Dressage Daily | Daily Dressage News Since 1997

Standing Ovation For Devon's Newest Favorite, George Williams

Written by admin

Thursday, September 26, 2002 - 7:00pm

2002 Dressage at Devon was miraculously spared from Hurricane Isidore's rain showers today and created the perfect atmosphere for hailing the show's newest favorite, George Williams. Winning the Grand Prix for freestyle with an impressive score of 70.840%, Williams was far the best rider of the pack, riding a test of world championship quality with trainer Klaus Balkenhol's influence surfacing.

Aboard his delightful Westfalian mare Rocher, Williams produced a class act ride in which the extended trot, the piaffe and passage were the highlights. Rocher's overall coolness with the upper level exercises was clearly visible in her floppy relaxed ears and rhythmically swinging tail, never showing a sign of stress or uneasiness. Even though the contact with the bit seemed soft, it could have been more steadier. But that was the only detail worth a remark in their otherwise superb test. Ohio based George Williams is definitely in for the Freestyle victory and will deal with hardly any competition, if his mare maintains this top shape.

In second place were outsiders Pam Goodrich and Melville. Goodrich, who already competed at this level in Devon in 2001, has shown definite improvement today. There were no significant dips in her test and the horse was alert to his rider's aids during his performance. With 64.880% on the score board, Goodrich settled for the red ribbon.

Written by Contractor

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 - 7:00pm

2002 Dressage at Devon kicked off wonderfully for Long Island based Jan Brons. Aboard his flamboyant, yet petite Dutch bred mare Josien, Brons rode a delightful Prix St Georges test scoring a high 67.000%.

Winner of the afternoon PSG class, the Canadian JoAnne Mintz, ranked second overall with 65.333%. Her chestnut gelding Koriedon showed powerful movements but lacked a bit of the elegance cute Josien has. In third was morning session rider Lisette Thirion-Milner with Eminence. Trained by Robert Dover, Milner had a decent ride which was marked 64.667%.

The breed show classes in the afternoon were dampered by heavy rain showers caused by hurricane Isidore. Show announcer Brian O'Connor kept spirits high, however, by encouraging handlers and horses who had to face a woodstock mud slide scene instead a neatly dragged Dixon Oval ring. "Now we know that Friesian is a Scandinavian word. It means,"goes well in the mud," O'Connor joked.

The Prix St Georges class on Thursday was a warm-up for the CDI Prix St Georges on Friday in which 40 combinations are entered. All horses passed the vet check and the crowd is happy and ready to see some top level dressage at America's oldest horse show in Devon.

Written by Contractor

Wednesday, September 25, 2002 - 7:00pm

United States dressage team members Steffen Peters and George Williams both have a new Grand Prix horse at their disposal. Peters and Williams' sponsors acquired two rising FEI horses in The Netherlands, which are meant to be the successors of Floriano and Rocher.

The Dutch warmblood stallion TC Ravel has been sold to a sponsor of Steffen Peters, who will be preparing the horse for the 2008 Olympic Games in Bejing. TC Ravel is by Contango x Democraat and was owned by Tim Coomans. Eugene Reesink mediated in the sale of the stallion. Grand Prix rider Edward Gal competed TC Ravel at small tour level and was preparing the AES licensed stallion for Grand Prix.

American team rider Steffen Peters tried out Ravel a few times the week before the 2006 World Equestrian Games. "The strong point about this horse is that so far I have found no weak points on him," Peters said. "Ravel has three good basic gaits and an extended canter that is 'out of this world'. He's very sensitive, needs few aids and piaffes and passages with much balance. My number one Floriano is 16 now and Ravel will be his successor."

Astrid Appels

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Tuesday, September 24, 2002 - 7:00pm

While the Dressagedaily team has barely recovered from a Jerez 2002 WEG jet lag, and just picked up euro-correspondent Astrid Appels, who blew in from Brussels today, for the 2002 Dressage at Devon CDI, the team made it in time for the award ceremony of the Curtis Paul Cheyney Jr. Memorial Trophy of the Grand Championship at the 2002 Devon Breed Show in Devon, PA.

Taking over the title of Hilltop's Capricia and the overall reign of Hilltop farm last year, are M'Ecloir and owners Richard Caplan and Mary Huwaldt of Foal's Paradise Farm. The gorgeous chestnut Dutch warmblood mare beat three other candidates for the Grand title: Contigo (by Contucci - 2nd place), Silvio (by Silvio - 3rd place) and Florette (by Festrausch - 4th place).

Born in 1994 in the Netherlands and sired by Amethist our of J'Eclair (by Boreas), M'Ecloir was imported as a yearling by Richard Caplan and Mary Huwaldt. "We got her in a package deal," Caplan confessed. "We were looking for a stallion prospect and bought a young colt, a good mare and the breeder threw her in for a cheap price. She turned out to be the best one of three," Kaplan grinned proudly.

