Beth’s Picks for 2011

Posted by Editor

February 8, 2012

2011 DRESSAGE AWARDS
By Beth Collier

Everyone who took the time and effort to train, take lessons, endure the weather, dress up, and compete certainly deserve awards, regardless of final scores or placings. Here are my personal favorite Maryland dressage horse/rider combinations from the past year.

Medals and USDF Awards
Congratulations to the Maryland riders who earned qualifying scores at USEF-licensed shows for a U.S. Dressage Federation rider award. Three Maryland riders earned their USDF Gold Medals in 2011: Christine Betz (Thurmont), Jaralyn Finn (Poolesville) and Susanne Hassler (Chesapeake City). In order to qualify for a USDF Gold Medal, riders must earn at least four scores of 60% or higher showing in Intermediaire I, Intermediaire II, and Grand Prix classes.

The following riders earned their USDF Silver Medals: Cheryl Ann Loane (Thurmont), Clare Green (Damascus), and Alexa Briscoe (Boyds). Riders qualify for a USDF Silver Medal for qualifying scores earned at Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges.

The following riders earned their USDF Bronze Medal for qualifying scores at First, Second, and Third Level: Samantha Allan (Brandywine), Elizabeth Goodwin (Hughesville – pictured above), Lauren Kimmel (Poolesville), Julio Mendoza (Laytonsville), Cheryl Ann Loane (Thurmont), Linda Reinhardt (West Friendship), Joanne Silverman (Elkton), Elizabeth Simmeth-Ensor (Jarrettsville), and Angela Voss (Baltimore).

Jaclyn Sink (Highland) earned a USDF Rider Performance award for Second Level. Cherie Chauvin (Silver Spring) and Sharon Sexton (Darlington) each earned a USDF Rider Performance award for First Level. Alexis Rossetti (Waldorf) and Lauren Kimmel (Poolesville) each earned a USDF Rider Performance award for Training Level.

Scott and Susanne Hassler (Hassler Dressage, Chesapeake City) earned the USDF Region 1 Outstanding Contribution to the Dressage Community in Region One – Adult.

Congratulations to Maryland Dressage Association member Jacqueline Caldwell and her horse, JC’s Keely of Texel, who earned a Carol Lavell Gifted Training Scholarship (for Adult Amateur riders) from the Dressage Foundation. Jacqueline plans to train with Phoebe Devoe-Moore for the coming season. The Gifted Fund was founded with a donation from Carol Lavell in remembrance of her Olympic dressage horse, Gifted.

Maryland Dressage Rider of the Year
Christopher Hickey, dressage trainer at Hilltop Farm in Colora, had a long and successful show year in Europe and the U.S. He is one of only five U.S. riders to appear on the USEF High Performance 2011 Invite List (with Douglas Hilltop) and he appears on the USEF Developing Riders List with Witness Hilltop. He also appears on the USEF Grand Prix Long List/Ranking List with Douglas Hilltop and is the highest ranking Maryland rider on the FEI World Individual Ranking List.

Grand Prix
Susanne Hassler (Hassler Dressage, Chesapeake City) now appears among the top 20 riders on the FEI World Cup Dressage 2011/2012 North America division list. Susanne also appears on the FEI World Individual Ranking List for dressage. Harmony’s Baroncelli (Bergamon X Maderia), a thirteen-year-old Hanoverian stallion, owned by the Silver Spur Operating Company and Susanne, made their Grand Prix debut in May 2011 at the Potomac Valley Dressage Association Spring Show at Morven Park, VA. “Mr. B,” as he is called around the barn, won the Reserve Champion title for the GAIG Finals Grand Prix Open Division and he won the Champion title at the CBLM Finals.

FEI Freestyle and more!
GKB Coal Magic (Ragtime Voodoo Magic X Metis Koffee), a 15.2-hand Morgan stallion owned and ridden by Lucy Tidd (Germantown) won the CBLM Finals for Intermediaire I Freestyle. The pair also won the GAIG Finals Intermediaire I Adult Amateur division and placed fifth at the CBLM Finals for Intermediaire I. In addition, they won the Reserve Champion title for the GAIG Prix St. Georges Adult Amateur Division and placed eighth at that level in the CBLM Finals.

Intermediaire II
Tonico Do Top, a Lusitano stallion owned by Joe and Linda Dennison and ridden by Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel (Woodbine) won the CBLM Finals for Intermediaire II.

Intermediaire I
Witness Hilltop (Hamlet X Burggraaf), owned by Hilltop Farm and ridden by Christopher Hickey, placed tenth out of sixteen riders in the 2011 USEF National Intermediaire Championship and Selection Trial for the Pan Am Games in September at Gladstone, NJ. At only eight years old, Witness could easily be a contender for the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada, in 2015.

Prix St. Georges
Bugatti (Bergamon X Raffinesse), a thirteen-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Hilltop Farm and ridden by Michael Bragdell, won the Reserve Champion title at the CBLM Finals and was third in the GAIG Finals.

