…and this was true at the US Freestyle Championships, held in conjunction with Mid-Winter Dressage Fair at Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California.
Both of Brentina's rides proved once again that strong basics give a rider plenty of room to maneuver comfortably. And make no mistake—both rides were conservative, as Debbie and US coach Klaus Balkenhol definitely do not want the mare peaking before World Cup next month.
Brentina has had roaring surgery and Debbie had knee surgery, but the partnership and harmony were buoyed by super rhythm, the trademark silken transitions—given straight 8s by the panel of judges—and a strong rear engine, giving Brentina more energy in the piaffe-passage tour..The self-carriage and balance were most assured, , very solid throughout both the GP and the kur. The judges can be forgiven for their enthusiasm—this was a pleasure to watch, a pleasure to judge.
Brentina's freestyle was done to the Gershwin medley. At the press conference afterwards, Debbie McDonald said she was nervous to be back competing after her surgery. This showed in mistakes on the first series of one-tempis. Nevertheless, she did another series later in the freestyle, circles to diagonals, shifting from 2-tempis on the circle to ones on the diagonals in both directions, both series flawless.
Leslie Morse's Kingston has given promise of greatness on and off for the last few years…the GP was disappointing—a bit stiff in the half passes, unfluid, conservative in the extensions. But the Freestyle was a marvel! The music, from the hit movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean ” was big and powerful and fit the nearly 18-hand bay stallion;; the pair went from one glorious movement to another. Their score of 78%, second in the freestyle, was entirely deserved, and it looked as though rider Leslie Morse could have done another victory lap or 2 or more around the entire showgrounds, let alone the Equidome where the crowd felt the electricity from the moment the pair marched up the centerline: balance, harmony, transitions—the entire package was there.
Not entered in the US championships, but making her presence known at the show was Canadian Leslie Reid who brought 3 horses to the show and drew attention on all of them. None more so than t her 2003 Pan-Am Individual Gold partner, the Dutch gelding Mark. Pan-Am is, of course, contested at PSG and Intermediaire I.
This was Marks' first time out at GP since Pan-Am—and he did not disappoint. He received a 70.125 average from the judges, some 5% points higher than the 2 nd placed horse. Wisely going for consistency, the pair received 7s on nearly everything, supported by high collectives including straight 8s for Rider. The ride looked effortless-as such rides always do—Leslie laughing afterwards that there were moments that did not feel effortless, when Mark felt as though he wanted to do ‘happydance' during the piaffe-passage transition.. The icing on their cake was the 71+ the next day in the GPS.
Leaving on Wednesday to Germany will be Brentina/, Kingston and Nikolaus 7 where they will be trained at Klaus Balkenhol's in prepation of the World Cup Finals in Dusseldorf, April 2-4, 2004
Text by Lita Dove and Brent Hicks
Image copyrighted: Dirk Caremans