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Monday, March 26, 2007

California Dressage in the Spotlight - A Dressage Affaire to Remember
By Lita Dove for DressageDaily.com

Raine and Wightman Continue Their West Coast Reign

Catching up to Kathleen Raine and her husband David Wightman, there is a sense of enormous activity—they are everywhere, coaching, riding, helping each other, whether at a show or at their home base, Adventure Farm. At this show, Kathleen successfully showed her mare Breanna (from the same bloodlines as Brentina) in 4th level, including the mare’s first Fourth-2. “She is doing everything in the Prix St. Georges, all the movements are easy for her, “says Kathleen. “But she is a young horse, just 7 years old, and we want to give her time, let her feel comfortable at shows, before moving her up.” Although there is no particular show in mind, Raine thinks she will start showing PSG in the fall.

Both Kathleen and David will work with Scott Hassler next week when the Young Horse Clinic is going on right before Festival of the Horse /League Finals at Burbank. David and Kathleen both coach Nicky Zamora, who is showing her own Nimbus at Intermediaire Two and got her qualifying scores for the Brentina Cup at this show. David beams with pride as he says this, adding that Nicky is also showing one of Adventure Farm’s youngsters, Volando (Jazz x Casanova). At home, in the pastures, Kathleen and David have several young horses they are excited about—but perhaps none more than the embryo transfer foal ,due in June, from Breanna by Dutch superstar Rousseau.

Photo by Charlene Strickland

Fourth Level Test 1 Open
(C) Koch,

• 1/Kathleen Raine/ Breanna/ 70.465%
• 2/ Kathleen Raine/ Milano//64.651%
• 3/ Kim Yacobucci/ Don Diego/ 63.721%
• 4/ Jo Moran/ Charisma / 62.791%
• 5/ Pia Fortmuller/ Big Blue/ 62.093%
• 6/ Lehua Custer/ Aleros/61.395%
• 7/ Stephen Birchell/ Domino/ 60.930%