Horses Feeling Good at Saugerties CDI-W

But poor “Fizzy,” as she calls Olivier, did a lot of traveling before his Saugerties CDI. “We’ve been on the road for 10 days. And it’s breeding season so he’s been very excited. He’s not naughty, just excited,” she said. “Yesterday in the Grand Prix, he tried for me but I could feel that physically he was just tired. Today he just felt there. I think he slept better last night.”

The Friday Grand Prix was won by Lars Petersen and Success. The cool weather that moved into the region Friday – temperatures were only in the 70s – seemed to electrify the horses. Action in the Grand Prix ring Friday consisted not only of passage, piaffe and pirouettes but quite a bit of bucking, rearing and, in the case of Success, squealing.

“He certainly seemed to be having fun,” said Petersen who, when asked how he felt about his Grand Prix win, joked that victory came only because all the other riders made even more mistakes than he.

This is Austin and Olivier’s first year out at Grand Prix and clearly they’re off to a great start. The Grand Prix Freestyle competition was held Saturday evening before a crowd of riders and fans gathered under the VIP pavilion for an evening of great food and wine. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect – cool and clear. The joyful, party atmosphere under the pavilion floated across the competition ring and Austin enjoyed every minute of it.

“I would catch myself smiling, and then I’d tell myself to stay focused,” she said.