Gladstone, New Jersey – Christopher Hickey and Brenna Kucinski's Regent edged out Lauren Sammis and Sagacious HF in the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions Pan American Selection Trials winning the USEF National Dressage Intermediaire Championships.

Hickey’s ultimate victory after three days of competition came after he upped the ante each day. On the first day of Prix St. Georges competition he admitted that he rode a relatively “conservative test.” He changed that for day two saying “I added a little more power to my horse today.” But that, he said, is what made have given Sammis the win over him in the Intermediaire I. “There were a few places where I did too much risk, such as in the extended canter and the change at the end and I took too much risk in the two-tempis. The changes got a little too big for my own good, particularly in the last change.”

But Hickey said the fun of dressage, especially over several days of competition, is the chance to improve scores each day and that’s just what he did on the final day of competition, putting in a nice ride with a technically difficult freestyle that gave him the winning edge and the overall victory in the Pan Am Selection Trials.

Hickey and Regent were second to last in the ring and waltzed through their Freestyle with lots of elegant lateral work and four pirouettes. The 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding tried very hard throughout the entire test and was rewarded with very high marks for his degree of difficulty and interpretation. Beautiful, easy paces made the Freestyle look easy. They were rewarded with a score of 74.5% and a three day total of 72.063%

"I'm a little emotional," said Hickey. "I've had a lot of things happen at the last minute before something big so this means a lot. There are a lot of people behind me and that's the most emotional part for me – to give them what they've been pushing for." Hickey recently sold his home in Massachusetts, accepting a position as head trainer for Hilltop Farm in Maryland. He will also be representing the United States at the FEI World Championships for Young Horses in Verden after presenting the highest placed 5-year-old in the Markel/USEF Young Dressage Horse Eastern Selection Trials with Hilltop Farm’s Cabana Boy.

About his Freestyle which included techno music, Hickey recognized some risk in the performance. "I'm totally aware that the trot music is dangerous because it has such a strong beat." he said. "Seventy percent of the time I can pull it off. My freestyle is very, very difficult."

Runner-up was yesterday's winner Lauren Sammis and the adorable Sagacious HF owned by Al and Judy Guden's Hyperion Farm on a score of 73.45%. To the music of Billy Joel, the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding exhibited polished pirouettes and good changes to reaffirm their ability in the judges' eyes. Trying as hard as he did yesterday Sagacious HF and Sammis pair picked up high marks for their degree of difficulty. They remained in second overall and secured their ticket to Brazil.