Saturday, December 3, 2005

4th Annual Zada Enterprises, LLC Dressage at the National

Katherine Bateson-Chandler and FBW Kennedy Win FEI Grand Prix

The 4th Annual Zada Enterprises, LLC Dressage at the National kicked off today at the 122nd National Horse Show and Family Festival in Wellington, Florida. Katherine Bateson-Chandler, 30, of Wellington, Florida, aboard FBW Kennedy, a three-time Olympic horse owned by Jane Forbes Clark, won the FEI Grand Prix, topping a field of 10 horses with a score of 68.958%. Lisette Milner aboard her stallion Eminence placed second with 68.333%. Arlene Page aboard her Wild One, earned third with a score of 66.146%.

Officiating at the FEI ring were Gary Rockwell at C and Gen. Jonathan Burton at B. Dressage action continues at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club through Sunday, December 4.

Photo by Susan Stickle

Grand Prix winner Bateson-Chandler took over the ride on FBW Kennedy from six-time Olympian Robert Dover in May 2005. Dover coached her in the warm-up prior to her ride today. She said her partnership with Kennedy is going “great” and she plans to participate in the Selection Trials for the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

Bateson-Chandler highly praised her new partner. “I couldn’t have a nicer horse to ride,” she said. “He’s amazing. I’ve ridden a lot of nice horses, not necessarily gotten to show them, and he’s unlike any horse I’ve ever met. He’s highly intelligent. Of all the horses I’ve known, he’s like a person ‘smart’. You can talk to him and I think he understands you – and that sound ridiculous,” she grinned, adding, “but he’s so highly intelligent and has such a personality. He knows who he is, he knows what he’s done, and he’s very happy about his life. He’s just a happy, happy horse. Willing – all that good stuff.”

Bateson-Chandler has shown Kennedy five times, and logged two wins (69% and 73%) prior to today, in the New Jersey qualifiers for this year’s Devon. In today’s ride, she said, “He felt good coming into the ring and I got a little bit nervous because I thought I had too much horse. He’s a very hot horse. So I think I overrode sometimes. I should have just let things go a little more.” But she was pleased with their performance. “I loved the overall feeling. He comes in with so much expression, power, and so much energy. You don’t often get to feel that. He is just so there for you. Any mistakes you make in there are your own. He’s phenomenal that way.” She noted his best movements today, which helped her to the win, “I loved his extended trots. The pirouettes felt very good. I was happy to keep my zig zags come together.” Judge Rockwell at C gave the pair 70.208% and Judge Burton at B scored them at 67.708%, giving them the final winning average of 68.958%.

Though she qualified for the USEF Grand Prix Championship last year on Rainier, another Clark-owned Olympic mount, Bateson-Chandler considers 2005 as her first real year as a Grand Prix rider. “Jane’s given me the opportunity and I’m thrilled. It’s nice to be able to develop a partnership with a horse. I feel secure in that.”

Lisette Milner of Wellington was edged into second place in the Grand Prix by fractions, scoring 68.33% riding her 10-year-old Dutch stallion Eminence. “The horse has fabulous half-passes, really good pirouettes, and really good piaffe,” said Milner, “And he excels in his transitions. A lot of times he gets 9’s on piaffe.” For today’s competition, Milner noted that her mount was “a little bit fresh and cocky,” and she had to work on getting him to relax in the warm-up. “In the ring I was really working on getting him to swing and relax. He really does try and he listens. He was quite good in there actually.”