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Thursday, July 3, 2007

Perseverance Pays Off for Olympic Dressage Reserve Rider Leslie Morse
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

After a two-year hiatus, Leslie Morse and Kingston returned to the competition arena just in time to qualify and compete at this year's Olympic Selection Trials at the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions. And now, the pair is on the road to Hong Kong as the all important alternate horse and rider pair for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Dressage Team.

"I am very excited about being named the reserve rider and horse for the Olympics," Morse said. "This is such an important position, which enables the United States to field four super quality, experienced combinations for the Olympic Games in Hong Kong."

More than two years ago, Kingston, a 16-year-old Dutch bred and Oldenburg licensed stallion by Voltaire owned by Morse and Laura Petroff, was injured while in Germany when he stepped in a hole and tore his tendon. That required a solid year of healing before Morse could even begin to put him back into any sort of work. It has been another long year of careful rehabilitation to get him fit again for the show ring.

The pair returned to competition just this past spring leading Morse to declare that Kingston "had beaten the odds." That he did, and his performance at this year's Olympic Selection Trials at The Oaks Blenheim in San Juan Capistrano was no less than miraculous considering what little time he has been back in action. Morse and Kingston finished the four rounds of Grand Prix competition at the Trials with an overall score of 68.551 percent. And Morse has no doubt that should Kingston have to fill in as the Olympic Team alternate, he'll be ready.

"I have taken my time slowly and carefully to bring him back to full fitness," Morse said. "This is why he has not competed as much as the others. But for Kingston 'Showing Himself Off' is the easy part. He is fresher, fitter and healthier then ever and prepared  for this trip. I am proud of this U.S. Dressage Team and we are all ready to bring home a medal."

Morse and Kingston are certainly a strong alternate pair for the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team. They've represented the U.S. before in international competition and that means they’ve got the experience the team may need. Gil Merrick, managing director of Dressage Sport Programs for the U.S. Equestrian Federation, said the alternate position is vitally important to the U.S. team. The purpose of taking Morse and Kingston to Hong Kong is so that they are available to compete if for any reason one of the three team members – Steffen Peters, Debbie McDonald and Courtney King-Dye – is unable to do so.

"Leslie and Kingston will be traveling to Hong Kong and will stay in training in case Steffen, Courtney or Debbie cannot compete. We can put Leslie in the competition up to one hour before the jog," Merrick said. Morse and Kingston will travel with the team first to Aachen, Germany where all of the horses are being put into quarantine before shipping to Hong Kong. From Aachen, she will travel to Hong Kong with the team.

The top five riders and top seven horses will be leaving the U.S. on July 10 for Germany. Both Peters and King-Dye will arrive in Germany with two horses because both of their horses finished in the top five at the Selection Trials. Hence, Lombardi 11 and Idocus will be going along with leading horses Ravel and Harmony's Mythilus. Also, going to Germany will be the fifth-ranked rider, Michael Barisone, with his seventh-ranked horse, Neruda.

Because of her all important role as the alternate rider, Morse is already assured a trip to Hong Kong from Germany and she's very pleased. "For Kingston and I, this is yet another wonderful journey we are setting out on together," she said. If Morse and Kingston and the top three riders and horses that now make up the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team stay sound and healthy, the U.S. Equestrian Federation will be right on track with its plan to send four strong horse/rider combinations to Hong Kong and Morse said she and Kingston are thrilled to be part of the plan.