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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

FEI Young Rider World Cup Final

Micaela Mabragana and Granada to Compete at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Final

Micaela Mabragana from Buenos Aires, Argentina has been chosen to represent Central and South America in the FEI Young Rider World Cup Final to be held in Frankfort, Germany, December 13 – 16. For the past two years Mica has trained with Lendon Gray in Bedford, NY. She will be riding the 11 year old Swedish gelding Granada owned by Sam Grunkorn of Mt. Kisco, NY.

In Argentina as a child, Mica won several pony trophies and championships, She was also winner of the Metropolitan Children’s Dressage Championship in 2000, and was 3rd in the 2003 FEI World Dressage Challenge in Argentina. In 2004 she finished the instructor certification course and a year later she won the Young Riders National Championship.

Mica first came to the US when she was 13 with the Argentine team invited to compete at the Youth Dressage Festival held in Darien, CT, where she placed 7th As soon as she graduated from high school she returned to Gleneden Dressage to work with Lendon.

Last year Mica competed successfully on Lendon’s Connemara stallion Ballywhim Ardan Mor placing well in the FEI Young Rider classes. She has twice been FEI YR Champion at the Youth Dressage Festival. This year due to her consistent good scores she was given special permission to compete in the North American Young Rider Championships held in Lexington, VA.

At Gleneden Mica helps to care for the horses and rides about 6 horses each day. She also teaches clients of all ages and levels. As well as the two horses she has shown in the FEI Young Rider classes she has ridden in the lower levels with an Andalusian and a Newfoundland pony. According to Lendon, “Despite the fact that Mica has not had the mileage that many of the riders have that she competes against, she is becoming an analytical trainer and instructor as well as a successful competitor.”

For the past year Mica has been teaching one of Lendon’s long time clients, Sam Grunkorn with his two Swedish horses. Sam offered her the opportunity to take Granada to one show where they finished first with excellent scores. Sam then agreed to let them compete in the NEDA and Devon CDI’s. At these shows Mica won 5 out of six Young Rider classes with scores up to 71%. With these scores Mica had the highest average of any rider from Central and South America competing in any CDI’s and was given the invitation to the World Cup. “I am surprised and delighted that Mica and Granada have been invited to compete. She has developed a wonderful rapport with this horse in a very short time and has earned this opportunity. Still competing at this level is an act of grace and I am proud and grateful to her and Lendon for letting me be part of it,” Sam explains. Mica adds, “Sam Grunkorn has made it possible for a dream to come true for me, to represent not only Argentina but all of South America in international competition. I am so incredibly excited.”

She will join 13 other riders from the US, Canada, Australia, Latvia, Portugal, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Norway, and Austria.

Lendon explains, “I am terrifically proud, that in the past two years, two riders who were successful at the Youth Dressage Festival have been representatives of their country at the YR World Cup – Laura Noyes represented the US Last year. And I am thrilled that Mica has been given the chance to demonstrate her talent – without Sam loaning her his wonderful horse, none of this would have happened for her. It is well deserved. I feel privileged to be able to go with them to Germany.”
PhotoCredit: Susan J Stickle

Chelsea Seburn and her Rheinlander gelding Rolex, from Greenleaf, Idaho, will represent the United States at this year's Young Rider World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany. They are currently in Germany training with Conrad Schumacher in preparation for the competition, which will be held December 13-16. For more information (and blog), visit www.chelseaandrolex.com.

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Amanda Ward JR/YR Memorial Award Presented at NEDA Fall Festival - Will Benefit Deserving Young Rider