone’s choice of music was interesting. Meagan rode to a medley of the Rolling Stones.
Meagan Davis and Toronto Lightfoot.
Ashley Holzer, reserve national champion on Hawtins San Floriana, chose “Coming to America,” thinking of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the fact that she is an immigrant (from Canada). The 62-year-old Olympian was overjoyed with the performance of her mare. And the best part?
“That I’m still here doing it. It’s pretty special to me.”
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana.
Ellesse rode to dramatic music put together by Dressage & Music, who also arranged Meagan’s theme.
“For my music,” she said, “they named it, ‘Never Give Up.’ All the music had something special to myself, my husband, my family, and it really reminds about not giving up, both with the horse, but also my husband’s situation (he has been ill.
“It really reminds that we can’t ever give up and we fight every day, no matter what, and we show up, and we’re here for it. So it’s very special to us.”
Defending national Grand Prix champion Christian Simonson won the freestyle with his number two mount, Fleau de Baian, but it wasn’t enough for him to retain the title. He finished fourth in the championships after scratching Indian Rock, on whom he was second last month in the Zen Elite FEI World Cup Finals.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian, winner of the freestyle
He and Rocky had a few mishaps, including a rider error, in the Grand Prix Special. His trainer, Adrienne Lyle, said the horse already had “done a number of freestyles this year. Our intention was that we needed to do a Special and then look forward to the future. It would have been selfish for us to say he’s got to go again because we had a little bobble here and there. He’s done enough this season.”
Click here for freestyle results Click this link for national championships results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 16, 2026
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, the new U.S. Grand Prix champion combination.
“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 Christian 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.
Christine Traurig
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.”
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 was the final class of the championship, the Grand Prix Freestyle, but Indian Rock was withdrawn from the start list after his uncharacteristically uneven Special. Christian was still part of the Freestyle, but with his other mount, Fleau de Baian, who won the class. But in the overall standings, he finished fourth, while Ellesse took the title.
Also scratched from the freestyle 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 thus 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.
Click here for freestyle results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 15, 2026
The consistency of Ellesse Gundersen and her homebred Quintessential 4 was the good news at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Grand Prix Dressage National Championship, as they moved up from second place in Wednesday’s Grand Prix to first in Friday’s Grand Prix Special.
“I think now he’s showing that he’s very consistent and we know what we’re going to have when we go in the ring. And today, I had the same feeling as I did Wednesday, which was a great feeling,” said Ellesse, whose ride at the World Equestrian Center Ocala was marked at 70.042 percent.
And now for the bad news: the championship is being held to select eight or so riders who will go to Europe for competition in Germany prior to August’s world championships at Aachen. But while Ellesse may well be selected to make the trip abroad, it will only be for mileage. She didn’t apply to be a candidate for the world championships themselves, so she can’t be selected for the U.S. team, no matter how good her scores are when she competes abroad.
Explaining why she didn’t apply, Ellesse noted that she and the horse are both young (age 34 and 12 respectively) saying, “I know we have some very strong combinations that are a little bit more mature than both myself and the horse together. They have a lot of experience, and I think it would be unfair a little bit to throw myself and the horse into such a big event for our first tour in Europe. We have not toured Europe yet together. I think it’s right to let him have a year of touring, without such a big goal, and then continue on to have a very successful horse in the future. He’s only 12, and I’m still young. I hope that we will be a part of the team in the future and be a very strong part of the team.”
It should be noted, however, that she was the only competitor to break 70 percent in the Special, while she was one of three who hit that mark in the Grand Prix.
Here’s more bad news. Christian Simonson, the top-ranked American in the international standings, dropped from first in the Grand Prix to sixth in the special after several mishaps with Indian Rock.
Rocky appeared to be in a mood, bucking once before entering the arena. Then he kicked out in his first piaffe, earning four scores of 4 and one 2. Ouch.
And instead of going into the canter half-pass, Christian started tempi changes as someone in the audience yelled out to him and the bell rang, so he circled, went into the half-pass and was charged with a deduction for the error by the three foreign judges and two U.S. officials.
The mistakes were costly, putting Rocky on 68.532 percent.
Discussing the situation, Christian cited “miscommunication” between himself and his horse, though he noted of the mistake in the half-passes ,”that was just me.”
He added, “Throughout the whole test, I could have done more to get him in better balance.”
He had only done one Special with Rocky, and that was last year. Christian lacked the required Special in order to qualify for the championship, so he was added as a wild card.
He elaborated about the mistakes, “You can have off days. I think there were moments where I probably could have done better as a rider to like prep Rocky in certain positions. I think Rocky also just didn’t have the over-the-topline, pushing power and balance in certain spots that are pretty normal.
“That’s why we had the mistake in the ones today. Upon reflection, it’s a score and it’s lower than normal, but is it bad? I don’t know, because I’ve learned a lot already. That for me is like a huge win, and I’m actually very, very grateful for it. So that’s kind of my rumination and thoughts of today so far. And I think I’ll go back and watch more and understand how I can improve.”
He added, “Throughout the whole test, I could have done more to get him in better balance.” He had only done one Special with Rocky, and that was last year. He lacked the required Special in order to qualify for the championship, so he was added as a wild card.
Christian did finish second with his other mount, Fleau de Baian (like Rocky, a Dutch warmblood owned by Zen Elite Equestrian), nudging 70 percent with a mark of 69.808.
Christian Simonson and Felix.
Saying he was “super proud of him,” Christian noted about Felix, “Throughout the whole test today, he was unbelievably honest. Every step, I felt like he was with me today. The extensions were super fun. I saw his whole front leg during the extensions, and I was like, ‘Oh, cool!’ I’m really proud of him today. He was a super, super good horse.”
Third place went to Jodie Kelly-Baxley on another Dutch warmblood, Grayton Beach, who is by Negro. She was thrilled with her mark of 69.234 on the horse she has trained since he was three, putting in 11 years with him.
“I’ve been blessed that I brought a couple of young horses all the way through the Grand Prix,” she said.
“I have a little more experience under my belt now. I get them as young horses because, well, I own him myself and it’s what I could afford. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I really love that. He and I are our best friends also.
Grayton Beach and Jodie Kelly-Baxley.
“I drag him around with me everywhere. If he’s on the trailer, I’m driving the truck, and that’s the only way it’s ever been. He goes for trail rides once a week and I always trailer him, and we go for the gallops in the fields. We do all the things together. I think that brings the trust down centerline.”
click here for results
