Courtney King earned ample rewards for her 15-hour drive from Pauling, N.Y., to Pinehurst, N.C., for Dressage in the Sandhills, May 7-9. With Joshua Klein’s Dutch gelding Lambada, King swept all three USEF-qualifying classes for the National Interm diaire Championships, scoring 69.00 percent in the Prix St. Georges, 69.50 percent in the Intermediaire I and 72.09 percent in the freestyle. She also claimed the FEI high-score championship and the Kim Shaw memorial trophy for best freestyle.
“He’s learned to turn it on in the ring,” King said. “He’s great at the show, but it can be hard to get his attention at home. At home he can be spooky and lazy at the same time, an interesting combination.”
King is optimistic that her Sandhills scores will warrant a trip to the U.S. Equestrian Federation National Cham-pionships in Del Mar, Calif., June 17-20. “That’s the difficult thing about it,” King said. “With the championships in Cali-fornia instead of [their usual location] Gladstone [N.J.], it will be hard coming up with the funds, but we’ll find a way to do it.”
King, 26, is a full-time trainer who never owned a horse until a client gave her a son of Idocus, the first horse King trained to Grand Prix. Zydeco, now 6, accompanied Lambada to the show as a companion. King post entered him in a few third and fourth level classes just for fun, and he won every class, as well as the third level high-score championship with a 75.50 percent.
“He’s all heart,” said King. “He’s not a fancy horse, but he has a really good work ethic and I just love him. He’s the first and only horse I’ve ever owned, and I’ll never sell him.”
A New Kind Of Excitement
With no USEF Grand Prix contenders, the prize money and focus shifted to the open classes. Sallie Spenard of Fredericksburg, Va., and her Chamberlain claimed the $500 Grand Prix stake (60.10%) and an open Grand Prix (64.58%). Sandhills was the pair’s third show at this level and only their sixth Grand Prix test.
Spenard, a full-time assistant trainer for Libby Anderson, bought her Trakehner gelding as a 4-year old event prospect. As a working student for Denny Emerson, Spenard rode in the North American Young Rider Cham-pionships at the age of 15.
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“At this level, dressage is just as exciting as eventing,” Spenard said. “I don’t care what score I get; when my horse goes well, it can be so exhilarating!”
After his brief eventing career, Chamberlain, now 14, trained from first level to Grand Prix in only 3 ½ years. “He’s so smart,” said Spenard. “He thinks about [schooling sessions] overnight, and the next day, he’s got it.”
Another Trakehner took top honors in the Grand Prix freestyle. Tami Batts of Greensboro, N.C., and her Unforgettable scored a 64.75 percent for their ride to a Latin beat. “It was a clean ride, but it wasn’t brilliant,” said Batts. “I feel like he’s gotten so much stronger now; the music is too light and doesn’t suit his way of going. I need to change the music.”
Batts has owned her 16-year-old partner since he was a yearling. “He’s a thinker and a sensitive horse and not the same every day. He’s a typical Trakehner; they are a little different,” she said.
A newer partner helped Batts claim two big classes on the small tour. With Ivan, a 14-year-old, Dutch gelding owned by Vicky Neave, Batts topped an 18-horse Prix St. Georges class (67.75%) and an Intermediaire I (66.25%). “He’s a dramatic horse,” said Batts. “His extensions are beautiful. I concentrate mostly on the lateral work and keeping him in front of my leg.”
Batts shares the ride with the horse’s owner, a busy neurosurgeon who is planning her FEI debut on Ivan this summer.
With her Friesian gelding Jolt, Batts also earned the fourth level championship (70.20%). “He’s a machine,” said Batts. “He’s the same every time out of the stall.”
Mary Beth McLean of Southern Pines, N.C., won a couple of Intermediaire II classes unopposed but with solid scores (65.10, 62.40) on her 18.2-hand, jet-black gelding Warkando. They earned a 9 on their one-tempi changes.
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“I feel like this is going to be our year,” McLean said. She has recovered from back surgery in 2003, at the same time Warkando was sidelined with a quarter crack.
Volsung Keeps Improving
A strong field of 12 young riders competed in the NAYRC qualifying classes, but 17-year-old Meghan McKoy of Rembert, S.C., swept all three classes with her Volsung. The pair scored 65.55 percent in the Team test, 68.00 percent in the Prix St. Georges, and 70.68 percent in the freestyle. Her freestyle to Disney music highlighted Volsung’s strong extensions and elastic half pass.
“He was fabulous,” said McKoy. “He’s gotten stronger and stronger since last year.”
McKoy, a member of the Region 3 gold-medal team at the 2003 NAYRC, trains with Scott Peterson of Blythewood, S.C. Volsung lives in her backyard, and McKoy ships to Peterson once or twice a week for lessons.
“He lets me ride Jericho, his Grand Prix horse, and I’ve learned so much. I hope to graduate high school next December and go to Florida,” she said.
Lynn Jendrowski of Blacksburg, Va.,posted the high score of the show (78.60%), riding Karen Waldron’s 8-year-old, Friesian gelding Moud at training level.
“This is his first show,” Jendrowski said. “He just came out of harness and had to learn to canter. He’s just so consistent; the judges love him.”
