Printurena Bell-Stanley rode for more than blue ribbons bons at the Great Amercian American/USDF Region 9 Championships, Southwest Dressage Championships and Houston Dressage Society Autumn Classic. After winning both open Grand Prix championship classes aboard Sally Chionsini's Castus, Bell-Stanley was elated.
"Sally just turned 70, so it was a big deal for her�it really was about riding it for Sally," Bell-Stanley said. Bell-Stanley and Castus topped Angel Ozer and Loki in both classes at the show, Nov. 2-5 in Katy, Texas.
Castus is an "awesome horse," said Bell-Stanley, a Houston-area professional and neighbor to Chionsini. "He's once in a lifetime."
Chionsini has owned the 19-year-old, Danish Warmblood gelding for six years. "He was at [Intermediaire I], and we took him up from there," Bell-Stanley said.
Chionsini's been riding him at Grand Prix for three years, although this year Bell-Stanley took over to qualify for and ride him at the championships. They scored 64.58 percent in the Great American championship and 62.18 percent in the SWDC championship.
Bell-Stanley also showed student Jeanette Snow's bay gelding Romeo to the Great American/USDF open third level championship with 64.44 percent. The horse has come along quickly, Bell-Stanley said.
"We started at second level in the spring. Over the summer I taught him flying changes and did one weekend at third level to qualify [for the championships]," she said.
The 14-year-old Belgian-Thoroughbred cross learned flying changes in his own time, she said. "I tried every trick, then one day the light bulb went on," she said. Next year she's aiming Romeo for fourth level and Prix St. Georges. He's also a confidence-builder for Snow, who calls him "the big bay Barcalounger."
Chestnut Champs
Ozer may have been second aboard her Loki in the two open Grand Prix championships, but she didn't return home without her own title.
Ozer rode the 11-year-old, Oldenburg gelding to victory in the Great American/USDF Grand Prix freestyle championship. This is the flashy chestnut Oldenburg's second year of showing at Grand Prix.
Ozer rode Loki to jazz music and scored 68.12 percent for the championship. Sue Malone-Casey and her gelding Lamborghini (68.00%) were second.
The two swapped placings in Saturday afternoon's SWDC FEI-level open freestyle championship, however. Lamborghini wowed the crowd to a medley of ABBA tunes, culminating in one-tempis on a circle and piaffe and passage up the centerline for 67.25 percent.
The 13-year-old "just loves his music," Malone-Casey said. He even spent most of the awards ceremony piaffing to it. "Entering to 'Dancing Queen' is just perfect [for him] and makes me happy."
Malone-Casey, a Dallas-based trainer and S-rated judge, has owned the imported Dutch Warmblood by Coktail since he was 4, and she's done all of his training.
"This is his first full year at Grand Prix," she said. "He's just doing a fabulous job getting stronger. [Now] he's coming up to the next level of potential."
Lamborghini was the Intermediaire II champion at this show two years ago but spent most of last year injured. "It was very iffy whether he was even able to be a competition horse," Malone-Casey said. "You don't realize that in a blink of an eye you can lose eight years worth of work."
"Sally just turned 70, so it was a big deal for her�it really was about riding it for Sally," Bell-Stanley said. Bell-Stanley and Castus topped Angel Ozer and Loki in both classes at the show, Nov. 2-5 in Katy, Texas.
Castus is an "awesome horse," said Bell-Stanley, a Houston-area professional and neighbor to Chionsini. "He's once in a lifetime."
Chionsini has owned the 19-year-old, Danish Warmblood gelding for six years. "He was at [Intermediaire I], and we took him up from there," Bell-Stanley said.
Chionsini's been riding him at Grand Prix for three years, although this year Bell-Stanley took over to qualify for and ride him at the championships. They scored 64.58 percent in the Great American championship and 62.18 percent in the SWDC championship.
Bell-Stanley also showed student Jeanette Snow's bay gelding Romeo to the Great American/USDF open third level championship with 64.44 percent. The horse has come along quickly, Bell-Stanley said.
"We started at second level in the spring. Over the summer I taught him flying changes and did one weekend at third level to qualify [for the championships]," she said.
The 14-year-old Belgian-Thoroughbred cross learned flying changes in his own time, she said. "I tried every trick, then one day the light bulb went on," she said. Next year she's aiming Romeo for fourth level and Prix St. Georges. He's also a confidence-builder for Snow, who calls him "the big bay Barcalounger."
Chestnut Champs
Ozer may have been second aboard her Loki in the two open Grand Prix championships, but she didn't return home without her own title.
Ozer rode the 11-year-old, Oldenburg gelding to victory in the Great American/USDF Grand Prix freestyle championship. This is the flashy chestnut Oldenburg's second year of showing at Grand Prix.
Ozer rode Loki to jazz music and scored 68.12 percent for the championship. Sue Malone-Casey and her gelding Lamborghini (68.00%) were second.
The two swapped placings in Saturday afternoon's SWDC FEI-level open freestyle championship, however. Lamborghini wowed the crowd to a medley of ABBA tunes, culminating in one-tempis on a circle and piaffe and passage up the centerline for 67.25 percent.
The 13-year-old "just loves his music," Malone-Casey said. He even spent most of the awards ceremony piaffing to it. "Entering to 'Dancing Queen' is just perfect [for him] and makes me happy."
Malone-Casey, a Dallas-based trainer and S-rated judge, has owned the imported Dutch Warmblood by Coktail since he was 4, and she's done all of his training.
"This is his first full year at Grand Prix," she said. "He's just doing a fabulous job getting stronger. [Now] he's coming up to the next level of potential."
Lamborghini was the Intermediaire II champion at this show two years ago but spent most of last year injured. "It was very iffy whether he was even able to be a competition horse," Malone-Casey said. "You don't realize that in a blink of an eye you can lose eight years worth of work."
