Leslie Webb showed off Harmony’s Cassiano’s new freestyle for this year at the DG Bar Ranch dressage show held in Hanford, Calif., May 12-14. They won the USEF/High Performance Grand Prix freestyle and Grand Prix Special.

Barbara Gardner put together the music with an American theme. It includes Ray Charles singing “God Bless America” and Neil Diamond’s “America.”

“It’s really powerful,” said Webb. “I really like it, and it fits Cassiano very well. The judges loved it. They all gave me 8.5 on my music and choreography.”

Webb entered in the passage. Cassiano stood immobile for 3 or 4 seconds after the salute while the music started. Then he went directly into an extended trot. The freestyle included lots of passage, as that is what Webb believes Cassiano does best. She also did one-tempis on the centerline and two-tempis on a half arc.

They finished up with a passage half pass to piaffe and then another passage half pass ridden to “God Bless America” to score a 69.00 percent.

“It’s the most difficult kur that I’ve asked Cassiano to do,” said Webb of the 14-year-old, Holsteiner gelding owned by Harmony Sporthorses of Kiowa, Colo. “He’s such a trooper.”

Cassiano didn’t start the show quite as well in the USEF/HP Grand Prix on Thursday, placing fifth (64.83%).

“He’s always a funny guy,” said Webb, of Bakersfield, Calif. “He needs to get in and see the arena. It’s really tough not to have a warm-up class for him.”

Webb and Cassiano came back on Saturday to win the USEF/HP Grand Prix Special (66.80%), after performing a second freestyle (to “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”) in the Friday evening exhibition. Webb has only ridden Cassiano in the Grand Prix Special three times.

“I think it’s almost a better test for him than the Grand Prix because he piaffes better from the walk than he does from the passage,” she said. “He nailed that movement completely. He also gets a better score on the full court canter half-pass than he does the zigzag. And he’s very keen and catlike when you go from the passage to the extended trot and back to passage. So there are movements in the Special that suit him better than the movements in the Grand Prix. I think I might ride that more often!”

Phirst Solo’s Final Season

Jennifer Schrader of Roy, Wash., spent most of her spring training and competing in California, and her work paid off as she won the USEF/HP Grand Prix with Phirst Solo, as well as the USEF/HP Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire freestyle with H.S. Wistar. Both horses are owned by Charlene Summers of Summervale Farm in Roy, Wash.

“She was superb,” said Schrader of Phirst Solo, who won with a score of 67.29 percent. “In the Grand Prix she had no mistakes, but a little bit of tension crept in. In the freestyle she didn’t miss a step. She was just incredibly quiet and on my aids. I couldn’t have been happier with her.”

Schrader rode Phirst Solo, a 17-year-old, Oldenburg mare (Pik Solo–Dumpty Will xx), to music from the Pure Moods album. She put together the freestyle, which highlights the mare’s one-tempis and the piaffe/passage tour, and music herself.

“Her tempis are very straight and very expressive,” said Schrader. “She’s been consistently scoring 8’s on her piaffe too.”

Schrader plans to retire Phirst Solo after the USEF National Grand Prix Championships at Gladstone, N.J., in June. Phirst Solo is a successful broodmare, and Schrader would also like to use her as a school horse.

The 8-year-old, Hungarian stallion H.S. Wistar, by Wishes And Dreams, won the USEF/HP Prix St. Georges (67.58%) and Intermediaire freestyle (70.16%). Wistar also won the Markel Insurance High Performance High-Point award. He placed second in Saturday’s USEF/HP Intermediaire (66.33%), only 1 point behind the winner, La Vie Nouveaux.

“I didn’t have any problems in the Prix St. Georges,” said Schrader. “His changes were very forward and expressive and light on the aids. The test always could be a little more forward, have a little more pizzazz, but I was happy with it.”

Schrader, who did her own choreography and music for Wistar’s freestyle, rode to music from the soundtrack from Spirit, Stallion Of The Cimarron.

“He gets fired up with the crowds and when people clap for him,” said Schrader. “He never missed a beat with the crowd close by in the arena.”
Schrader has been training with Jurgen and Jennifer Hoffman of German Dressage in San Diego, Calif.

First FEI Tests

Susan Halasz of Parker, Colo., also spent the last five weeks showing in California.

At DG Bar she won the USEF/HP Intermediaire (66.41%) on La Vie Nouveaux and placed second in the USEF/HP Intermediaire freestyle (67.83%).

“He was good today in the I-1,” said Halasz. “He was pretty clean. He got a little low in his poll a couple of times, but otherwise I was really happy with it.”

Halasz rode the 12-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding to a rock version of Beethoven’s Fifth and a Ravel re-make of the Kink’s “You’ve Really Got Me” that was put together by Terri Gallo.

“Some judges really like it, and some judges think it’s really out there,” said Halasz with a laugh. “It’s really fun to ride to. It’s the most fun freestyle I’ve ever done.”

This season is La Vie Nouveaux’s first at this level. “He’s been doing really well for his first time in the FEI ring,” said Halasz. “He’s incredibly willing and generous. He’s got a great character, and he’s a really sweet horse. He has really big, expressive flying changes that are fun to ride.

Deborah Carter of Evergreen, Colo., owns La Vie Nouveaux (Voltaire–Marco Polo). Halasz and Carter found him at Judy de Winters’ barn in the Netherlands five years ago.

Laurie Doyle won the FEI 5-year-old finale test on Friday with a 72.80 percent on Joan Cvengros’ Hanoverian gelding Grand Makana (Goodman–Werther). Judges Gary Rockwell and Edward DeWolf commented that he was a lovely horse with a big, scopey walk and an uphill canter.

“I had his neck up a little bit too high during Saturday’s test, but the judges still liked his gaits,” said Doyle.

Grand Makana also won the FEI 5-year-old preliminary test on Thursday (77.40%). There was a meltdown with the sound system in the covered arena during his test, and the huge noise made Grand Makana bolt.

“The judges so appreciated how he came back afterwards that they put his submission score up for the bolt!” said Doyle with a laugh.
“He’s the kindest, happiest, sweetest horse I think I’ve ever worked with,” she added. “I don’t longe him, I don’t have to work him down. What he is at home is what he is at the shows.”

Kelly Thornbury of Sapphire Sporthorses imported Grand Makana. He came to Doyle as a sales horse when he was 3, and Doyle fell in love with him. At the time, she couldn’t afford to buy Grand Makana, so Cvengros said she’d buy him and Doyle could buy him back as soon as Doyle sold her Grand Prix horse. When Doyle was ready to buy him, Cvengros said she had fallen in love with him and was going to keep him.

“Now I have the best of both worlds,” said Doyle. “I have him in training, and Joan’s not going to show him until he’s at the upper levels.”