She and her Lipizzaner add two more titles to their long list of accomplishments.

Kristina Wang is no stranger to test taking; as a pre-med student at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, she takes plenty of them.

But even she was a little surprised that she aced all of her tests at the Great American/USDF Region 4 And Midwest Championships in Mason City, Iowa, Sept. 4-6, with Belladiva.

“[Belladiva] performed practically everything I wanted her to and did everything I asked,” said Wang, Bennington, Neb. “We knew the tests. We knew what the judges wanted. It was about riding a flawless, perfect test, and she gave it to me.”

Belladiva (Conversano III Prima Donna—Brenna) and Wang took home regional championships in the junior/young rider Prix St. Georges (66.31%) and Intermediaire I (66.97%) as well as a Mid-west championship in the junior/young rider Intermediaire I (65.39%).

“This show was practically me on my own. We don’t have trainers that are very close to us, and I have school five days a week, so it’s hard to make time for lessons,” said Wang, 19. “I was really happy with the [Intermediaire I] because I had only ridden it four times. We messed up our two tempis a little because they’re fairly new. What we lack in the extensions, she makes up for in the coefficients, especially the pirouettes and the lateral work.”

Wang and her mother, Tracie, found “Bella”, a 13-year-old Lipizzaner mare, while attending a Conrad Schumacher clinic at Tempel Farms in Old Mill Creek, Ill.

“We looked at their sale horses for fun,” said Kristina. “My mom thought there was something special about her.

She knew that eventually Bella and I would have a great partnership, but I hated her at first! I had my own little pony, and I was happy with that.”

Eventually, Kristina and Bella became a formidable force in the ring, winning many Region 4 championships as they climbed up the levels. They represented Region 4 at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and competed at the USEF Dressage Festival of Champions (N.J.) in 2007 and 2009.

“We learned together and moved up the levels together, and every person has helped us along our journey,” said Kristina. “It’s been a good struggle, and it’s more rewarding because we’ve created a partnership. It makes me feel better knowing I took a horse we bought as a 4-year-old who didn’t know anything and was barely broke to be successful at the FEI levels.”

Kristina spent the last 11⁄2 years as a working student for Yvonne and Kim Barteau.

“Being a working student helped change me as a rider and made me realize that in order to be successful at riding I need to be successful myself,” said Kristina. “I would recommend being a working student to anyone. It definitely makes you change as a person, and it made me change into a better person. I’m grateful for that. It’s great to be around people who have good attitudes and make a good impact on the industry.”

Kristina has finished competing for the year so she can focus on school, but she plans to use the winter to practice the Grand Prix movements and work on Bella’s strength before breeding her in the spring to one of the stallions at Tempel Farms. She’s on the hunt for a horse to compete in the young rider divisions but hopes that Bella will bring her a U.S. Dressage Federation gold medal eventually.

“She’s capable of Grand Prix, maybe not international competitiveness, but she has the ability to get there,” said Kristina. “It’d be really cool to get all three medals on the same horse, and it makes me proud of her and myself for sticking through it. When I think about it, it’s a feat. Not many people can say they’ve had their horse since it was young and been able to do all that we’ve done.”

Royal Blue Wears Blue

According to Anne Haecker, Royal Blue (Rhodes Scholar—Dabadu Blue, Don Primero) doesn’t belong in the Midwest.

“He should be riding the waves on the North Shore of Hawaii,” said Haecker, Brainerd, Minn., with a laugh. “He’s one of those really cool, loose, laidback dudes, but when you tune him up he’s got a jet engine. He looks like he’s right off the beach, and he’s a hidden surfer at heart.”

“Blue,” a 5-year-old Hanoverian gelding, showed off his moves, winning the Region 4 adult amateur first level title (67.36%) and the Midwest adult amateur first level championship (67.89%).

“The tests were perfect,” said Haecker, 40. “He’s a little unbalanced because he’s young, so when you halt at X it’s hard for him to put all four legs together. We’ve been practicing that, but of course I flubbed it up!”

Haecker was thrilled to receive her first score of 10 for Blue’s free walk, though she doesn’t take any credit for the movement.

“He’s a 10 horse; I don’t have to do anything. He just walks and gets a 10. It’s just him,” she said. “I always wonder if I’m holding him back because he’s so spectacular.”

