Monday February 28, 2005

Young Horses Earn Top Scores at Mid-Winter Dressage Fair

Luminence Tops Six-Year-Old Test

Hilda Gurney rode her homebred Luminence to the best score in the FEI Young Horse, 6-Year-Old Test. The gray gelding scored 72.20 in a solid test, expertly ridden by this legendary dressage trainer.

Registered as an Oldenburg, Luminence is a second generation champion bred by Gurney and Mary Contakos, Moorpark, California. They also bred his sire, the Trakehner, Leonidas.

“He's very willing, like his dad,” said Gurney about Luminence, after the Young Horse test. About listening to post-test comments from judge Jane Weatherwax, she reported, “Very educational!”

Luminence also won two Third Level tests: 2 (66.905) and 3 (63.778). In 2003, he was California Dressage Society champion First Level and won the CDS Futurity. Gurney has also trained Leonidas, showing him to championships at Grand Prix.