Written by Contractor

Monday, September 23, 2002 - 7:00pm

Klieg lights and flashbulbs lit up Chapin Stadium for the night's Team Medal presentations at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, on August 12, a historic moment in many ways for the fourth-time running of this quadrennial event. After two days of competition in the Grand Prix that included 27 countries and 65 riders, the US dressage team made history by winning their first Silver Medal in a WEG.

The Germans took the Gold for the eighth consecutive time out of the past 10 World Championships, but they were only 115 points ahead of the US, and as their Chef d'Equipe Uwe Mechlem said, "The American team was a very hard competitor for us. It made it exciting for the team and the spectators. We're happy to have this kind of competition. We're friends and now we're much better friends."

"Silver for the Americans" is one of the many dressage reports Mary Hilton provided for Horsesdaily for its 2002 World Equestrian Games coverage.

Written by admin

Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 7:00pm

Lexington, Kentucky - The following riders recently won the United States Dressage Federation (USDF)/ Dover Saddlery Adult Amateur medal for excellent dressage performances as top-placing Second Level Adult Amateurs:

Wende Neitzel Close the Deal Dressage in the
Rockies I & II August 1 & 4, 2002
Dallas, TX 7yo Brandenburg

Alexandra Curnutte Generaal Autumn Hill
Dressage Festival August 31, 2002
Lakewood, CO 14yo Dutch Warmblood

In conjunction with USDF, Dover Saddlery designed a program to acknowledge the accomplishments of the adult amateur rider, who typically balance the demands of career and family with their desire to ride and compete. The competitor with the highest score in a Second Level Adult Amateur class/division at a participating USA Equestrian/USDF recognized competition is awarded a handcrafted pewter USDF/Dover Adult Amateur medal.

The word dressage (rhymes with massage) is derived from a French term meaning training. It is not only a method of schooling, but also an Olympic competitive equestrian sport. Dressage is a discipline and competitive sport accessible to all horses and riders.

2002 WEG Dressage Team Gold Medallists

Written by Contractor

Saturday, September 21, 2002 - 7:00pm

The German team of Nadine Capellmann, Ulla Salzgeber, Klaus Husenbeth and Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff won the Team Gold Medal at the World Equestrian Games, earning 5,642 points combined over two days of competition, September 11 and 12, in Jerez de la Fontera, Spain. The United States earned the Silver with 5,527 points, and Spain took the Bronze with 5,403 points.

Take a photo tour with Mary Hilton text on each German ride at horsesdaily.com

Written by Contractor

Friday, September 20, 2002 - 7:00pm

The executive board of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) assigned the German city Aachen as host for the 2006 World Equestrian Games. The decision was made on September 19, 2002, and announced by Princess Dona Pilar de Bourbon, president of the FEI, at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Aachen and Kentucky were the two cities holding a bid on the 2006 WEG.

Written by Contractor

Friday, September 20, 2002 - 7:00pm

Saugerties, New York – Days of rain at the New England Dressage Association’s Fall Dressage Festival didn’t dampen the spirits of Arlene “Tuny” Page and Wild One, winners of both the FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle in the CDI competition.

The five-day show may have started off wet and dreary but the final two days were dry and bright, which meant the competition rings dried out beautifully just in time for Sunday afternoon’s Grand Prix Freestyle competition and that meant Page had the perfect footing she wanted to let loose with Wild One. She admitted she held him back a bit in Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix because the footing was still a bit mucky in places. v“On another day I could have pushed a bit more and he probably would have gone over 70 percent,” she said after Saturday’s ride in which the pair earned a 67.96 percent.

And on Sunday, with excellent footing beneath them, she did push and she and the 10-year-old Wild One earned a 73.95 percent.

Wild One only returned to the U.S. from Europe on Aug. 18 but he looked more than ready for Grand Prix competition. He was so ready, in fact, that Page dumped her initial plan of giving him a break after his European trip. Once she saw how well he had weathered the trip home, she decided to put him right back in the show ring. And so, the pair headed off to NEDA, a show Page said she is particularly proud to support.

Written by Contractor

Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 7:00pm

After the Americans won the Team Silver and Debbie McDonald and Lisa Wilcox came in second and fourth respectively in the Grand Prix Special, US Dressage Team Coach Klaus Balkenhol was asked if he expected such great success at the World Equestrian Games. His answer was that he knows the dressage scene very well, and that the Americans that have ridden in Germany before the WEG have all won with 72 to 75% scores, and he confirmed, "I was expecting the riders would have the nerve to do it at the World Equestrian Games."

Though Balkenhol has been called a "Miracle Worker," he smiled and said, "I only work with water."