Even after winning the Young Riders Team test on Thursday and leading the individual standings, Christina Beal of U.S. Dressage Federation’s Region 7 just didn’t get nervous. Without any cockiness, she just exuded a calm self-assurance.

“I have confidence in my horse,” she said simply, after leading Region 7 (Stephanie Hamar/Jasper, Dani Judy/Antaeus, and Caitlin Masiel/Melvina) to the team gold medal at the Maui Jim North American Young Riders Championships.

For Beal, who also won the individual gold medal, her horse–and the sport–are just part of the family. Her parents, Dan and Kathy Beal, met through horses, and her mount Ray Ace lives in Beal’s backyard.

“He sees my light come on every morning, and he goes straight to his feed bucket,” she said of Ray Ace. “He’s part of the family.”
Beal, 19, of Fal-brook, Calif., rode Ray Ace last year at the NAYRC and competed Artiste the year before that. “My ultimate goal was to im-prove on last year, which I’ve done, and to ride the best I can do and be happy with my performance,” she said.

The 13-year-old Danish Warmblood had shown through fourth level when Beal bought him 11³2 years ago from a family friend.

“When we first got him, he liked to play,” she said. “He had a lot of issues. We worked on building his strength and topline; he liked to dive on his forehand.”

Although his canter was weak at the time, his phenomenal trot caught Beal’s eye, as did his personality. “He’s one in a million; he’s like a big Lab dog,” she said. “I fell in love with him. He’s a great horse and has such a willing attitude. He gives 110 percent all the time. We have a great partnership and trust each other.”

Beal trains with her mother, as well as Gerhard Politz and Diana Murabez. Ray Ace is by Racing Ace, a race horse in Denmark, out of Abba. “He has Thoroughbred all in his top line,” said Beal.

The pair’s trot work garnered the highest marks, as Beal went on to win the Individual test and freestyle. “Pirouettes have been an issue all year. They can always be better,” said Beal. “But the trot half passes are pretty easy for him.”

Cynthia Collins designed Beal’s freestyle, to U2 music played by the London Symphony Orchestra. “It’s fun music, and it goes well with him,” said Beal. “I like riding it. Because he’s such a big horse and there’s a time limit, I only do every [required movement] once, which increases the difficulty because you have to nail it the first time.”

She performed her changes on the centerline toward the judges and made steep canter half passes to win her third class and widen her margin of victory. She admitted to two minor mistakes–one flying change that was late behind and a change of plan to canter her final center line instead of trotting. “I didn’t quite get that transition [to the trot],” she said. “But the judges wouldn’t know.”

She said the freestyle was one of her best tests ever, and when the score that clinched her individual medal was announced–73.35 percent–her mother broke into tears. “I’m ecstatic,” said Beal. “I love him; he’s great. He’s given me everything he can.”

Head judge Gary Rockwell said Beal exuded cool confidence in her rides. “The experience and maturity on her part [separated her],” he said. “She’s very settled and confident in her
riding.”

Beal admitted that she was nervousthree years ago, in her first appearance at the NAYRC, but she’s learned how to handle the pressure since then. “If you have confidence in yourself and your horse, you don’t have time to get nervous,” she said. She also attributed her team experience in playing volleyball for six years with helping her handle competitive nerves.

“I think my mom gets more nervous than I do,” she said. “I’ve been around shows forever; my mom puts them on, and I’m used to it.”

Hard Work Rewarded

Dani Judy scored an individual fifth place in her first NAYRC appearance, riding Antaeus, a 10-year-old, Oldenburg gelding (Akzent II–Beate, Bonjour).

Judy hadn’t even expected to make the team this year with Antaeus, who just started third level last year. “It’s been a crush getting ready for the championships,” she said. “He just learned his pirouettes and changes the last six months, and his changes have just been getting solid the last few months.”

