Christopher Hickey came out prepared to lay it all on the line in his Intermediaire freestyle with Regent.  A true duel for the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Intermediaire I Championship developed after Hickey and Lauren Sammis each won a class, but Hickey had his heart set on winning.

He rode a challenging freestyle to techno music and an original composition from a group called Bond.  He ended with a one-handed extended trot down centerline and received a 9 for his difficulty, which vaulted him into first place in the freestyle (74.50%) over Sammis on Sagacious HF (73.45%) and clinched the overall title.

“I’m a little emotional,” said Hickey.  “I’ve had a lot of things happen at the last minute when I’ve been close to a big thing.  This means a lot to us.”

But Sammis wasn’t too disappointed, as she and third-placed finisher Katherine Poulin-Neff on Brilliant Too are on the unofficial U.S. Pan American Dressage Team after their consistent strong performances throughout the competition. 

“The teammanship is going to be so important for us when we go to Brazil,” said Sammis.  “Their quality of riding is going to improve me as a rider.  I’m going to push them as much as they’re going to push me, and that’s only going to help us as a team.”

Sammis said she intended to make her Billy Joel-themed freestyle more difficult for the Games.  “It’s not hard enough for the horse I have now,” she said.  “I have a horse now that wasn’t the same horse that he was two months ago.  Two months ago that was a pretty hard freestyle.  Now it’s not looking hard enough.”

Susan Dutta placed fourth overall in the Intermediaire championship with Pik L and expressed a bit of disappointment that the new Federation Equestre Internationale format for dressage championships only allows for three team members.  This is the second time she’s been the reserve rider for the Pan Am Games, and she will travel to Brazil with the team.

“I’m ready to step in if I’m needed,” she said.  “I’d like to not be reserve again, but I’m grateful.  I could be back in the stands.”

The horses will now go to Wellington, Fla., for the quarantine necessary before they ship down to Brazil. 

“It’s important not to overwork the horses in quarantine,” said team coach Klaus Balkenhol.  “These are experienced riders who have brought their horses to this level.  So it’s more a job of just overseeing their training process.”

Elisabeth Austin took home her second Brentina Cup aboard Olivier over Nicholia Zamora on Nimbus and Jodie Kelly on Manhattan.

Austin won both the Intermediaire II test and the special Brentina Cup test (71.43%) for an overall average of 69.37 percent. 

“I really wanted to try for the Grand Prix Championship,” confided Austin.  “He felt ready.  But in the first qualifier he felt a little tentative.”

So with the encouragement of her trainer Arlene “Tuny” Page and equine masseuse Sal Salvetti, she came back for another crack at the championship for riders between 18 and 26. 

“At the end of the day, I wanted to ride well,” said Austin.  “I didn’t ride well on Friday.  Today he was super.  Today he was a little bit more up in his carriage.”

She was thrilled with her piaffe and passage work, but a little disappointed with a mistake in her right pirouette.

“We have some good homework now,” she said.  “Hopefully I’ll do the Saugerties CDI.  The judges recommended I try him for the selection trials for the Beijing Olympics next year.  I know he’s special and will be as good as I can make him.”

Second-placed Zamora had a slightly more tense ride with Nimbus in the Brentina Cup test (63.94%) for third place, but she wasn’t disappointed. “It was an accomplishment to get here, and to do how we did was even better,” she said.

Zamora changed from an eventing career to dressage just three years ago and was showing Nimbus at fourth level 18 months ago.

Bonnie Efird and Magie Noir rode away with the first ever USEF Junior Championship after earning an overall average of 67.12 percent. Efird won Sunday’s Junior Individual test after earning  68.85 percent, as well as Friday’s Junior Team test (65.40%). 

The 18-year-old from Waxhaw, N.C., noted that her performance improved over the course of the weekend.

“My mare was much more on today.  She had a little bit more spunk, and I think that was what helped up my score from Friday,” said Efird.  “The whole experience of being here has been incredible.  It’s a much bigger show than I’ve ever ridden at, so I was a little nervous coming in, but everyone has been so fantastic.”

