PrintThis international judge enjoys her turn in the arena.
Melissa Creswick usually spends her time at dressage shows in the judge’s box, but at the Warm-Up 1 and Warm-Up, Cool-Down dressage shows in Elk Grove, Calif., Aug. 1-3, she took her chances in the ring, and that decision paid off with two Prix St. Georges wins.
Creswick keeps a busy schedule as a Fédération Equestre Internationale I-rated dressage judge, but she still finds time to ride her 9-year-old Friesian-Thoroughbred mare, Graceful Times.
This is the pair’s first year competing at Prix St. Georges, and “Gracie” performed clean tests on Friday and Saturday, but anticipated some movements on Sunday, dropping out of one canter pirouette.
“I’m just having a lot of fun with her,” said Creswick. “I’ve never ridden better since I got my new hip six years ago.
“I’m really thrilled with her because she’s been trained exclusively by me,” continued Creswick. “Gracie’s a very attentive mare to her environment when she first gets to a show, and then she settles in to work. She has a very good work ethic, and she never quits on you. She just keeps on trying to figure out what you want.”
Creswick takes clinics with Francis Verbeek Von-Rooy and Conrad Schumacher when they’re in California and her judging schedule permits. This year Creswick received her U.S. Dressage Federation Masters Challenge awards (for riders over 60) at third level, fourth level and Prix St. Georges with Gracie.
Creswick bred Gracie and has done all of her training except her early riding when Creswick was recovering from her hip surgery. Craig Stanley, Madera, Calif., broke Gracie and showed her in the California Dressage Society futurity as a 5-year-old. Creswick also has a full sister, Bravara, at home, who will be shown by Stanley in the CDS futurity this year.
An Overachiever
Although Stacy Zwergel didn’t train Santé from the very start, she’s been riding him since he was 4 years old and brought him through the levels to Intermediaire I.
Zwergel was only riding second level when she started working as assistant trainer for Christine Rivlin-Henke four years ago. But her drive and determination quickly pushed her to achieve more.
Overachievement is a way of life for Zwergel, as demonstrated by her seven wins at Warm-Up, Cool-Down aboard three different horses. She rises at 4:15 four mornings a week, drives an hour to the barn in Petaluma, Calif., rides six to seven horses by 10 a.m. and drives an hour back to Concord, Calif., to work a full day at her tech job. On Wednesdays and Fridays she likes to run the 5 miles from her home to work and back as well as squeezing in gym time after work and training to run a half marathon next year.
Rivlin-Henke and Michele Martin purchased Santé, a 16.2-hand, 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Farmer—Colimbria), from DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Calif., as a 3-year-old. Amateur rider Christy Cadwallader purchased Santé 2 1⁄2 years ago with the intention of riding him herself. But he’s proved to be so talented that she’s turned the reins over to Zwergel for now and plans for Santé to be her FEI schoolmaster.
Melissa Creswick usually spends her time at dressage shows in the judge’s box, but at the Warm-Up 1 and Warm-Up, Cool-Down dressage shows in Elk Grove, Calif., Aug. 1-3, she took her chances in the ring, and that decision paid off with two Prix St. Georges wins.
Creswick keeps a busy schedule as a Fédération Equestre Internationale I-rated dressage judge, but she still finds time to ride her 9-year-old Friesian-Thoroughbred mare, Graceful Times.
This is the pair’s first year competing at Prix St. Georges, and “Gracie” performed clean tests on Friday and Saturday, but anticipated some movements on Sunday, dropping out of one canter pirouette.
“I’m just having a lot of fun with her,” said Creswick. “I’ve never ridden better since I got my new hip six years ago.“I’m really thrilled with her because she’s been trained exclusively by me,” continued Creswick. “Gracie’s a very attentive mare to her environment when she first gets to a show, and then she settles in to work. She has a very good work ethic, and she never quits on you. She just keeps on trying to figure out what you want.”
Creswick takes clinics with Francis Verbeek Von-Rooy and Conrad Schumacher when they’re in California and her judging schedule permits. This year Creswick received her U.S. Dressage Federation Masters Challenge awards (for riders over 60) at third level, fourth level and Prix St. Georges with Gracie.
Creswick bred Gracie and has done all of her training except her early riding when Creswick was recovering from her hip surgery. Craig Stanley, Madera, Calif., broke Gracie and showed her in the California Dressage Society futurity as a 5-year-old. Creswick also has a full sister, Bravara, at home, who will be shown by Stanley in the CDS futurity this year.
An Overachiever
Although Stacy Zwergel didn’t train Santé from the very start, she’s been riding him since he was 4 years old and brought him through the levels to Intermediaire I.
Zwergel was only riding second level when she started working as assistant trainer for Christine Rivlin-Henke four years ago. But her drive and determination quickly pushed her to achieve more.
Overachievement is a way of life for Zwergel, as demonstrated by her seven wins at Warm-Up, Cool-Down aboard three different horses. She rises at 4:15 four mornings a week, drives an hour to the barn in Petaluma, Calif., rides six to seven horses by 10 a.m. and drives an hour back to Concord, Calif., to work a full day at her tech job. On Wednesdays and Fridays she likes to run the 5 miles from her home to work and back as well as squeezing in gym time after work and training to run a half marathon next year.
Rivlin-Henke and Michele Martin purchased Santé, a 16.2-hand, 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Farmer—Colimbria), from DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Calif., as a 3-year-old. Amateur rider Christy Cadwallader purchased Santé 2 1⁄2 years ago with the intention of riding him herself. But he’s proved to be so talented that she’s turned the reins over to Zwergel for now and plans for Santé to be her FEI schoolmaster.
