Chris Rivlin-Henke had an unbeatable weekend at the Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta, Calif., Feb. 3-5.

She swept the USEF high performance small tour classes on Lyra and posted the high-score of the show (80.00%) on the 4-year-old, Oldenburg stallion, Rasta.

Lyra scored 68.33 percent in the Prix St. Georges, 69.91 percent in the Intermediaire I and 69.87 percent in the Intermediaire I freestyle high performance classes before judges Hilda Gurney, Jeanne McDonald and Marian Cunningham.

“The I-1 test was great!” said Rivlin-Henke. “It was the best test I’ve felt I’ve done on her. I kept thinking as we went through each of the movements–‘Ok, check, did that, check, that’s done, no problems.’ I never felt like there was going to be any point in the test where she was going to have a mistake. Her changes felt really good. And she got 8s on the pirouettes.”

A clinic with Leslie Webb a few weeks before the show helped Rivlin-Henke improve her canter zigzag. “Leslie gave me a couple little pointers that weren’t anything major but made a huge difference,” she said. “We got 8s from all three of the judges in the canter zigzag. It felt like such a good test. She was really attentive, she had good energy, and the test felt super solid.”

In her Prix St. Georges test on Friday, Lyra competed in Rancho Murieta’s big indoor ring for the first time since the CDS Championships last October. She was looking around and got a little bit strong, but Rivlin-Henke was happy with the test. In the past when Lyra has been distracted she has missed some of her tempi changes.

Diane Kernoodle of Centerstage Musical Freestyles of Martinez, Calif., put the music (by Madonna) together for Rivlin-Henke’s freestyle.

“We decided we really like the canter work,” said Rivlin-Henke. “It’s pretty difficult. The trot work needs to be a little less test-like and a little more complicated.”

Stacey McCarthy of San Francisco, Calif., owns Lyra. McCarthy and Rivlin-Henke found the 10-year-old, Hessen mare, by Lucky Luke, in Germany four years ago. She had had a couple of foals and hadn’t had much competition experience. As McCarthy is 6’3″, she was looking for a large horse, and Lyra is a big-bodied 16.3 hands. McCarthy rides Lyra a few days a week and plans to compete her at third or fourth level later this year.

“She was such a find,” said Rivlin-Henke. “She has the best temperament, and she’s such a workhorse. When we bought her we certainly didn’t expect she was going to turn out to be like this.”

Rivlin-Henke rode Pamela Bailey’s and Helen Rodriquez’ stallion Rasta to an 80.00 percent in training level, test 3, and a 79.23 percent in training level, test 4, posting the highest scores of the show. In his training level, test 3, ride McDonald gave him 10s on both of his canter circles. He also earned 9s on his gaits, both halts, one trot half circle and a canter half circle. Her comment: “Wow!”

Rasta is by Rotspon out of RHK Brella, by Rubinstein and was bred by Yancy Farms in Florida. Bailey and Rodriquez purchased him from Yancy as a suckling foal. He’s been under saddle only six or seven months, and this was only his third show.

“He’s got a really, really good temperament,” said Rivlin-Henke. “He’s super balanced. He’s an easy horse to sit on, and he’s easy in the bridle. Everything about him is uncomplicated.”

Hooked On Dressage
Annie Desmond of Sebastopol, Calif., was the high-score amateur rider of the show, scoring a 77.30 percent in training level, test 4, on her 8-year-old, Hanoverian mare Britannica. Desmond starting taking hunter/jumper lessons about 21�2 years ago. She purchased Britannica, her first horse, a year ago and started taking lessons from event trainer Matthew Brown in Petaluma, Calif.

“I’m actually an eventer,” said Desmond. “But Matt is very strong about dressage. I kind of went into dressage kicking and screaming, but now I’m really starting to like it. It’s so much more subtle, and I’m getting a better grounding and foundation than I ever thought I would.”

Desmond won all of her amateur classes–Friday’s training level, test 4 (72.30%) and first level, test 1 (67.77%) and Saturday’s second ride, first level, test 1 (71.48%). This was their first show at first level. “We had just figured out lengthenings the week before,” Desmond said with a laugh.

“She felt really great for my training 4 test,” Desmond continued. “She’s actually a little quiet at home so she had 10 percent extra zip at the show. She was very responsive and just felt wonderful. Last year I pretty much went through the first part of the year just trying to remember my test and not throw up. I wasn’t riding every stride.”

On Friday Desmond felt that Britannica was a little slow reacting to the aids, so on Saturday she only warmed her up for 10 minutes, focusing on reminding the mare to respond to her leg aids.

“She just was lovely on Saturday,” said Desmond. “She’s just so easy. She’s like the most amazing amateur’s horse–because I don’t know anything! I think she’s been waiting for me to get my act together.”

Britannica’s registered name is Alyby (by Armin), and she was bred by Rhonda Hermanek. Nancy Dau of Le Reve Farm in Somerset, Calif., purchased her as a foal. She had one foal that is now 3 and had been started under saddle when Desmond purchased her from Dau.

Desmond and her husband Christopher own a dog boarding and training kennel in Sebastopol, Calif. She previously trained guide dogs for the blind and search and rescue, disaster, and avalanche dogs.

Young Riders To Watch
Vanessa Simon of Lakewood, Colo., is spending the winter in sunny California training with Lilo Fore in Santa Rosa. This is her first year trying out for the North American Young Riders Championships, and she won the Young Rider Individual test (65.75%).

Her 11-year-old, Oldenburg gelding Que-Cir-Que (Quattro B–Walenda) was a little lazy on Saturday in the Young Rider team test, a combination of the warm weather and not being able to use a whip in the test. And Simon’s “nervous jitters” didn’t help.

But on Sunday her nerves calmed down, and Que-Cir-Que perked up. Simon kicked him forward and woke him up and considered it one of their better tests.

“Hilda [Gurney] wrote that I was a quiet rider,” said Simon. “That was important because I usually don’t get that comment. That was really nice.”

Simon, 18, is taking the year off to compete before starting college. She’s been riding since she was 8 and started riding dressage at age 11 on her Arabian. She purchased the 17.3-hand Que-Cir-Que three years ago and has brought him along from third level. At home in Colorado she trains with Sandra Hotz.

Sarah Mason of Danville, Calif., won Saturday’s Young Rider Team test on her 11-year-old, Danish Warmblood gelding Celestin with a 65.22 percent.

Mason is also 18 and is attending the University of California at Davis.

“I was really happy with my ride on Saturday,” said Mason. “He was a really, really good boy at the beginning of the weekend. We got 8s on the canter pirouettes, which I’ve been really working on. I’m ecstatic about that. I really liked his tempi changes. Lately we have been struggling with the tempis so I was really glad we pulled through with those at the show.”

Mason trains with Nadine Pestana of Livermore, Calif. She purchased the 17.1-hand Celestin (by Classic) in 2003. This is their second year competing in the young rider division.

Battling Back
Tracey Lert of Soquel, Calif., rode her 13-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding Luminary to the win in the High Performance Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. Luminary had been off for a few weeks due to a minor injury so he was a little spookier than usual in the indoor.

“Overall I was pleased with the piaffe and passage work,” said Lert of the Grand Prix. “The canter work and his overall softness could have been better.”

This was Luminary’s first Grand Prix Special in competition. “He lost enough fitness that it taxed both of us pretty much,” said Lert, who was battling a flu bug during the show.

Luminary, by the jumper sire Dage-road, was imported by Willy Arts of DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Calif., as a 3-year-old. Lert purchased him as a 7-year-old.