PrintLauren Sammis has made a big impression aboard this talented gelding in his first Grand Prix season.
Sagacious HF has looked more impressive each time he’s stepped out this year at Grand Prix, and his winning performances at the Raleigh CDI-W were no exception.
Lauren Sammis and Sagacious topped the Grand Prix (69.19%) and the Grand Prix freestyle (74.25%) at the Raleigh CDI-W/Y/J and Capital Dressage Classic, held May 29-31 in Raleigh, N.C.
Headed to the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Cham-pionships, June 18-21 in Gladstone, N.J., Sagacious and Sammis sit fourth in the national standings after showing just twice this year.
Sagacious, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Welt Hit II—Judith), announced his Grand Prix prowess by winning the Grand Prix Special in the CDI at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby (Fla.) in February. And he’s gotten better.
“I think in the last three months he’s becoming stronger, which is resulting in him being more confident,” Sammis said. “A lot of times the jump to Grand Prix is hard, and horses get tired. In their fatigue they get a little nervous. I think he’s getting to a point now where he’s comfortable with the level. When we left Raleigh, he was in a better, more confident place than when we went, which is the goal.”
Sammis, 38, chose not to show Sagacious in between Palm Beach and Raleigh. “I rode through the Grand Prix test a couple of times for people to get feedback, but he didn’t show at all,” she said.
At Raleigh, Sammis debuted Sagacious’ Grand Prix freestyle, riding it in public for the first time. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s the first time I’ve had people start to clap and cheer in the middle of my ride, which was neat,” she said.
“This is a bit of a makeover of my Intermediaire I freestyle. We kept the same Billy Joel tunes and added the Grand Prix movements. I didn’t want to make it too hard for this horse, since it is his first year at Grand Prix, but I think he enjoys it because it’s a playful freestyle.”
Just Enjoying Every Day
After she and Sagacious earned team gold and individual silver at the 2007 Pan American Games (Brazil), Sammis decided to pause her competitive career for pregnancy. She delivered twin boys in July 2008 and got to know a different side of Sagacious.
“It was amazing to watch him when I was pregnant. He totally babysat me, on the ground and under saddle, while I was still riding him,” she said. “He transformed into a quiet, safe horse. When I started to ride again after the babies came, he was the same. He offered little challenges, but he took care of me. It was interesting to watch his different personalities come through. He went from an electric show horse to being a babysitter. And then as I got stronger, his show horse personality came back. He told me, ‘You can hold on now!’ ”
Given their recent achievements, thoughts of selection trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games might be flitting through Sammis’ mind, but she doesn’t let it affect her day-to-day enjoyment of Sagacious.
“Every day I get to go ride this horse, and every day he makes me smile. If we end up being able to do things like the Olympic Games or World Championships, that’s great. But that’s just one week of his life. I get to ride him every day, and I have such a great time doing it. That’s what’s important to me,” she said.
