Gabriella may stand 17.1 hands, but the diminutive Kassie Barteau guided the dark bay mare through an almost flawless Young Rider Team test, earning a score of 69.48 percent from judges Gary Rockwell, Jessica Ransehousen and Jane Weatherwax. Barteau and “Gabbie” also won Lamplight’s Young Rider Prix St. Georges and freestyle, May 27-29 in Wayne, Ill.

The mare was relaxed and attentive throughout the Young Rider Team test, yet she showed explosive medium and extended gaits. “I really liked our team test,” said Barteau. “Gabbie was fresh and really responsive. I got the changes and the pirouettes. She really gave me her extensions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t count the changes in the Prix St. Georges.”

Despite the pilot error, the pair still earned a 67.25 percent for the Prix St. Georges win. Sunday’s free-style, ridden to the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and “Ser-geant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” appeared fun for both horse and rider.

“I have been struggling with trying to really put this together. I can either ride the horse, or I can ride the music, but I can’t seem to ride both. Today I think I finally got it,” said Barteau, beaming. The judges agreed, awarding the pair a score of 71.70 percent and a sweep of the young rider classes.

The 12-year old Hanoverian, owned by Bob Oury, was originally trained by Kassie’s mother, Yvonne Barteau. Kassie took over Gabriella’s reins from her mother last November after the GAIG/USDF Region 2 Championships. Since then, she has had daily lessons with either her mother or father, Kim Barteau, and has ridden with clinicians Conrad Schumacher and Bo Jena, the head trainer at Sweden’s famed Flyinge National Stud and Riding Academy.

Schumacher, who recently stepped down from his long-time association with the Young Riders program, said that he had “seen many, many young riders over the years, and Kassie is one of the most talented I have seen.”

“Kassie’s success has made her more mature in her riding and more enthused too,” said Yvonne. “The mare is a bit lazy, so for a while I took away Kassie’s whip and spurs. I was not high on Kassie’s list during that time, but she learned to better use her body and her legs and not to use her hands. You can’t use a whip in the ring at the NAYRC, so you need to get used to it.”

Kassie hopes to be riding down centerline at the North American Young Riders Championships in Lexington, Va., in July.

Throughout the competition, Lauren Spreiser was hot on Barteau’s heels. Riding her 17.3-hand, Holsteiner gelding, L’Etoile 6, Spreiser, a student at Sarah Lawrence College (N.Y.), put in three solid rides in the Young Rider classes.

Spreiser, who trains in Illinois with Ken McGrath and in New York with Lendon Gray, recently returned from a six-month stay with European dressage legend Monica Theodorescu and her father and coach George.

Lauren has had L’Etoile, a small tour champion in Germany, for 11³2 years. “My biggest challenge with him has been trying to channel his natural energy into collection and not speed,” said Spreiser. “Going back to Germany with him for four months made all of the difference in the world.”

Recently “graduated” young rider Amanda Johnson rode Barrie Anderson’s stunning bay gelding, Pip, to wins in two open third level classes and a fourth level class. The 11-year-old Pik Solo son was light in the bridle, up in the withers, forward from behind and happy and relaxed in his work, a solid successor to Johnson’s FEI Young Rider horse, Glissade.

Johnson, of North Liberty, Iowa, trained Glissade from training level up through Grand Prix, working on and off with U.S. Dressage Federation Vice President George Williams and with Schumacher.

Johnson has been riding Pip for two years. “When he came to me, he had been out of work for some time and couldn’t canter a 20-meter circle without falling into trot. He was also a bit naughty–bucking, leaping–but all in all, a very athletic character. At our first show, a small piece of tape on the arena boards caught his attention and he started to buck, the first of three times! At one point, I was hanging on his neck, with one of my knees in front of the saddle, but somehow I managed to stay on,” joked Johnson.

So far this season, the pair is undefeated at third level. “I finally feel like he’s working with me. He knows what his job is and how to perform. In one test this weekend, some kids were running up and down the lane next to the ring, and Pip gave a quick spook, but he came right back to me. I was really impressed with how mature he’s gotten in the ring.”

Johnson was not the only one who was impressed. In Friday’s third level, test 2, Rockwell gave her a 9 on her walk and on some of her transitions for a 70.79 percent.

In addition to her own wins, Johnson also coached adult amateur student Megan Ward and her horse, Autopilot, to a reserve cham-pionship at training level.