Belinda Nairn-Wertman always admired Sir Sinclair from the ground, but she got her chance in the driver’s seat at this year’s USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage Championship held Sept. 9-11 in Lexington, Ky.

When Mary Alice Malone of Iron Spring Farm imported the Dutch Warmblood stallion (Lord Sinclair–Krishna), she knew she wanted someone to compete him to his potential.

Sir Sinclair qualified for the World Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany and competed there as a 5-year-old with Dorie Addy-Crow in the tack. But Addy-Crow, who had formerly worked for Nairn-Wertman, struck out on her own this summer to start her own business, and Nairn-Wertman took over the ride.

“He’s such a nice horse to ride and has such a good mind so it was no problem,” said Nairn-Wertman. “I think now he’s really becoming attached to me and is starting to bond with me. I’m developing a really good personal relationship with him that I didn’t have before.”

Sir Sinclair qualified to go back to Verden as a 6-year-old, but with almost 100 mares in his
book, they decided to keep him at home. “It just seemed like the logical thing not to go,” said Nairn-Wertman. “We’re trying to develop him for the future, not just develop him for the 6-year-olds.”

But he got his chance to strut his stuff at the National Championships in the 6-year-old division. He won both his preliminary qualifier (8.38) and the finale test (8.5) to take the overall 6-year-old title (8.45).

In the young horse tests judges collaborate to give five scores: one each for walk, trot and canter, as well as for submissiveness and general impression. Cara Whitham, Linda Zang and Anne Gribbons judged the championship. The preliminary test score counted as 40 percent, and the finale test counted for 60 percent of the final score.

“Sir Sinclair was great on both days,” said Nairn-Wertman, of Kirkwood, Pa. “I thought he was even better the second day. Both days he was very obedient. He made it easy and went through the test like clockwork.”

They were a little disappointed not to be showing against Hilltop Farm’s Royal Prince. Susanne Hassler won the spring selection trials and competed at Verden with Royal Prince, but some physical discomfort kept him out of the national championship.

Scott Hassler still attended though, and helped coach Nairn-Wertman and many others before their tests.

If Sir Sinclair had any weakness, it was in the finale test when he took a few irregular steps in the walk between the walk pirouettes.

“That happens; he’s a young horse,” said Nairn-Wertman. “That brought his walk score down a little bit, but then they gave him such a high score for his submission. The transitions were good. The flying changes were good. He wanted to be there and wanted to work.”

The extensions are always a highlight of Sir Sinclair’s tests, and he received a 9 for his trotwork, an 8.8 for his canter, a 9.5 on his submission and a 9 for overall impression.

“He was just on, he was doing his deal, and I was glad to be part of it,” said Nairn-Wertman. “I can’t say enough about his temperament. He’s just such a pleasure with everything. He ships quietly in the horse trailer, you can put a mare next to him and he doesn’t care. You would never know he was a stallion. He’s so easy and good to be around and he’s so wonderful to ride. He never wants to do anything wrong. He wants to be a good guy and he is. He’s a real delight to be around in all respects.

Nairn-Wertman plans to bring Sir Sinclair out at Prix St. Georges this winter in Florida.

A Horse For The Future

Susan Dutta hopes her impressive young horses, Currency DC and Golden Choice DC, are on their way to the upper levels as well.

Unlike many European horses that start and finish their careers at Verden before retiring to the breeding shed, Dutta decided to use the young horse classes as a way to introduce her Grand Prix prospects to showing.

“I’m showing [the judges] what’s in my stable for the future, that’s why I do it,” she said. “I don’t have a business of showing young horses. Because these classes are offered, and I think they’re good for the horses growing up, that’s why I’m doing it.”

And the judges were im-pressed, awarding Currency DC the overall title in the 5-year-old division (8.35) and placing Golden Choice third in the 6-year-old division (8.22).

“Curry” was the favorite going into the 5-year-old championships. He won the selection trials this spring and was the highest-placed American horse at Verden, finishing 11th there.

But, that was no guarantee for Dutta, of Wellington, Fla. “It’s a young horse show,” she said. “Their training is minimal and they have to choose to be good.”

And it wasn’t long ago that Curry wasn’t choosing to be good. Dutta’s husband, Tim, picked him out as an unbroken 2 1³2-year-old in the field. Guido Klatte is Tim’s business partner in his horse shipping business, and Klatte’s brother owns the family farm Zuchterhof Klatte in Lastrup, Germany. Curry, an Oldenburg gelding (Clintino–Cinderella), was the most promising young horse there.

He stayed in Germany for a year, and Dutta rode him briefly before leaving for the Pan American Games in 2003. She went on to train with Klaus Balkenhol in Germany, but while she was away, Curry grew bigger and turned into a bit of a handful.

“I got back, and he was just a little devil,” said Susan. Fortunately she had two riders in her barn, Louise Ashman and Claire Williamson, who were able to sort him out.

“Louise did a lot of the work on just getting him forward and normal,” said Susan. “They hacked him out, they longed him, they rode him and got him so he was normal and wouldn’t hurt me.”

She started riding Curry again this spring and put her own finishing touches on him.

“He had spectacular trot work,” said Susan, commenting on the highlights from their final test. “I got a 9.5 on the trot. He’s very submissive and stays on his hind leg and has a beautiful extended trot. For a 5-year-old he carries himself really well. He had very nice canter work also. He didn’t get a great score on his walk, but he doesn’t have a bad walk. I think he just has such spectacular other gaits. But it’s pure and four-beat and good enough.”

Even though he went through some growing pains, Susan enthused about how grown-up and obedient Curry’s become. “It’s always nice when they behave and they allow you to ride them and show off how good they are,” she said. “They’re with you if they want to be and then you’re all set. This horse seems to always want to be with you. He wants to be a goofball at home or in the warm-up, but in the ring he wants to give it a good go and try to win.”

She admitted, “There were a couple of times when I didn’t think it was the right horse for me, but I’m so glad that things worked out and he stayed in my stable. He’s a very special horse with a very good mind. He’s definitely what I need for the future.”

Another Rising Star

Susan also was pleased with Golden Choice. Less of a natural athlete than Curry, the Hanoverian mare (Grand Cru–Wesbe) proved her worth in her trainability.

“She’s a very good worker,” Susan said. “She’s improved leaps and bounds from a 5-year-old to a 6-year-old. Lars [Peter-sen] and I have worked really hard on her all summer long. There’s been a lot of sweat.”

And Dutta has big plans for both young horses. Curry will come out and do the 6-year-old test next year. Golden Choice will debut at Prix St. Georges this winter.

“She already does collected work, beautiful piaffe, passage, changes and pirouettes,” said Dutta. “I will show her in the small tour this next year, and I won’t spend much time there before moving into the Grand Prix. She’s going to be a very nice Grand Prix horse.”