2003 Dressage at Devon

George Williams Wows the Crowds with 75.100% Freestyle

George Williams continued his Devon success tour by winning the main feature class, the CDI Grand Prix Freestyle. Performing to a sell out crowd, Williams rode a superb test with fantastic extensions and a strong piaffe-passage tour. Yelps, ohs, sighs and clappings sounded from the audience during Williams' go. The show factor was up at 2003 Dressage at Devon though the judges stayed focus on the "dressageness" of each ride. McMullen, Withages, Schüle, Verbeek, and Gurney awarded Williams' test on Gypsywood Farm's Westfalian mare Rocher (by Rolls Royce) a 75.100%.

"Overall I was very happy with the test," George commented, "artistically everything was where I wanted it to be and technically it was pretty good." Williams confessed that due to Rocher's improvements over the year, his music will need altering. "The quickness of the rhythms has to be changed. If we want to break through in the true top, we still have to be better."

Williams praised Dressage at Devon for being the best show in the United States. "There is no other show in this country with this atmosphere. The crowds are enthusiastic and it makes it a lot of fun. It's the closest we have to a European show."

Placing second in the Grand Prix Freestyle was Cindy Ishoy on Proton. The Canadian pair scored 70.175% "I was very happy with him," Ishoy said. "He has never been in such a huge, electric atmosphere, but he really listened to me." Proton, who is only 9, shows an exceptionally talented piaffe and passage and excels in the flying changes.

Ishoy kept her music fun and light as her horse is still very green at Grand Prix level. "Schultheis always said, "if you can't do it technically, you do it artistically," Ishoy reminisces. "There is no point of having drama in music, if there is no drama in the performance."

Ishoy talks with enormous love and heart about her German bred Proton (by Patriarch). "I have been blessed by the horse gods," she said. "I'm so lucky to have such a fine quality horse." Proton is trained by both Cindy and Neil Ishoy. "Neil helps a lot with the training. It's amazing that we can work together. I don't have to travel to a trainer."

Susan Dutta and Gumshoes DC came very close to a second place. They ranked third in the kur with 69.850%. Dutta is trained by Danish Lars Petersen. Susan and her husband Tim Dutta are both very fond of Gumshoes DC. "He's Susie's all-time favorite," Tim said.

by Astrid Appels

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