When Australian 2006 WEG team rider Kelly Layne moved to the United States four years ago and was waiting for her horses to arrive from Germany, she saw a nine-year-old gray horse at a Colorado show that she just had to have despite the owner not wanting to sell. Kelly got the gray Westfalian gelding Raja (by Royal Diamond x Ehrentusch) and made her mark in Wellington, Florida, this weekend by winning hte Grand Prix Special at the CDN Gold Coast Finale.
The aim was to move up from third level to Grand Prix. Now, almost four years later, Raja is 13 years old and placing in the top six at CDIs on the highly competitive Florida winter circuit. And Kelly, who is based in Wellington (FL) with her American husband, is looking toward the London Olympics next year.
On Sunday, Kelly finished first with a score of 68.125% in the Grand Prix Special at the Gold Coast Dressage Association’s Grand Finale. Susan Dutta of Wellington, on Manette DC was second with a score of 66.250% and Diana Mukpo on Pascal was third with 62.813%.
Raja was not easy and it took Kelly longer than expected to get him to Grand Prix, which she achieved last year, but he was sensitive. Being stabled at Wellington’s International Dressage Academy owned by Patrick Burssens and his family did “wonders for his brain,” she said. “Sixty horses, working in the rings, lunging, lawnmowers, leaf blowers. It was great for his brain.”
Read the full story on Ken Braddick's Dressage-News.com