Friday, March 15, 2002

John Zopatti and Nel Bosco Win High Point Trophy at Palm Beach Dressage Derby - page 2

Dr. Weiss bought Nel Bosco, who's barn name is Teakwood, as a 17-hand green broke three-year-old. "He just captured me," said Dr. Weiss. "He’s calm and quiet and that’s what I need." At 5’11" and describing herself as a ‘plus size’ woman, Dr. Weiss also wanted a big horse. She said she is "still on cloud nine" about his scores at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby. "I always believed in his potential. The first time I saw John ride him, the picture was fabulous. They look special together."

Zopatti has been working with Nel Bosco for almost a year. "This horse is a good mover and has a brain," said Zopatti. "I have extravagant movers that do not have as quiet a brain as he has." In his tests, Nel Bosco’s highest scores usually are awarded for his walk. "His canter is a strong point. He generally gets 8s on his gaits. He got a 9 on a canter circle at the Derby."

Zopatti recently completed the USDF ‘l’ judge program and said that the training program helped him win the Palm Beach Dressage Derby Show High Score with Nel Bosco. "From my experience going through judge’s training, I know the requirements. He did that job. On that day, on that given moment, he deserved 76%."

Mary Hilton for DressageDaily.com