2004 Dressage at Devon - Performance Division

Jacqueline Brooks and Balmoral Win 5-year old FEI Young Horse Test

October 01 , 2004

Canadian dressage rider Jacqueline Brooks came, saw and conquered the 5-year old FEI Young Horse test at 2004 Dressage at Devon. Aboard Balmoral, Brooks received an impressive 82.00% for her ride in the Dixon Oval. The Canadian duo beat Jamie Schmitt on Silverado who finished second with 80.40.

"I love riding him," Jacqueline Brooks said with a big smile on her face. "Just the feel of riding him is great. I have to think of an exercise and he does it. There aren't a lot of physical aids involved with him. There isn't much teaching to him"

Balmoral is a Canadian bred warmblood gelding by the Hanoverian stallion Belcanto, who is also competing at Devon in the small tour. " Stephanie Jeffrey bred him and started him, I only bought him in July," Brooks explained.

Balmoral is owned by a Canadian syndicate constituted by Brink Limited (Jacqui's parents), Nick and Jean Vinions, and Ann and John Welsch. "It's a great syndicate. There is no pressure to sell and I can make the decisions about him," Brooks said.

Brooks prepared her dark bay gelding by competing him in the Thursday FEI Young Horse class, but finished in third place with 77.20. "I misjudged the the warm up yesterday," Brooks confessed.

Only in training with Jacqueline for three months, Balmoral is a very green young sport horse. "I still have to figure out what the best warm up is for him. He's a very laid back horse; I want him to be through enough, but there should also be enough jazz left in him." Jacqueline took Balmoral to four CDI shows and several gala's in preparation of Devon.

Brooks described Balmoral, "Smarty" in the barn, as a practical joker. "He's a very intelligent horse and sometimes seems to wonder 'what mood are you in today'"

At Devon, this lovely Canadian duo was definitely in the winning mood.

Text by Astrid Appels

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