Intense head-to-head dressage competition across 30 championship divisions concluded on Nov. 9 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington for the U.S. Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®.
The appropriately named Dutch Warmblood, Eye Candy was one of the day’s big winners. In the largest class of the Finals, the 5-year-old mare owned by Heather Mason of Tewksbury Township, N.J. was the final ride of the class but made the biggest impression with the judges. The mare carried rider Amy Gimbel, also of Tewksbury, to victory in the hotly-contested Training Level Adult Amateur Championship with a score of 75.800%. “I started riding Eye Candy about nine months ago,” said Gimbel. “The horse I had been riding before her was sold, so I was looking for something to catch ride and Heather offered her to me. She’s been a super horse to show — even though this was only her fifth competition and it has a huge atmosphere, she handled it all so well. I feel so lucky to ride her and I have a lot to be thankful for.”
Gimbel and Eye Candy added a second championship honor by earning the First Level Adult Amateur Freestyle Reserve Championship. “She was a little distracted in this test, but she’s still such a good girl and I couldn’t be happier with our experience.”
Mason had great success at last year’s inaugural Finals, and she returned to Kentucky to claim yet another title with her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Zar by topping the Intermediate B Open Championship on a score of 69.286%. “This is a great show and so well-run. I love it, and my clients all love it. I think it’s just a fun show to go to, and it’s a lot bigger this year,” said Mason. “As for Zar, I think he’s actually going to be a better Grand Prix horse than a small tour horse, just because his piaffe/passage work is pretty special. He’s kind of a hot horse who is very honest but incredibly scared of everything, so I had a lot of horse under me today! But he was really good and he held it together.”
Despite being only 7 years old, the talented Oldenburg mare Elfenfeuer carried owner/rider Alice Tarjan of Frenchtown, N.J. to victory in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship with 68.133% “We still have a lot to learn, but I think this level suits her and she’s a good girl and tries hard,” said Tarjan. “I haven’t been here at the Horse Park since coming for a Pony Club event about 20 years ago, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. These Finals are such a big event, and it’s exciting and inspiring to be here.”
The pair returned to claim reserve honors in the Intermediate B Adult Amateur Championships on the final day with 68.333%. “She handled being outside really well today. We had some mistakes but we’re green at this level and we have plenty of work to do and room for improvement,” said Tarjan.
On Freestyle day, retired small animal veterinarian Jeanne Van Nuys-Hitt of Harrisburg, Pa. rode her Oldenburg gelding Sirtaki to victory in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship, where their Enya-themed performance earned a top score of 68.792%. “I am thrilled. You put a lot of time, money, and blood, sweat and tears into getting here, so any time you end up on top of a great field of riders, it’s the ultimate thrill,” said Van Nuys-Hitt.
