Monday April 7, 2003

2003 Dressage at Equestrian Estates

High Score of Show Goes to Livingston and Rivano

Kristi Livingston has been working as Michelle Gibson’s groom for the past two and half years but is only starting to show her own horse, Rivano, now. Dressage at Equestrian Estates was their third show together and they earned the highest score of the show: 77.308% in Training level test 2. They also placed second in Training Test 4 with 72.3%, proving that this wasn’t beginner’s luck.

Gibson, riding World of Dreams, won the Open I-2 with 72.5%. and the Grand Prix with 65.83%. Livingston accompanied World of Dreams home to Alpharetta, Georgia on the airplane when he was imported from Germany, and intends to accompany him on a flight to Athens, Greece for the next Olympic Games, too. “Being there was just the beginning,” she said. “I plan on sticking with Michelle.”

Last year when Gibson went to Germany to train with Rudolf Zeilinger, Livingston went along to groom and that is when she found Rivano. Bred by Martin DeKauf, Rivano is a Westphalian gelding by Rheingal out of Festiva. “He’s the sweetest horse on the ground that I’ve ever dealt with,” she commented. “Then you get on and he’s a fire-breathing dragon! He’s the horse I wanted but didn’t think I’d get.” Rivano has been under saddle for nine months, and Livingston has turned him into a project for herself. Eventually she plans to sell him, but for now has the Young Horse Championships for five-year-olds in her sights.

“I knew we had a really good ride here,” said Livingston. “He was dynamite. It was the first test I actually rode like any other day. I usually go in and just ride the test, not the horse. This was definitely our best yet.”

On riding with Gibson she said, “She’s a perfectionist to work with and she exhibits quality and depth of experience through her training. She expects you to set goals and achieve them but not by holding your hand. She lets you make mistakes and learn from them. She’s also extremely patient, as anyone who lets you figure it out on your own has to be.”