2003 Festival of Champions

Brons Dominates Grand Prix Special

Californian Leslie Morse and newly nationalized U.S. citizen, Jan Brons, swapped places in the dressage Grand Prix Special. The Dutch-born Brons, who came to this country in the 1980s on a lark, and the Danish warmblood, Fernando (Fruhling - Fleur) nailed down a 67.840 percent to come in just 4/100s of a point ahead for Californian Morse on Kingston (Voltaire - Gisnette).

"I thought he (Fernando) had beautiful harmony and rhythm," said Morse. For her test, "it came down to I had more errors, like the canter pirouette where my horse was off balance" and the bay, Dutch-bred stallion slipped.

Susan Dutta's Gumshoes DC (Joost - Susan) was right up there with the top two, coming in third on the ex-jumper with a 65.680. She had shown Fernando at the Festival two years ago when she was six months pregnant and then sold him to a client of Bron's who gave the Danish warmblood gelding to Brons. Dutta was working some Sam Edelman-owned horses on the flat, including Gumshoes who wasn't a careful jumper who knocked down every sixth fence. Edelman arranged a trade-Dutta's husband traded shipping Edelman's horses gratis on Dutta's horse transport vans while Susan Dutta continued to work the Edelman horses.

"I think I made out well. Gumshoes doesn't owe me anything," said Dutta.

In another dressage venue, Keith Newerla of Seaford, N.Y., on the Hanoverian, Atticus, won the first round of the National Disability Sports Alliance championship for riders with disabilities. The 22-year-old college student who is majoring in communications has cerebral palsy but was the individual overall gold medal winner in the Mills Team Challenge at the 2002 North American Young Riders championship.

Back to the 2003 Festival Dressage Index