Saturday, September 10, 2005

Top Quality Horses In Close Contention at the USEF/Markel Young Horse Championships

Susan Dutta and the Dutta Corporation’s Currency DC (Oldenburg x Clintino out of Cinderella by Classiker) went for it in the 5-Year-Old Preliminary Test in a large field of top quality youngsters at the USEF/Markel Young Horse Championships showing the crowd who gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park the international quality it takes to make it to the top.

Scoring 7.96, the judges gave Currency DC a 9 for his trot. Second were Hokan Thorn and Joanne Balling’s Donegal (Hanoverian by Davignport x Grundstein) with 7.86%. But the scores are close in both the 5-year-old, and 6-year-old divisions where a minor blip on Sunday could change the placings between 5 horses in each division.

In the lead in the six-year old division is Iron Spring Farm’s stallion, Sir Sinclair (Dutch Warmblood by Lord Sinclair I out of Krishna by Flemmingh) with his new pilot, Belinda Nairn-Wertman. “He makes it easy.” said Belinda as she warmed up for her preliminary test clearly pleased as were the judges over their ride rewarding their fluid harmonious test with an 8.38%. Close behind was the exciting performance of Jan Brons with Joli Burrell’s Rhinelander gelding, Fino (by Fidermark out of Wachtel by Worldchamp) whose brilliant trot work dazzled the crowd and judges alike, who scores his 3 consistent gaits with an 8.26%. In third was the surprise performance of Maryanna Haymon’s Don Principe, a beautiful dark brown Hannoverian stallion (by Donnerhall, out of Papgena by Price Thatch). “He just kept getting better and better as the test went on” commented judge Anne Gribbons who shared her duties with Marianne Ludwig educating the audience with their eloquent and descriptive comments.

But it was the entire field of top quality American owned and some American bred horses which made for an exciting and inspiring day in the second USEF/Markel Young Horse Competition setting the stage for the finals to be held Sunday.

Results and On The Scene Young Horse Coverage