Sunday November 30, 2003

Robert Dover And FBW Kennedy Win Grand Prix Special At Dressage at the National

Robyn Mitchell and Graciolo Win Intermediaire I

Earlier in the day, Robyn Mitchell, who is in training with Dover, won the Intermediaire I riding Graciola, scoring 64.625%. It was her debut at I-I. “I’m so ecstatic to do that well today,” said Mitchell, 30, of Howell, NJ. She leased the 15-year-old Dutch mare from owner Marsha Pepper for the winter. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in full training so I’ve got myself back in the full training swing of things and it’s just helped unbelievably.” Mitchell has been attending Florida winter shows for nine years with clients, but arrived this October with only Graciola and a young horse. “I’m just doing my own thing, no clients, no distractions, just training for me this year.”

Graciola, an experienced FEI horse, is especially good at her canter pirouettes, Mitchell said, and in the I-I the judges awarded her an 8 for her first one. “The second one it was my fault – I didn’t ride well and actually it was horrible,” Mitchell said with a laugh, and then added more compliments to the mare, “she’s so great at her tempi changes that you can just sit up there and smile, half-halt, swing the leg, and she just bangs them out. Her tempis were quite good today also.” Though Mitchell has trained the FEI movements at home for years, she never had the opportunity to show, but a new sponsor, Vince Fevola, made the lease and Florida trip possible. Mitchell is now looking forward to moving up another notch. “Robert seems to think that we’ll be able to do a Grand Prix by the end of the season. I hope he’s right because it would be my first and I’d be thrilled to do it on this mare. She’s such a nice, nice girl.”