Wayne, Ill.—Aug. 24

The Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse Dressage National Championships kicked off today, with 4- and 5-year-olds doing their first tests in addition to the Developing Prix St. Georges horses.

The Developing Prix St. Georges Division

The first test in the Markel/USEF Developing Prix St. Georges class, the FEI Prix St. Georges, saved the best for last with Carly Taylor-Smith taking first place with Rosalut NHF (70.43%) and Nora Batchelder second on Fifi MLW (69.29%).

Carly Taylor-Smith and Rosalut NHF. Photo by Lisa Slade.

This is the third trip to Lamplight for Taylor-Smith and Rosalut, a 7-year-old Oldenburg (Rosenthal—Legacy, Salut) bred by Margaret Neider in the United States. Rosalut won the 4-year-old division and 5-year-old division before taking last year off from the championship.

“It’s been a while since 2014!” said Taylor-Smith. “He was just a gangly baby then. We’ve kind of stuck with it and gone up the levels. Unfortunately we missed the show last year; I just financially couldn’t make it out here. This year, I was super, super lucky to have amazing clients and friends who put together fundraising for me to come out here. His best quality is he’s a born performer. Every time I take him out, he loves to show off for people.”

Watch their winning test:

Nora Batchelder said her mare, an 8-year-old Hanoverian (Fidertanz—Wolkenstanza MLW, Wolkentanz I) bred by Mary Lou Winn in the United States, is still green at the Prix St. Georges level.

“This is only the third time she’s done [this test], so she got in there and was a little nervous and kind of backed off in the atmosphere,” said Batchelder. “But I thought she got better as the trot went on, and she got through the canter work, and I was very proud of her.”

The 5-Year-Old Division

For FEI 5-Year-Old Preliminary test winners Alyssa Doverspike and Darius 555, this was their first trip to the championship at Lamplight, and they made the long drive from California. Doverspike found Darius, a Hanoverian gelding (Don Darius—Barcelona, Boss) bred in Germany by Dirk Ettwig, in Europe last August with the help of trainers Kathleen Raine and David Wightman. He got an 8.8 for his walk as the highest mark and a total score of 7.76.

Alyssa Doverspike and Darius 555. Photo by Lisa Slade.

“It’s been a growing year for us,” said Doverspike. “As a 5-year-old he’s been developing, so in the test I was very happy with him. I was happy with his energy and warm-up. In the test, the walk I can really depend a lot if I let him do his thing. For the trot, I keep it forward, so I was really happy with him in that.”

Watch their winning test:

Posted by USEF Network on Thursday, August 24, 2017

Two veteran riders in the young horse program tied for second in the 5-year-old class on a score of 7.72. Craig Stanley and last year’s 4-year-old championship winner Habanero CWS, a Dutch Warmblood (Idocus—Caliente DG, 00 Seven) gelding bred and ridden by Stanley, earned their highest score, an 8, for the horse’s walk.

“This kind of show was beyond my wildest dreams five or six years ago,” said Stanley, who’s from Australia. “To do it on homebreds is even more special.”

Craig Stanley and Habanero CWS. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Though Angela Jackson has competed at many young horse championships herself, this was the first time for Sandeman, a Hanoverian (Sir Donnerhall I—Flora, Florencio I) gelding bred in Germany by Eggerk Groenewold and owned by Julie Cook.

“She bought him as her future FEI horse, but she realized very soon that training a young horse is different than riding an FEI horse, so that’s why he came to me a little bit late,” said Jackson. “She came this winter, like late January, and said, ‘Do you think you can work him through the winter?’ I saw his potential, and I told her, ‘You have a very nice horse. This horse belongs in the young horse classes!’ It’s her first time, and she’s a little overwhelmed with it, but she’s very happy.”

Angela Jackson and Sandeman. Photo by Lisa Slade.

The 4-Year-Old Division

The 4-year-olds also did their first tests today, with Alice Tarjan riding both the first- and second-placed horses.

Serenade MF, a Hanoverian (Sir Donnerhall—Duet MF, Don Principe) bred by Maryanna Haymon in the United States and owned by Tarjan, earned an 8.44, including a 9 for trot. Judge Gary Rockwell called the mare an “impressive horse.” Tarjan purchased her as a foal from Haymon.

Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF. Photo by Lisa Slade.

“The horse has no weaknesses other than the fact that she cribs,” said Tarjan. “She has a super walk and canter. She’s not spooky; she never tells you she doesn’t want to play ball. You can trail ride her. You can put a kid on her. You can walk her around with a cotton lead rope wherever you want. That horse is the whole package. I just have to bubble wrap her and wait four or five years.”

Watch their winning test:

Fairouz, an Oldenburg (Franziskus—Diva, Don Federico) bred in Germany by Bramall and owned by Tarjan, earned a score of 8.06, including a 9 for trot.

“The trot is such a highlight for this horse, and the walk will develop well,” said Rockwell. “He seems very trainable and like a good horse for the future.”

Tarjan found the gelding in Catherine Haddad Staller’s barn this January.

“It was probably the first horse I’ve actually sat on to try in 10 years or something,” said Tarjan. “I always buy horses from the internet off video. I saw him and was like, ‘That’s a really interesting horse,’ and I was kind of looking for one. She’s right down the road in Florida, so it was so easy that I actually went down and tried it!”

Alice Tarjan and Fairouz. Photo by Lisa Slade.

See full results from the competition on Fox Village.

Save