Haecker’s journey to Blue wasn’t an easy one, however. When her former FEI-level horse, Godot, developed laminitis several years ago, Haecker thought she would give up riding. She did everything in her power to bring Godot back to form and eventually started competing him again. They rose to fourth level before respiratory issues left the horse unable to compete, and Haecker retired him.

Haecker began searching all over Europe and the United States for a young prospect. She eventually made a phone call to her childhood friend, Amy Stuhr of Greenwood Sport Horses, Lee’s Summit, Mo., for help.

“Amy sent me a tape, and I had looked at probably 100 different tapes. He took one trot step and I wanted him,” said Haecker. “He was their first breeding at their farm. Mr. Stuhr found him hanging halfway out his mother, delivered the foal and raised him.”

Haecker is hoping that Blue will eventually become her Grand Prix horse, but she’s content to take it slow for now.

“He goes in an arena once a week, and his favorite thing in the world is to go on trail rides,” said Haecker with a laugh. “I don’t push him. I don’t want to break his mind or his spirit. He’s my dream horse, and I’m very lucky.”

Wake Up Takes Two

Emily Wagner and her mother Jana Wagner knew that WakeUp (Wagnis—Maiden Montreal) would be special as soon as they saw him at 3 weeks old.

Four years later, their instincts have been proven right, as the young stallion took home both the GAIG/USDF Region 4 junior/young rider training and first level championships with 74.80 and 70.78 percent, respectively. They won the same classes in the Midwest championship, with scores of 70.80 and 68.28 percent.

“I was really happy with him all weekend,” said Emily, LaCygne, Kan. “He was hot on the first day but really good. He’s a horse you can count on in the show ring, and he did everything I expected him to do. I was super happy with him. He’s a good guy.”

Jana did the groundwork with the American Warmblood, and Emily was the first one to sit on his back. At the Markel/USEF National Young Horse 4-Year-Old Championship (Ill.) in August, he finished sixth overall.

“My mom is the best sponsor in the world,” Emily said with a laugh. “She lets me ride amazing horses and board for free. You always hear about people who need sponsors, and I have my mother.”

Jana had her own wins in Mason City, including the Midwest and Region 4 first level freestyle championships on Laika with 75.83 and 77.08 percent. She also earned the reserve championships in the Midwest first level (68.55%), second level (67.61%) and Region 4 second level (71.19%) divisions.

Emily, 21, competed in her last year of young riders this season and is concentrating on a pre-med degree from the University of Kansas. She competed WakeUp’s sire, Wagnis, at the NAJYRC in 2008 and had top-15 finishes in the individual test and freestyle. Now she’s looking forward to moving up the levels with WakeUp and hopes to contest the 5-year-old classes next year.

“I plan to ride him for the rest of his life,” said Emily, who will spend the winter training WakeUp with David Wightman in California. “I don’t see anything standing in his way. Right now it seems like all the doors are open for us, and we’re going to try and see where it goes and what happens and enjoy every step of it while we do it.”

The Perfect Gift

Every 15-year-old hopes to receive a car for her sweet 16, but Clare Krska got a different kind of horsepower in Romincka.

“She’s better than a car,” Krska, Olathe, Kan., said with a laugh.

Romincka (Welt Hit II—La-Libelle) and Krska took home the Region 4 and Midwest junior/young rider second level titles with 71.31 and 68.57 percent, respectively. They also won the USEF dressage seat medal, 14-18, semi-final.

“She was really calm in her first ride, which was the Midwest Championship. It just lacked brilliance,” said Krska, 17. “Then we put in one of the best tests we’ve had all season. Our canter work was just as solid as our trot work. She had much more energy.”

Krska primarily trains with her mom, Carol, and occasionally takes lessons from Arlene Rigdon. She would like to qualify for the NAJYRC next year and hopes to attend the University of California, San Diego, in the fall so she can train with Rebecca Rigdon.

A C+ rated member of the Mission Valley Pony Club, Krska also events Romincka, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood, at the novice level. They won at the Mill Creek Pony Club Horse Trials (Mo.) in May.

“She’s happy doing whatever you ask her to do,” said Krska. “She really enjoys galloping out in the field and the days where she gets to jump and do cross-country. She comes back to the dressage work with a better mental attitude.”

While Romincka may prefer jumping, Krska’s first love is dressage.

“I like how much mental concentration it takes for horse and rider,” she said with a smile. “It seems a lot more rewarding and challenging. There’s nothing like riding a horse that’s really on the bit and on your aids.”