March 18, 2007

Arlene “Tuny” Page Takes It All – Wins USEF National Grand Prix Freestyle Championship and U.S. League Final CDI-W, Secures Trip to World Cup Final

Hometown girl Arlene “Tuny” Page delivered the goods again with Wild One on the final evening of the two-night competition in Wellington, Florida, following up last night’s win in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W with tonight’s victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W. Page and her 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Wanderer out of Graefin topped a field of eight riders with a score of 73.95%, which gave them the USEF National Grand Prix Freestyle Championship title and victory in the U.S. League Final. As winners of the U.S. League Final, the Official Selection for the 2006 FEI World Cup Dressage Final, Page and Wild One will represent the United States at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (April 20-23). Long-time competitor Page will be representing the U.S. for the first time in her riding career.

“I felt like I could count on him if I could go out and ride him as confidently as I did last night,” said Page. “That was the burden I carried, not trying to win or beat Leslie.”

Leslie Morse of Beverly Hills, California, and her 12-year-old Swedish stallion Tip Top 982 by Master out of Hortensia earned a score of 73.40% in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W to claim the reserve slot in the USEF National Freestyle Championship and second place in the U.S. League Final.

The four riders competing in the U.S. League Final were required to score a minimum of 68% in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W on Friday (March 17) and a minimum of 70% in the freestyle on Saturday (March 18), with the top two scorers selected to represent the U.S. at the World Cup Final. While Page met the criterion, scoring 68.792% last night for the win in the Grand Prix, Morse scored 66.500% in the Grand Prix.