Susan Jaccoma’s long partnership with Harmony’s Weismuller paid off with the FEI-level championship at the Green Mountain Horse Association’s Dressage Days, in South Woodstock, Vt., July 21-23.

The pair placed first in tests at Prix St. Georges (69.75%) and Intermediaire I (69.25%). “He floated around the ring and it felt simple because he was totally focused and with me both days. He got good marks for almost everything,” said Jaccoma.

Harmony’s Weismuller (Weltmeyer–Bullerblue) is doing most of the Grand Prix movements at home, but he’s not quite ready yet to compete at that level. “He looks like a strong horse because his muscles are so beautiful, but he’s not really that strong, so I’m working on getting him as fit and strong as he can be,” Jaccoma explained.

She’s been riding the 9-year-old stallion, owned by Leslie Malone of Harmony Sport-horses, for four years. Jaccoma said, “I’ve never had a stallion before, and he’s so good that sometimes I forget that he is a stallion.

“Sometimes I’ll ride him almost like I ride my gelding, and he suddenly gets a little stallion-y, whinnying at passing horses, saying ‘I’m here!’ He’s a breeding stallion and he wouldn’t be normal if he didn’t do that, but I maybe need to be a little more assertive with him than I am–but he’s just so sweet!”

Jaccoma also rode Harmony’s FX (Florestan I–Melina), a 5-year-old, Hanover-ian gelding, taking the blue in both FEI tests for 5- and 6-year-olds (74.80% and 77.00%). The horse, also known as “Felix,” was recently imported from Europe to Harmony Sport-horses in Colorado, where he learned the basics.

He arrived at Jaccoma’s Juniper Hill Farm in Arundel, Maine, just five weeks before GMHA. “He was wonderful,” Jaccoma said. “In the warm-up the first day he was scared to death, but by Sunday he was a little trooper. To be able to show a horse when you’ve only had him a few weeks really speaks well of the preparation at Harmony Sporthorses.”

Jaccoma’s third ride was a horse she owns herself. Wadamur, a 7-year-old, bay, Hanoverian gelding, placed first and second in third level, test 3 (67.56% and 61.77%), and second and third in the FEI tests for 5- and 6-year-olds (69.00% and 71.20%).

“He’s doing third and fourth level now, so next year he’ll probably come out at Prix St. Georges. We’ll see how things go,” Jaccoma said. “He’s a nervous horse so I have to be careful with his mind. He’s an overachiever and tries very hard to please me and in that, gets a little tight and nervous. So I’m just going to let him dictate how quickly we move along. He’s very talented and I’m not in a hurry with anything. I just want the horses to be happy and enjoy what they’re doing.”


Dream Rides In A Downpour
Wet weather plagued the show all weekend, forcing the organizers to not use two grass rings. Showing days were extended and additional judges hired.

Despite the rain, spectators–complete with brightly colored umbrellas–lined the ring to watch Saturday’s freestyles. That was fine with Pamela Goodrich, since her bay, Danish Warmblood gelding, Melville (May Sherif–Lady Optical), loves to impress a crowd and won the FEI freestyle with a 72.37 percent.

“He loves the music and he’s a real ham when it comes to the crowd. Even in the rain, he was the happiest horse on the planet,” Melville said. The pair also claimed the blue ribbon in their Grand Prix (68.22%) and earned the Danish Warmblood high point award.

Goodrich had more dream rides on 7-year-old Dream Light (Midwest Ibi-Light–Aiva), winning in both fourth level, test 1 classes they entered (66.04% and 67.44%) and finishing up fourth level reserve champion. She bought the imported Danish Warmblood mare about 11�2 years ago.

“She’s a nice mare, really beautiful and powerful, and at the same time dainty and elegant. But her canter was difficult and she was a little difficult to do the changes. But I loved her canter and I clicked with her,” said Goodrich.

The fact that some of their changes were awarded 8s is proof positive they are a good match. Goodrich, a trainer at her Boscawen, N.H., farm, Foster Meadow, will likely move the chestnut mare up to Prix St. Georges this winter.

Riding a powerhouse, Pierre St. Jacques, also a trainer at Foster Meadow, nearly dominated all three Grand Prix classes, except for Goodrich’s ride, which was scored about 1 percent higher. He claimed two firsts (66.35% and 62.81%) and a second (67.08%) with Lucky Tiger (Lucky Light–Teike), his 11-year-old, Danish Warmblood gelding.

St. Jacques said, “He’s a very powerful horse. There’s a lot of power in there and he needs to get used to it. Also, he gets very excited. He’s relaxed in the warm-up but when we get to the arena, it’s almost like he wants to pull me down the centerline.”

In 2003, this pair rode at the Prix St. Georges/ Intermediaire I level on the Pan American Games gold-medal team. “Tiger is a very talented horse, but he’s a hot horse and it takes time. He’s still learning how to do the Grand Prix. He’s still trying to figure out the piaffe and passage. This summer, I want to just get him out there and exposed to as many Grand Prix [tests] as possible to get his confidence up, and then hopefully Devon [Pa.] this fall and the shows in Florida over the winter. We may try for the FEI World Cup Final–we’ll see what happens,” St. Jacques said.

It Just Keeps Getting Better
This is the first time in years Danielle Gavriluk of South Dartmouth, Mass., has taken only one horse to a competition. “It was fun and much more relaxing,” she said. “We went out for dinner every night, got together with friends, and got to watch people ride.”

She finished the weekend as fourth level champion with Dicaprio (Davignport–Gisella), her 8-year-old, bay, Hanoverian gelding. The duo placed first in fourth level, test 2 (70.00%) and second in fourth level, test 1 (62.55%); fourth level, test 3 (65.87%); and third level, test 3 (64.22%). She is a long-time student of Gerd Zuther.

Gavriluk, who imports, trains, and sells young Hanoverians at her Saltmarsh Farm, was pleased with the judges’ comments, such as, “top quality,” “great FEI potential,” and “lovely, elastic horse.”

Judge Carol Lavell wrote, “When you get everything together it will be lovely.” Although Gavriluk was also happy they got 8s on his gaits and her position, she believes that they were not always in top form.

“I think the second day was his best day because it was cool and rainy. The third day was hotter and humid, which definitely makes it more difficult for him. Also, by the third day he was starting to get tired and was more behind the leg,” she said.

Music turned out to be a great learning tool for Magnum (Cabochon–Ditsie), the 12-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding who danced away with the win in the first through fourth level freestyle (69.17%).

Rider Ann Guptill, of East Haddam, Conn., said, “He’s solid at fourth level but not yet ready to move up to Prix St. Georges, so it was a good time to expand on his fourth level work. We’ve done this freestyle at other shows, and each time out, he and I are a little more confident and a little more precise, and our scores keep improving.”

Cynthia Clarke Paolillo owns Magnum. Guptill creates freestyles (Equestrian Arts Productions), is a trainer at her Fox Ledge Farm, and rides regularly under Olympian Carol Lavell.

For her first year competing at Intermediaire I, Weltheir (Weltmeyer–Laika), a black, Hanoverian mare, made a great showing, taking first in her class (68.25%). She also placed second in the FEI freestyle (67.78%).

Owner and rider Sharon McCusker, a trainer at her Souhegan Farm in Ashby, Mass., said, “I was very pleased with Weltheir. Her pirouettes have gotten a lot stronger, her changes were good, and her trot work was expressive.”

McCusker takes great care to protect that vibrancy. She said, “I can’t do much work in the warm-up. I just get her through and tuned up and go do the test before she runs out of energy. She knows her job and she’s happy to do it.”