Wayne, Ill.—Aug. 24

Sabine Schut-Kery was delighted to see that so much of her work at home with Gorgeous Latino (Toto Jr.—Blackmanda, Rubiquil) transferred to their performance at the 2024 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. “Hex,” an 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Sandy Mancini, performed two confident tests in the USEF Developing Prix St. Georges division, which resulted in an overall score of 70.63% to claim the championship title on Saturday.

“There’s so much I want to improve, but I also have to remember that these are all young horses still, for the level they’re doing,” Schut-Kery said. “So you have to let your perfectionist mind go and just really appreciate how they show up in the ring, and to be able to transfer what you work on at home and in your warm up and carry that over in the ring. … And I have to say, he really showed up.”

To let go of that “perfectionist mindset,” Schut-Kery and Hex go in weekly trail rides back home in San Diego. The young stallion is so confident, she’s appointed Hex her go-to lead horse on the group rides.

“I personally need that break and my horses too,” she said of her trail-ride outings. “I’m a huge advocate of balancing my life anyways. No matter what job I would have, but especially working with animals, I think it’s very important to keep yourself in a really good place. And obviously, I do it mostly for the for the horses.”

Sarah Mason-Beaty finished reserve champion with Kanjer (69.46%) and Kathryn Fleming-Kuhn and Franzsis HSR (68.95%) claimed third.

U.S.-Breds Dominate 4-Year-Old Championship

Willy Arts won the Markel/USEF Young Horse 4-Year-Old Championship on Pharaoh DG (Koning DG—Janda, Parcival) in a field of mostly American-bred horses. In the prize-giving, all six horses were U.S.-bred, including reserve champion Sonnenberg’s Paris ridden by Michele Bondy (87.36%) and third place finisher MW Virtuous ridden by Charell Garcia (86.08%).

Arts said the Dutch Warmblood stallion, whom he bred and is owned by DG Bar Ranch, has been special from the time he was a foal and has exceeded their expectations in each stage of his development. This week, he continued that trend.

“He was right on. That was just one of those moments that you cannot prepare for, that just happens and gets going, and it just gets better and better,” Arts said of their first test of the week. “Even after so many years, I think the times that you ride a test like that you probably can count on one or two hands.”

While in Saturday’s final test, “Pharaoh” showed his age with a spook, he still came through with an overall 87.44% for the win.

“Yeah, he’s a young horse,” he said. “For me it’s always, if I have a young horse, I’d rather have them make mistakes because they’re a little bit sensitive or overreactive, than to have one that’s too dull.”

Bondy competed two 4-year-olds horses in the class, Sonnenberg’s Paris and Sonnenberg’s PrimRosa, and landed both first and second in Saturday’s final class. Her strong rides also earned her and “Paris” the reserve champion title, a ribbon she’ll cherish for the horse she started.

“Coming into the first test—he’s always very reliable—but you could tell he was a little nervous,” Bondy said. “He stayed with me through the test, but I was a little hesitant to really push for it. And today, he just felt incredible. He was so good, he’s so willing.”

Amy Bradley’s ‘Roller Coaster’ Peaks In Grand Prix Win

In the USEF Grand Prix Championship, Amy Bradley claimed the champion ribbon on her own 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding Quileute CCW (Quaterback—Glueckslady, Glueckspilz) with a 67.21%. Karen Lipp and Infinity followed as reserve champion with a 66.81% and Callie O’Connell on Eaton H took third with a 63.93%.

It’s been a long road for Bradley and her 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding “Quill,” who has overcome some serious health issues to make it back into the show ring. Over the years, she’s had her homebred gelding in and out of work while treating a large tumor that had to be removed and laminitis that that required a year off.

Bradley said there were times where she could only hope he would one day be pasture-sound—so to win a national championship is more than she thought possible with her “heart horse.”

“The fact that he actually totally came back from that was a miracle in itself,” she said.

Simonson Pulls A Hat Trick To Win The Brentina Cup

Christian Simonson placed first in all three legs of the Adequan/USEF Brentina Cup to win the championship on Danish Warmblood gelding, Son Of A Lady (Soreldo—Western Lady, Welt Hit II), owned by Christina Morgan and Clifton Simonson. His blue streak earned him the championship with an overall score of 68.90%. Josh Albrecht took reserve champion on Goldenboy Vinckenburgh (66.34%), and Sophia Schults and Conocido HGF finished third (66.12%).

Simonson said that he and his trainer Adrienne Lyle, recently back from the 2024 Paris Olympics, made it their goal to give “Sonny” confidence-inspiriting rides over the course of this three-part championship.

“This is a green year—it’s his first year at Grand Prix, so my expectation is we’re just trying to give the best rides I can and have him trust me more and more,” he said. “I think we really achieved that. This weekend, he gave me such a good feeling all three days, and I’m just incredibly thankful to him.”

Albrecht began riding “G Boy” only a few months ago and has been pleased with how quickly their relationship has developed.

“It’s the first year of me showing this horse here,” Albrecht said. “I’ve only been riding since November, so we’re kind of green—he’s not, I am. So my goal has been how to be the best partner for him in the ring that I can be.”

Warlimont Wins Champion On A Horse Of Her Own

Scoring an overall 82.28%, Petra Warlimont won the Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Championship on her own Hanoverian gelding Deambulo PWD (Don Martillo—Franka, Fahrenheit). Madeleine Bendfeldt and Zapatero were reserve champions (80.12%) and Willy Arts on stallion Serupgaards Cézanne earned third (71.96%).

Warlimont said that in the preliminary test, “Dewey” was a bit timid, but in today’s finale the gelding was “ready to go.”

When she first heard about the young horse on a shopping trip to Germany, she didn’t think she could buy him. But after trying him, she immediately called her bank, knowing she had to have him. Warlimont likes that, as the owner, she can develop the horse on the timeframe she sets.

“This whole week was about him gaining confidence, and he did [gain] a lot in this last test,” she said.

Mia Folk Leaves Ponies On A High Note

Mia Folk ended her pony career with a win before aging out of the division this year. Folk borrowed a friend’s Welsh Pony gelding, Coelenhage Parco (Vita Novas Celesto—Sonhofs Sabine), owned by Sage Chacon, winning the three-rider division with an overall score of 63.58%.

“It’s also been kind of hard trying to build a partnership with such a little time,” Folk said of the pony she started riding two months ago. “We’ve actually been working really well together, though. We’ve been practicing trying to make everything accurate and just get the best test possible.”

See complete results here.