2006 Dressage at Devon

Young Generation of Canadian Riders Shine at 2006 Dressage at Devon

Canadian dressage riders recently traveled to Devon, Pennsylvania for the CDI3* Dressage at Devon, held September 26 - October 1.

Canada’s ‘younger generation’ received excellent results and scores in both the Young Horse and Young Riders divisions.

In the FEI Young Horse Five-Year-Old class, Dvorak rode Augustine Walch’s Hanoverian stallion Viva’s Salieri to a score of 66.800% for eighth place. The duo stepped it up in the Five-Year-Old Finale to win with an impressive score of 81.600%.

Dressage at Devon also featured FEI classes for Young Riders. Leah Wilson of Caledon, ON topped the Team Test, scoring 65.778% aboard her 12-year-old gelding Dostoevsky. Cecile von Martels of Ridgetown, ON came in seventh with her 10-year-old Westphalian gelding Downtown, while Whitney Fairty of Markham, ON placed 15th riding her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Rocky Rudyard. von Martels was the highest placed Canadian in the Individual test, earning fifth. Fairty and Rocky Rudyard placed 13th, while Wilson and Dostoevsky finished 14th.

Wilson and Dostoevsky earned another good finish in the Freestyle after their performance received a score of 70.050% for second place. von Martels scored 69.950% for fifth, and Fairty received 11th.

Tatianna Turcotte from Mont Royal, QC was the lone competitor in the FEI Pony Individual, where she scored 66.417% with her 10-year-old Connemara gelding Serenity’s Dream On.

The Intermediaire I Freestyle saw 2006 World Equestrian Games team member Jacqueline Brooks of Mount Albert, ON claim first place with a score of 70.600% aboard Balmoral, the seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Nick and Jean Vinios, Anne and John Welch, and Brinc Ltd. The duo also placed second in the Intermediare I, scoring 69.583%, as well as 11th in the Prix St. Geroge with a score of 66.417%. In addition, Brooks was named the inaugural recipient of the annual John Perry Memorial Award for outstanding sportsmanship exhibited by a performance sport athlete.

King City, ON native, Gary Vander Ploeg was right behind Brooks in the Intermediaire I Freestyle, earning second after scoring 69.600% with his 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Cezanne. Dvorak placed 10th with a score of 65.750%, this time riding Fortissimo owned by Allyson Carpenter. Gillian Sutherland of Unionville, ON started out with a 10th place finish in the Intermediaire I, before moving on to the Freestyle, where she received eighth place with a score of 67.050% with her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Great Tyme. A score of 65.833% earned them a tie for 15th place in the Prix St. Georges. Receiving an identical score was Chris von Martels of Ridgetown, ON aboard Patricia Tomney’s 14-year-old Westphalian gelding Korenbloem Charmeur.

Nova Scotia native Cheryl Meisner of Hubbards received solid results in the CDI Grand Prix Qualification for Special. Riding the 12-year-old Trakehner, Hesperos, owned by Lobster Point, Meisner finished third in the CDI Grand Prix (Qualification for Special), securing her spot the CDI Grand Prix Special, where the duo finished second.

"Hesperos was a lot more solid in his tests than he has been," commented Meisner. "He felt very relaxed and ready."

Fellow Canadian Tom Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON finished ninth in the CDI Grand Prix Freestyle, riding the 11-year-old Hanoverian mare Westside Lady, owned by Susan Platz. Meisner was close behind, finishing 11th, this time aboard John Risley’s nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Paganini.

"Paganini was a little blown away by the environment, but he settled more in the freestyle," explained Meisner, whose lively test was ridden to Celtic music. "The quality of his passage and piaffe in the freestyle was the best it has ever been in the ring."

Jon Costin of Puslinch, ON also placed in the Freestyle, finishing 12th with his 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Wholio.

The international judging panel included Anne Gribbons of the United States (FEI ‘I’), Angelika Froemming of Germany (FEI ‘I’), Dr. Wojciech Markowski of Poland (FEI ‘O’), Stephen Clarke of Great Britain (FEI ‘O’) and Natalie Lamping of the United States (FEI ‘I’).

"Dressage at Devon was a very lively and exciting competition. It is a big environment with tons of people," explained Meisner. "It had great shopping and food and was a very nice show."

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