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Monday, September 17, 2007

2007 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships

Next Stop for Christopher Hickey and Cabana Boy is Dressage at Devon

Following their win at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships, Christopher Hickey and Cabana Boy are off to Dressage at Devon where they’ll be competing in the classes for Five-Year-Old horses and those for horses bred in the U.S. “We’re very proud that this horse was born and bred in the U.S.A.,” Hickey said. Cabana Boy was sired by a Hilltop Farm stallion but the breeders were Wisconsis breeders Doug and Shannon Langer.

Hickey only took over the ride on Cabana Boy this past spring and the two had a break from one another while Hickey was in Brazil competing at the Pan American Games. Hickey said the separation did impact their performance at Verden and he felt the difference this week at the national young horse competition. Although Cabana Boy was well-schooled by other trainers at Hilltop Farm during Hickey’s time in Brazil, it was still a different ride for the horse. “I wasn’t riding the horse and he was on somebody else’s aids. He was worked well and I’m lucky to have a staff at Hilltop that’s highly capable to keep the horse going, but it’s still got to be on one person’s aids.”

Hickey felt that he and Cabana Boy were more in sync for the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. He thanks Hilltop farm owner Jane MacElree for her support and said he couldn’t have been more pleased with Cabana Boy. “This horse is very capable. He has three really good gaits and he has a wonderful attitude.” Hickey’s strategy in the Championships was to show the judges what they wanted to see. “I knew the judges liked him, but of course you need to show that the horse can be steady. He wasn’t quite as steady in the contact today as he was on Friday, but he is able to sit in the canter and show good collection. The ability for collection and extension is what these tests are about. So, I’ve trained a lot on that and I’m happy that it paid off.”