How is the U.S. pipeline working to supply top dressage horses for future international competition?
A good barometer could be found during the USEF National Dressage Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center over the last seven days, where a wide range of talent–much of it on the rise–was showcased.
Look at our cover story on I-1 champion Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady (or click on this link) to see someone who’s just waiting in the wings to eventually make a senior team.
And in the Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship, the title went to Sonnenberg’s Jersey, guided by the best finisher in the 2021 Olympics, Sabine Schut Kery. She is bringing along this 9-year-old Dutch warmblood now that her Games campaigner, Sanceo, is retired.
“It’s a really young, new partnership,” said Sabine, who has only been working with the gelding for three months.
“Just doing this, coming here, speaks volumes. I would rate him a 15 for his character, and rideability, too. He obviously had good training before, and he’s super talented.”
Sabine also had the seven-year-old champion, Sandi Mancini’s Dutch warmblood, Gorgeous Latino.
Sabine Schut Kery and Sonnenberg’s Jersey. (Photo by Leslie Potter/U.S. Equestrian)
“I’m just thrilled with my two stallions, having them come here and do so well. I don’t know what more I could ask,” Sabine said.
Talking about Jersey, she noted, “He’s super fun to ride. I love his gaits, and I look forward to the future.”
And what will that be?
“I want to give him a good break on our beautiful grass pastures, and then see and go to the next step,” she said.
So many riders at the show in Illinois demonstrated potential with their horses that will be realized not too far down the road.
To name just one more, the Adequan®/USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship went for the second year in a row to Quinn Iverson with Bille Davidson’s 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Beckham 19.
Brentina, the namesake of the award, was the storied mount of Debbie McDonald, a former U.S. dressage technical advisor. She is the mentor of Olympic medalist Adrienne Lyle, who in turn has coached Christian and Quinn. That’s quite a family tree!
Quinn and Beckham keep improving.
“In the past,” Quinn said, “We’ve had lots of bobbles here and there, and we’re finally starting to smooth it out, and I’m glad that we could show things that we’ve learned since last year.”
In the Neue Schule/USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship, it wasn’t quite a sweep for Codi Harrison and her own Katholt’s Bossco, but she wound up with the tricolor anyway.
National Grand Prix champs Codi Harrison and Katholt’s Bossco. (Photo by Leslie Potter /U.S. Equestrian)
After Codi took the Grand Prix and the Special earlier in the week, the Saturday freestyle went to Lehua Custer and Wendy Sasser’s F.J. Ramzes on 76.350 percent, with World Championships veteran Katie Duerhammer and Kylee Lourie’s Paxton taking the runner-up spot in their dance to music on 75.775.
But a mark of 75.675 percent for third place was good enough to boost Codi and Bossco, a 16-year-old Danish warmblood, to the overall honors when added to their previous scores.
“He was great,” said Codi.
“I had a mistake in the twos, but other than that, he was right with me the whole way. The ones felt great. This drop in temperature helped him. He did great in the heat, but it was nice today to just be able to kind of sit back and relax and he took me around.”
Click here for full results