FEI Young Rider
Jill Kemenosh (Chesapeake City) completed her final year as a Young Rider with her fourth consecutive invitation to compete at the USEF National Young Rider Championship in Gladstone, NJ where she finished sixth overall. Jill and her Dutch gelding Nelzon are coached by Scott Hassler (Hassler Dressage, Chesapeake City).

FEI Junior Rider
Pik L (Pik Bube II X Abaja), an eighteen-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Horses Unlimited (NM) and ridden by sixteen-year-old Kya Endreson, a working student at Hassler Dressage, won the USEF FEI Junior Championship. She was the only rider to score over 70% in the FEI Junior Team and Individual Tests. She was also on the gold medal-winning Junior Dressage Team at the Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championship, Lexington, KY. (With only three riders, the team did not have a drop score).

FEI Young Horses
Marne Martin-Tucker’s six-year-old Oldenburg mare Royal Coeur (Royal Hit X Le Coeur) now appears as one of the top six Young Dressage Horses on the USEF High Performance Dressage Developing Horse/Rider List. They represented the U.S. at the 2011 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, Germany this past August. Marne earned her qualifying scores for the championships at dressage shows in Great Britain.

Balissa HTF (Bugatti X Contesse) and Ripley HTF (Royal Prince X Komtesse V), both ridden by Christopher Hickey, earned top ribbons at Dressage At Devon and placed in USDF Year-End Awards in the Four- and Five-Year-Old divisions and the USEF Four-Year-Old Test division.

Dressage Breeding Sire
Royal Prince (Rohdiamant X Piri Piri), a thirteen-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Hilltop Farm, has earned the USEF Dressage Breeding Sire Of The Year award for the fourth consecutive year. He was also awarded his fourth star by the International Sporthorse Registry/Oldenburg Registry North America (ISR/Oldenburg NA) in 2011.

Fourth Level
Chesapeake and Rebecca Langwost-Barlow (Wyndham Oaks, Boyds) placed fourth in the CBLM Finals for Fourth Level Senior Rider Division B and placed third in the GAIG Finals for Fourth Level Open.

Third Level
Froelich (Festrausch x Light Music), owned and ridden by Dorie Forte (Woodbine), placed fifth in the CBLM Finals for Third Level Senior Rider Division A. Little Granny, an Oldenburg mare owned and ridden by junior rider Jennifer Foulon (Potomac) earned the Reserve Champion title for the GAIG Third Level JR/YR Division. Jennifer trains with Barbara Strawson of Turning Point Farm in Clarksburg.

Second Level
Rio and Sheryl Sherman (Dickerson) won the Potomac Valley Dressage Association Second Level Senior rider year-end award. Eternaluma and Logan Elliott (Mt. Airy) won the Reserve Champion title at the CBLM Finals for Second Level Junior rider, as well as a slew of PVDA year-end awards.

First Level
Boxster A (Bugatti X Winsome A), owned by Iris Aberbach (Chevy Chase) and ridden by Michael Bragdell (Hilltop Farm), won the GAIG Finals for the First Level Open Division. Logan Elliott topped the PVDA Training Level Junior/Young Rider division for the year-end awards aboard Cady O’Daly Michael.

Training Level
Sunstream Cove and Ruth Frey (Baltimore) earned the Maryland Dressage Association Training Level B Open year-end award while Honalee and Hayley Mullen earned the MDA Training Level Young Rider B award.

Hayley and Honalee also competed in the Developing Horse Show Jumping Division at the U.S. National Pony Club Championships in Lexington, KY. They placed second in the Novice B Division at the Maryland Combined Training Association Jenny Camp Horse Trials in September and won the Junior Novice A Division at the Maryland Horse Trials Starter Event in September at Loch Moy Farm.

Bento Box and Molly Sherman (Dickerson) earned the Potomac Valley Dressage Association Musical Freestyle Junior/Young Rider year-end award.

USDF Walk/Trot
Country Bumpkin and Suzanne Veltri (Baldwin), who train with Phoebe DeVoe-Moore (Thornridge Manor, Glen Arm), earned the Maryland Dressage Association Intro Novice year-end award. LVF Bottom Line and Abby Schimming (Jarrettsville) earned the MDA Champion Young Rider Intro B award.

Pas de Deux
After Six and Liz Erwin (Olney) with Aura and Samantha Smith (Crownsville) won the CBLM Finals for Pas de Deux.

Quadrille
The PVDA Clarksville Chapter scored 81.84% at the PVDA Chapter Challenge Show. The quadrille team included Patty Blanchard (Glen Burnie) riding Thomas the Cat, Candace Snell (Glen Burnie) aboard Ralpal, Ashley Speer (Columbia) with Back in Black, and Nikki Witte (Eliott City) riding Barney.

To see pics of many of these riders, go to the 2011 Yearbook on The Equiery archives or pick up a February issue at one of these locations.

Dressage Shows

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