Leslie Reid Wins Grand Prix Freestyle at Dressage at Devon CDI*** - CDI-Y

 It was another stellar day for Canada’s Leslie Reid at Dressage at Devon CDI ***/CDI-Y being held September 28 to October 3, 2004 in Pennsylvania, USA.

The always popular Grand Prix Freestyle was held during the evening performance of Saturday’s competition. In front of an enthusiastic and sold-out audience of over 5,000, Leslie Reid and Deryol Andrew’s Mark entertained the crowd and the judges with a polished and expressive performance which garnered them 77.500% from the international five-member judging panel with a high mark from judge Axel Steiner (USA) of 81.250%.

This is Reid’s first trip to the prestigious Dressage at Devon competition with Mark, and Mark seemed right at home in the Dixon Oval under the floodlights. The pair recently returned home from Greece after representing Canada for the first time at the Olympic Games. It didn’t take long for the 10-year-old Dutch gelding (Edison/Flamingo) to recover from the long trip and get back into winning form.

The freestyle win has given Reid valuable World Cup qualifying points for the Canadian League Final being held at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto during November. The top five qualifying Canadian horse/rider combinations will be invited to compete in the Grand Prix class of the Canadian League World Cup finals, with the top four placed in the Grand Prix to compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle. The Canadian League World Cup Finals will be held at the Royal Winter Fair, Toronto, Ontario, November 10-11, 2004. The winner will represent Canada at the World Cup Finals being held in Las Vegas in 2005. Ticket information can be found at www.royalfair.org.

Jacqueline M. Brooks and Gran Gesto, owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch, came an impressive third in the same class with 70.875%. This is Gran Gesto’s first year campaigning at the Grand Prix level, and the young nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Grannox/Paradox I) has shown obvious talent. Earlier this year the pair were named as second reserves for Canada’s Olympic dressage team and have recently come off a double win at the CDI*** Halifax, Massachusetts. Brooks and Gran Gesto are currently in second position in the Canadian League World Cup Qualifying point standings.

Julia Vysniauskas and Syntax, a 12-year-old Czechoslovakian Warmblood gelding, rode to a score of 67.875% which put them in sixth position. Although her competition season was short this year when Syntax was sidelined with a brief illness, Vysniauskas has come back strong with a Freestyle win at the CDI*** Allentown last month and now another strong showing at Devon.

The weather conditions during the Freestyle night added to the drama of the competition. A heavy fog rolled in and some riders performed their test while riding through the mist. The judging panel for the Freestyle included Axel Steiner (USA), Hanne Valentin (DEN), Anne Gribbons (USA), Andrew Gardner (GBR) and Janet Brown (USA).

In the Intermediaire I, Tom Dvorak was victorious over the large field of 36 competitors after putting in a energy charged test with Beaumarchais that earned the pair a score of 70.083%. Ashley Holzer and Gambol dropped slightly from their Prix St. George score to receive 67.083% and fourth position. Additional Canadian riders in the class included Andrea Bresee & Raffles (6th – 66.083%), Tom Dvorak & Sue Platz’s West Side Lady (12th – 64.00%), Jessica Costello & Judy Elliot’s Litmanen (13th – 63.917%) and Tina Busse & Amicelli (15th – 62.833%. The FEI judging panel for this class included Lois Yukins (USA), Bernard Maurel (FRA) and Canada’s Cara Whitham.

Canadian supporters could be seen in every ring as they cheered on our riders. “Everyone’s pulling for everyone else”, said Dressage Canada Board member Ali Buchanan who made his first trip to Devon. “The camaraderie is amazing and the Canadians are having a great time, both in and out of the ring. I’ve never heard our anthem played so much!”.

Canada was also victorious in the Young Rider division. Leah Wilson, riding her 16.1hh Russian Warmblood gelding Dostoevsky, won the Young Rider Prix St. Georges test with a score of 65.677%. Krystalann Shingler with Skor came fourth with 60.083% in the field of thirteen. Shingler was one of Canada's qualified riders for the Young Rider division of the Can-Am Challenge which unfortunately was cancelled due to insufficient entries.

The FEI Pony classes were held in the national rated portion of the competition. Jillian Thatcher and Montego Bay who won second place in the FEI Pony Team Test with a score of 64.737%. Thatcher originally qualified to represent Canada in the FEI Pony division of the Can-Am Challenge which was unfortunately cancelled due to insufficient entries from both countries. Canadians Amy McIlwham and Hannah Pryce are two more riders who qualified for the Can-Am Challenge in the FEI Junior division and who also made the trip to Devon in order to gain valuable experience despite this division of the Can-Am Challenge being cancelled. McIlwham, riding Susan Glass-Nash’s Hanoverian stallion Marzipan, came second in the FEI Junior Team test with 62.292%. Hannah Pryce, riding Lynne Pryce’s Jonneke, came third with 60.385%.

Also winning in the national competition was Tom Dvorak on Alyson Carpenter’s Hanoverian gelding Fortissimo. The pair won a Fourth Level class on a score of 70.116%.