Werther bloodlines triumphed at the USEF/Markel Young Dressage Horse Western Selection Finals in Flintridge, Calif., May 27-29.

Champions Luminence and Grand Makana are both Werther grandsons who had already proven themselves in the competition arena–both had won the California Dressage Society Futurity Champion-ship at the age of 4.

“Generally we found the quality of horses, especially in the 5-year-old division, was quite high,” said judge Axel Steiner.

Luminence, ridden and trained by Hilda Gurney and owned by Mary Contakos and Hilda Gurney, both of Moorpark, Calif., won the FEI 6-Year-Old division, to add to the FEI 5-Year-Old title he won last year.

Gurney and Contakos bred and raised the Trakehner gelding. He is by their Grand Prix stallion Leonidas out of their Werther mare, Willa, who is out of Lavender by Condus. Luminence was the 2003 CDS Futurity Champion while also capturing the CDS First Level Champion-ship the same year. He was also the 2004 American Trakehner Futurity Champion.

“My goal is to have a Grand Prix horse, but it is a lot of fun on a horse that you have bred and raised yourself,” said Gurney.

“This is an attractive horse that tries hard and has a good work ethic,” said Lilo Fore, who judged along with Linda Zang and Steiner. They awarded Luminence an 8 for submission because of his “trainability” as well as another 8 for general impression and for his trot which they said was “well forward with good cadence.”

They wanted “more marching into the contact” at the walk, thus giving it a 6.9, and they gave him a 7.3 for the canter, stating it was “slightly less balanced than during the previous day’s test.” The finale test was more difficult for horses of this age than the preliminary test, shown the day before.

Oxsana, ridden by Carrie Rollins of Villa Park, Calif., and owned by Barbara Haney of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., took the reserve championship with a final score of 6.732.

A Grand Win

The FEI 5-Year-Old division was very competitive, but Grand Makana, ridden by Laurie Doyle of Escondido, Calif., and owned by Joan Cvengros of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., earned the title over 13 other horses.

Grand Makana is a Hanoverian gelding by Goodman out of a Werther mare. He was the 2004 CDS Futurity Champion while placing reserve in the CDS open training level.

“He has a wonderful brain,” said Doyle. “He’s more like a big dog rather than a little horse.”

Doyle has been riding Grand Makana, who measures just over 16 hands, since he was 31³2 years old. He’d only been broke for 30 days before he was imported. “He has three really wonderful gaits. He’s a fun horse with a great outlook on life. Judges always comment on how happy he is and that he’s willing to please. I am really thankful that Joan lets me ride her fabulous horse,” said Doyle.

Steiner, Zang, and Fore awarded Grand Makana with a 7.8 for submission and 8.0 for general impression on Sunday’s finale test. “We all agree this is a lovely young horse with three elegant gaits. We all enjoyed watching him move, as well as the way he is handled and trained. This is overall a lovely young horse.”

The judges awarded him 8.2 for trot and walk, and 8.0 for canter. The overall score was originally an 8.04 except that the judges had to deduct .20 for a mistake in the riding of the test, which gave Grand Makana a total of 7.84.

David Wightman of Murrieta, Calif., rode the reserve champion, Typhoon, closely followed by his other mount, Brigadier. Typhoon is a Dutch Warmblood by Havidoff out of a mare owned by Hank Layser. Wightman bought the gelding from Layser while in Europe.

“He’s the same guy we bought Avontuur and Garin from. I was looking for a horse for a client when Hank showed Typhoon to me, but I thought he was too small. The second time I was there, Hank had me look at him again, but this time he turned him loose. He was the best moving 3-year-old I had ever seen,” said Wightman. “He’s a tremendous talent. He’s a hot one with a tremendous amount of go.”

Brigadier is by Batido and owned by Deena Smith of Olathe, Kansas. David teaches clinics in Kansas at a place that, at the time, was owned by Paige Athens. Athens bred the gelding, and Wightman advised Smith to purchase the colt as a weanling. Brigadier grew up in Kansas until he was 4. After he was green broke, he was shipped to Wightman in California.

“He’s pretty straightforward,” said Wightman. “He’s got a very good temperament and character. He has three good gaits with a wonderful hind leg.”

The gelding won all three of his first level classes two weeks earlier at DG Bar (Calif.), with scores in the 70s.

Although the overall quality of horses was high, the judges did not believe that all of the riders did their horses justice. Steiner stated, “Riders need to understand how to show the horses off and truly show the quality in each horse without always worrying about the individual movements, like you would in a dressage test. Some inaccuracies that might be significant in a dressage test are totally secondary in a Young Horse test.”

He also commented that riders need to understand the five scores. “The trot, walk, and canter scores are strictly about the quality of the gaits. The submission score addresses the suppleness, obedience, etc., and the gen-eral impression score addresses the potential as an upper level dressage horse based on the training scale. We are really looking for quality, and just because the horse may be quiet in a dressage test, that doesn’t mean it will be successful in a Young Horse test.”

Mason Secures Amateur Title

A pair of Danish full brothers earned the first Markel Amateur Dressage Championships at first level. Lewis H, ridden by Jennifer Mason of Orange, Calif., and Lenardo H, ridden by Lisa Bradley of Aliso Viejo, Calif., won the championship and reserve, respectively. Both horses were seen on the same videotape and their new owners fell in love.

Mason bought Lewis H from Kathleen Raine as a 6-year-old. “He’s absolutely the most generous horse I’ve ever met. I just love him. He’ll go and do all this big stuff for Kathleen, and then I get on as an amateur and he’s very generous. I wouldn’t have won this championship without such a generous horse,” said Mason after being measured for her new jacket provided by Markel Insurance.

“I think it is super that Markel Insurance and Cornerstone did this for the amateurs. It’s an inspiring goal for an amateur to work toward. My friend [Bradley] and I have had to work hard. We’ve had a ball,” Mason added.

Mason, who had been a trail rider for 10 years, started dressage just two years ago, and this is her first show season. “Kathleen Raine and David Wightman are so supportive of the lower level amateurs,” said Mason.

Bradley bought Lenardo H off the same video from Dave Donnelly, a trainer in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. “When I saw Lewis and found out Lenardo was his full brother, I knew I had to have him,” said Bradley. “I bought him sight unseen based on Lewis’ temperament.”

She’s owned the 8-year-old for three years. At only her second dressage show, Bradley won all her classes at Flintridge, including first level, test 4, and second level, test 1. “He’s a lot of fun and has a heart of gold. He’s the safest thing around. I love him to death.”

Bradley plans to work on some fine tuning and try for the Markel Amateur Championship at second level next year.

Megan Gardiner of Cornville, Ariz., won the training level amateur championship on her 7-year-old Danish Warmblood, Valgard. “I haven’t owned him quite a year,” said Gardiner.

She bought him from her trainer Teri Hallman. “He’s a sensitive gelding. I lived through his spookiness. He’s learning to trust me. He’s very talented in the lateral movements, and his lengthenings are a lot of fun. He’ll do anything once he trusts his rider. I’m happy to have him in my life.”