American owned and bred Grand Prix horse made their mark at the first international dressage competition of the 2015 Dressage in Florida show season on 9 - 11 January 2015. Alison Brock on the U.S. owned Rosevelt and Lisa Wilcox on the U.S. owned and bred Pikko del Cerro HU produced promising 70% scores at their CDI Grand Prix show debut in 2015.
Brock and Rosevelt Ready to Conquer the American Grand Prix Scene
Aboard Fritz and Claudine Kundrun's 13-year old Hanoverian stallion Rosevelt (by Rotspon x Lauries Crusador xx x Grande), Allison Brock won the first CDI Grand Prix of the season in Wellington, scoring 71.000% and dominating a field of 18 combinations. The duo went on to place second in the Grand Prix Special with 71.706%.
" Rosevelt handled the show very well and was absolutely pulling for me in the ring, especially in the Grand Prix Special," Brock told Eurodressage. "I am so proud of him - he really feels like he is starting to own the GP and is getting more and more confidence every time he goes out. He was a bit of a handful when he transitioned into the GP, so it’s nice to feel him really fighting for us to do the best we can together. I am so grateful to the Kundrun’s for supporting me and this horse."
The Hanoverian, Danish and Swedish licensed Rosevelt was acquired by the Kundrun's in 2007. The horse was competed by Hans Peter Minderhoud at the 2006 World Young Horse Championships and was in training that year with Jan Brink in Sweden. Brink competed the dark bay stallion in 2008 and 2008, and Allison flew to Sweden for two training stints: seven months in 2009 and two and a half months in 2009. Rosevelt was imported into the U.S. in 2009. Trained by Michael Barisone, Allison campaigned him at small tour level in 2010 and began Grand Prix training in 2011. She took him to the U.K. to train with Kyra Kyrklund and Richard White
"We were there for a year and a half, and he started doing Inter 2 during the summer of 2012. We moved back to the US at the end of October 2012 and started showing Inter 2 in Wellington in the beginning of 2013. He did well, and we started doing national level GP’s in March 2013, but he got a bit overwhelmed at the first CDI at the end of 2013 so we backed off and waited to take him out again until April 2014," Brock explained about Rosevelt's path to Grand Prix level.
Brock, who was a former groom of Fritz Kundrun's first sponsored dressage rider Sue Blinks, took Rosevelt to the 2014 CDI Devon in September, where they had the highest Grand Prix score of the day and won the GP for Special with 71.440%. Devon was a first taste of what the pair can mean for the U.S. in 2015.
"The plan for 2015 is to gain more experience while keeping him happy and try to qualify for the Pan Am tour which means competing in Europe before the Championships," Brock stated.
Wilcox and Pikko Del Cerro HU Make an Impressive Come Back
Anne Sparks' U.S. bred 12-year old Hanoverian stallion Pikko del Cerro HU (by Pik L ) is no stranger on the American scene but after a one year break due to an injury, he certainly made a splash last weekend at his first CDI. They were fifth in the Grand Prix with 70.220% and third in the Special with 71.314%. These promising scores as well as the come back made Wilcox emotional.
"I'm thrilled with Cerro and my first start in 2015. It has been over one year since he was last in the show arena," Wilcox told Eurodressage. "Cerro is a show man! I know he was tired for the GP Special but he rises to the occasion. I tried to make the warm up brief but I could tell he was pooped. When we entered that arena he became two inches taller, carried himself with such poise. Cerro is a proud horse that's what makes him so special. I had tears in my eyes at the final salute, I knew he gave all he could muster up."
It was a long road to bring Pikko del Cerro back to full fitness after the stallion injured himself at the CDI Oldenburg in November 2013. He was treated with laser therapy at Dr. Marc Koene's clinic in Germany
"It was so amazing to see the difference in the suspensory ligament after this extraordinary laser therapy in just 8 days," said Wilcox about Cerro's treatment. In Florida the stallion got PRP therapy and shock wave with my vet Dr. Grewal. "With Dr. Grewal's guidance we put a 12 month training schedule together to rebuild Cerro for a full recovery. I'm very lucky to have an amazing team that worked together to get Cerro back in the show arena. I could not ask for a more supportive, patient owner! Anne Sparks has done all that has been recommended to her regarding Cerro's recovery, no questions asked even when she knew how costly it would be. Anne truly loves her horses."
Lisa disclosed that she is focusing on garnering World Cup qualification scores, but the long-term plan is directed towards the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Wilcox is supported by her long-time coach Ernst Hoyos who flies to Florida twice a month.
"Ernst was here for Cerro's first outing last weekend. Cerro felt stronger then I had anticipated his first show out. He will need approximately six weeks before he has completely regained the strength he had prior to the injury. We believe Cerro has U.S. Team potential. Cerro has three fabulous gaits. He is amazing, expressive in all he does."
by Astrid Appels - Photos © Sue Stickle
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