Canadians Take Dressage at Devon By Storm – Reid Wins Grand Prix, Brooks Wins FEI 5 Year Old
Canadian dressage riders have once again descended upon Dressage at Devon CDI ***/CDI-Y to show their talents in the ring September 28 to October 3, 2004 in Pennsylvania, USA.
2004 Canadian Olympic Team partners Leslie Reid and Deryol Andrews’ Mark won the Grand Prix Qualifier for the Freestyle achieving a terrific score of 70.500% and a unanimous decision from the judging panel.
“He was super!” said Reid. “We found the gas pedal again and he was very expressive. The atmosphere was quite electric in the stadium but Mark was excellent with his concentration.”
Fellow Canadian rider Jacqueline M. Brooks and Gran Gesto, owned by Brinc. Ltd and Anne Welch, claimed second place with 65.583%. Julia Vysniauskas and Syntax were the only other Canadian pair in the class and placed seventh with a score of 61.833% in the field of thirteen competitors.
In the Grand Prix Qualifier for the Grand Prix Speciale, Nancy Maclachlan was the sole Canadian rider on Ariston. This is the first competitive season for this new partnership, and they put in a respectable ride to earn 61.333%. The class was won by Danish rider Lars Peterson and Dansko’s Success with 64.458%.
In the Advanced division, the margin was extremely narrow between the top three finishers – less than 1%. The eventual winner of the Prix St. Georges class was Columbia’s Dr. Cesar Parra aboard Horses Unlimited's Hanoverian breeding stallion Pik L with 70.917%. Canada’s Tom Dvorak and West Side Lady, a nine-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Sue Platz, were given 70.750% for second place honours. Ashley Holzer, fresh from her return from Athens where she represented Canada on the Olympic dressage team with Imperioso, rode Dr. Diane Fellows’ striking Dutch Warmblood stallion Gambol to earn 70.250% for third place. A number of Canadian riders took part in the class of 40 riders including Tom Dvorak and Sue Holden’s Beaumarchais (6th – 67.333%), Stephanie Jeffrey and Belcanto (9th – 66.333%), Andrea Bressee and Raffles (12th – 65.583%), Tina Busse and Amicelli (26th – 63.500%), Jessica Costello and Judy Elliot’s Litmanen (30th – 62.417%) and Chris von Martels with Top of Magic (38th – 60.167%).
Canada experienced a win in the FEI Young Horse division when Jacqueline M. Brooks rode Balmoral to a huge score of 82.00% in the 5-Year-Old class. This is another new partnership, with Brooks acquiring the ride on Balmoral only this summer thanks to the new Canadian syndicate of Brinc Ltd, Nick & Jean Vinions and Anne & John Welch. Balmoral was bred and raised in Canada by fellow FEI rider Stephanie Jeffrey and is by Jeffrey’s stallion Belcanto who is competing at Devon in the Advanced division.
In the Young Riders division, Leah Wilson and Dostoevsky were the highest placing Canadians scoring 64.222% for second place. Krystalann Shingler and Skor came fifth with 59.333% and Kathryn Yardley riding Boxberger Tendenz finished ninth with 57.407%. The class was won by American rider Catherine Malone and Melvin with a score of 67.778%.
The international judging panel presiding during the Grand Prix classes in Friday's competition included Axel Steiner (USA), Lois Yukins (USA), Hanne Valentin(DEN), Anne Gribbons (USA), and Bernard Maurel (FRA).
Competition continues through to Sunday with the popular freestyle night being held Saturday evening.