Catherine Haddad and Maximus Enjoy the USA- And the USA Enjoys Her

Next to go was American Catherine Haddad and the 13-year-old Danish gelding Maximus JSS (May Sherif x H’jvangs). They rode to music from the Gladiator and started with the dialogue asking the gladiator’s name. He replied, “My name is Maximus.” The crowd caught the meaning and loved it. It set the tone for the ride with spectators expecting a confident, self-assured ride from the gelding to match his music. And they were getting it. The opening half-pass work was beautiful from the view at C. Maximus may not have shown the pizzaz shown by some, but he certainly displayed quiet confidence. The canter work set to music that gave the impression of going into battle must have sent chills down the spines of some.

The one-handed trot half-pass was nicely done and the final salute in slow motion was very popular with the crowd. Haddad was clearly pleased, encouraging the crowd to applaud her horse. Her slow exit and waves to the crowd led announcer Brian O’Connor to say, “Enjoy it Catherine. There’s no rush to leave.” The judges loved her artistry, giving her a score of 74.00 percent for artistry. But her technical score of 63.00 percent brought her overall total to 69.65 percent.
Tetley Photo: Catherine Haddad