PrintSomerset is on his game with three strong phases in the CIC***.
Patience and training really do pay off, and Sara Dierks proved it at the Maui Jim CIC*** by putting together all the pieces to win with Somerset II at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill., July 10-13.
Although she’s known for some time that the 11-year-old, English-bred Thoroughbred had talent to spare, it’s taken time to bring his training up to match his ability.
Dierks started riding “Somer” in 2005 and achieved good finishes with him from the start. She took over the ride from Chris Desino when Desino decided that he preferred show jumping to eventing. Dierks placed fourth at the Radnor CCI** (Pa.) that fall and thought she was on track for a three-star.
However, a fall at the 2006 Blenheim CCI*** (England) caused her to delay her plans.
“I got excited about having a talented horse,” said Dierks. “The horse tried his heart out for me, but he didn’t have the education. When I fell at that water jump at Blenheim, I got up and thought, ‘I will never rush a horse again.’ I will never make that mistake again. I learned my lesson.”
So Dierks has been carefully bringing Somer along ever since, and this year her hard work started to pay off, with a fourth-placed finish at the Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.) and now with the Maui Jim win in an Adequan/USEA Gold Cup class. Dierks is aiming Somer toward the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.) in October.
Dierks chose Maui Jim as Somer’s first event back after the three-day because of the excellent footing in the dressage and show jumping arenas. “It’s always an event with fantastic organization, but in the past few years they’ve made so many improvements to the cross-country course because of having the American Eventing Championships there,” said Dierks.
Somer demonstrated that all three of his phases have gotten better. “Since his flatwork has improved steadily, then my preparation time for the fences is a bit shorter because I can get the balanced canter I need faster,” said Dierks. “Not only do I have a horse that is very rideable, but I also have a horse with a huge stride. It makes him quite fast.
“Before, I had go quite slowly into the fence to make sure I was going to have all his body parts in the right
place,” Dierks continued. “He’s learned compression this year, so I don’t have to creep into the combinations, because he’s able to land and rock back and be good. Now I feel like I can go in between the fences.”
Dierks lay in third after dressage behind Allison Springer on Arthur, and moved up to second place with the fastest cross-country round of the division. She moved up again when Somer jumped double clear in show jumping, while Arthur had two down to take second.
That double-clear show jumping round made Dierks especially happy.
“Before, he didn’t show jump clear at all. As of this year, he has been jumping clear rounds because of the strength in his dressage work and the work I’ve done on his jumping style,” she said.
Patience and training really do pay off, and Sara Dierks proved it at the Maui Jim CIC*** by putting together all the pieces to win with Somerset II at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill., July 10-13.
Although she’s known for some time that the 11-year-old, English-bred Thoroughbred had talent to spare, it’s taken time to bring his training up to match his ability.
Dierks started riding “Somer” in 2005 and achieved good finishes with him from the start. She took over the ride from Chris Desino when Desino decided that he preferred show jumping to eventing. Dierks placed fourth at the Radnor CCI** (Pa.) that fall and thought she was on track for a three-star.
However, a fall at the 2006 Blenheim CCI*** (England) caused her to delay her plans.
“I got excited about having a talented horse,” said Dierks. “The horse tried his heart out for me, but he didn’t have the education. When I fell at that water jump at Blenheim, I got up and thought, ‘I will never rush a horse again.’ I will never make that mistake again. I learned my lesson.”
So Dierks has been carefully bringing Somer along ever since, and this year her hard work started to pay off, with a fourth-placed finish at the Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.) and now with the Maui Jim win in an Adequan/USEA Gold Cup class. Dierks is aiming Somer toward the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.) in October.Dierks chose Maui Jim as Somer’s first event back after the three-day because of the excellent footing in the dressage and show jumping arenas. “It’s always an event with fantastic organization, but in the past few years they’ve made so many improvements to the cross-country course because of having the American Eventing Championships there,” said Dierks.
Somer demonstrated that all three of his phases have gotten better. “Since his flatwork has improved steadily, then my preparation time for the fences is a bit shorter because I can get the balanced canter I need faster,” said Dierks. “Not only do I have a horse that is very rideable, but I also have a horse with a huge stride. It makes him quite fast.
“Before, I had go quite slowly into the fence to make sure I was going to have all his body parts in the right
place,” Dierks continued. “He’s learned compression this year, so I don’t have to creep into the combinations, because he’s able to land and rock back and be good. Now I feel like I can go in between the fences.”
Dierks lay in third after dressage behind Allison Springer on Arthur, and moved up to second place with the fastest cross-country round of the division. She moved up again when Somer jumped double clear in show jumping, while Arthur had two down to take second.
That double-clear show jumping round made Dierks especially happy.
“Before, he didn’t show jump clear at all. As of this year, he has been jumping clear rounds because of the strength in his dressage work and the work I’ve done on his jumping style,” she said.