Taking home the reserve honors in the junior championship was Taryn Briones aboard her Hanoverian mare Ghita.  The Snohomish, Washington native earned an overall average of 64.95 percent.

Briones received a little extra help from dressage team coach Klaus Balkenhol, who gave her some pointers through her trainer, Jeremy Steinberg, after watching her ride on Friday.  

“I came out here wanting to be confident, and give them a chance to see what you and your horse can do,” said Briones. “All the years of hard work pays off here.”

Sunday Results
Intermediaire I Championship
1.    Regent, Christopher Hickey
2.    Sagacious HF, Lauren Sammis
3.    Brilliant Too, Katherine Poulin-Neff
4.    Pik L, Susan Dutta
5.    Schumacker Solyst, Melissa Taylor
6.    Dominion, Shelly Francis
7.    Wadamur, Susan Jaccoma
8.    Wellington, Melissa Jackson
9.    Bocelli, Kathy Pavlich
10.  Divinity 3, Tanya Vik
11.  Much Ado, Carol Lavell
12.  Paradiso B, Susan Halasz

Intermediaire Freestyle
1.    Regent, Christopher Hickey, 74.50
2.    Sagacious HF, Lauren Sammis, 73.45
3.    Brilliant Too, Katherine Poulin-Neff, 72.20
4.    Pik L, Susan Dutta, 71.10
5.    Schumacker Solyst, 69.70
6.    Dominion, Shelly Francis, 67.20
7.    Wadamur, Susan Jaccoma, 67.10
8.    Bocelli, Kathy Pavlich, 66.25
9.    Divinity, Tanya Vik, 65.75
10.  Wellington, Melissa Jackson, 65.65

Brentina Cup Championship
1.    Olivier, Elisabeth Austin
2.    Nimbus, Nicholia Zamora
3.    Manhattan, Jodie Kelly
4.    Sapphire, Dora Dean
5.    Lancelot, Bethany Peslar
6.    Jamboree, Jessica Rizzi
7.    Bretone, Nora Batchelder
8.    Bellinger, Lauren Sprieser
9.    Rannoch, Lindsay Haugen

Brentina Cup test
1. Olivier, Elisabeth Austin, 71.43
2. Manhattan, Jodie Kelly, 64.25
3. Nimbus, Nicholia Zamora, 63.94
4. Sapphire, Dora Dean, 62.87
5. Lancelot, Bethany Peslar, 59.79
6. Bretone, Nora Batchelder, 59.74
7. Jamboree, Jessica Rizzi, 59.23
8. Rannoch, Lindsay Haugen, 54.97
9. Bellinger, Lauren Sprieser, 53.43

Junior Championship
1.    Bonnie Efird, Magie Noir
2.    Taryn Briones, Ghita
3.    Meagan Davis, Gachet
4.    Lora Kay Witterstaeter, Weltkaar
5.    Katie Foster, Sacremento
6.    Ashlee Todosijevic, Sjoerd
7.    Jessica Deimler, Sion’s Shadow
8.    Allessandra McGinnis, Gable
9.    Marlee O’Neil, Oblahdie
10.  Jilian Kemenosh, Nelzon
11.   Sarah Magbee, Lucky Mann
12.   Kristina Wang, Belladiva

Junior Individual Test
1.    Bonnie Efird, Magie Noir, 68.85
2.    Meagan Davis, Cachet, 64.95
3.    Taryn Briones, Ghita, 64.65
4.    Allessandra McGinnis, Gable, 63.60
5.    Jessica Deimler, Sion’s Shadow, 63.10
6.    Katie Foster, Sacramento, 62.80
7.    Ashlee Todosijevic, Sjoerd, 62.35
8.    Lora Kay Witterstaeter, Weltkaar, 61.30
9.    Marlee O’Neil, Oblahdie, 60.30
10.  Jilian Kemenosh, Nelzon, 59.65
11.   Sarah Magbee, Lucky Mann, 58.90
12.  Kristina Wong, Belladiva, 51.80