But she finished second in the Team test and finished fifth overall. “I was doing way better than expected; I am so excited,” said Judy, who trains with Debbie Robison. “I came into the competition without expectations. I never would have dreamed to have placed second yesterday. He’s come so far in the last six months.”

Antaeus proved to be sensitive when Judy, a junior at the University of San Diego, first started working with him 3 1/2 years ago. “It took a year when we first bought him for him to trust me,” said Judy, 20, of El Cajon, Calif. “When he first came over, he could barely make it around the ring without spinning and spooking.”

But Judy’s patience has paid off, and the pair displayed especially polished lateral movement and extensions.

Stephanie Hamar and Caitlin Masiel, who train with Willy Arts of DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Calif., joined Judy and Beal on the Region 7 team.

Arts imported Jasper (Wolfgang–Enola, Zirkoon) from the Netherlands in 1999, and Hamar started riding him in October. “He’s really smart; he’s an incredible horse,” she said. “He always wants to try hard. He knows what’s coming [in the test], and he’s thinking with me. It’s fun to ride like that. He’s all heart.”

Masiel had a special cheering section, since the horse’s owner, 92-year-old Melvin Sousa, was there to watch–as he always is. “He just loves horses, and this is his dream to watch her compete,” said Masiel, 19, of Danville, Calif.

Sousa bred the 10-year-old, Dutch Warmblood mare, Melvina (Earthquake–Wanroij), and she was named after him. Masiel, 19, of Danville, Calif., has been riding her for two years. Before Masiel picked up the reins, the mare had spent three or four years as a broodmare.

“She tries really hard; she gives it her all,” said Masiel. “When I need her to be there, she’s always there for me.”

The riders knew each other well from showing together, but, with three of the team members competing at the NAYRC for the first time, they hadn’t expected to come away with the win.

“You always hope for the best, but anything can happen in the ring,” said Hamar.

“It was kind of a surprise; we were hoping!” said Masiel. “We all just gave really clean tests, and everyone tried their hardest.”
Members of the California Dressage Society called in to the team all weekend to check on their progress and report their results at the CDS Junior Championships, which were taking place the same weekend.

“We’ve gotten a lot of support from back home,” said Hamar, 19, of Visalia, Calif.

The riders organized a silent auction and raffles to raise money for their venture to Illinois, and they made and sold saddle soap. “The recipe comes from Debbie McDonald,” said Hamar. “Everyone’s started using it. We made a few batches and sold them all, so we hope to keep going on.”

Inspiring Moments

Individual silver medallist Elisabeth Austin plans to keep going on, too, moving her mount Hierarch to Grand Prix after her third year of NAYRC competition. “Every time I came up the center line he was better,” she said of her weekend. “He’s very much a trier; the harder it is, the more he works.”

Her freestyle score (70.42%) moved Austin and the 15-year-old, Dutch Warmblood breeding stallion, by Cocktail, from fourth to second overall. Ann Guptill created the freestyle, which was performed to Spanish music. “I was a little scared because it’s not your typical freestyle music,” said Austin, 20, of Williston, Vt. “It fits him because it has a lot of pizzazz, and so does he.”

Austin, who trains with her mother, Madeleine Austin, said a pep talk that Jane Savoie gave the Region 8 team before the competition helped her do her best. “It was so inspiring,” she said.
“It really got me pumped up, and I owe a lot to her.”

Bronze medallist Jodie Kelly, 21, of Destin, Fla., achieved her goal of an individual medal in her fourth and final NAYRC appearance. Although she’s earned team gold three times for Region 3 and qualified for the freestyle, she’s always placed just out of the medals.

“Nothing prepares you for being looked at by five judges, and each year that I’ve come here, I’ve been a little more confident,” she said. “This has definitely been a jumpstart to my career.”

Weltkaar, a bright chestnut with a blaze, produced three solid tests for Kelly, who trains with Betsy Steiner. “We’re working on brilliance,” she said. “I’m getting it at home but not at the shows yet. For now, he gave me all I could ask for.”