The second weekend of the 2010 Festival of Champions kicked off at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ with the American Junior Dressage Championship.
Twelve juniors contested the FEI Junior Team Test and after a morning of dressage under glorious conditions, three ‘California Girls’ (as they dubbed themselves) took the top three places.
Led by Jamie Pestana (Livermore, CA) and Winzalot with a score of 68.5%, all of the top three have been on quite an adventure. They left the West Coast for the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North three weeks ago in Lexington, KY, and traveled directly from that event to Gladstone to prepare for the Festival.
Pestana coaxed a winning performance out of Winzalot despite the six-year-old Hanoverian gelding not feeling his most agreeable.
“He was actually not on his best behavior,” said Pestana. “There were a couple of mistakes but the parts he did do he did well.”
Pestana said that the trip from Kentucky to Gladstone seemed to have resulted in some body soreness for Winzalot, and he has spent the week in Gladstone getting massage and chiropractor work.
“He wasn’t off but he didn’t feel one hundred percent. He does usually have a great work ethic,” said Pestana. “We’ve been giving him lots of pampering.”
Winzalot seemed to be back to his old self with some extra work, and Pestana looks to continue her winning sweep in the second half of the National Junior Dressage Championship on Saturday. The pair picked up two Individual Gold medals at NAJYRC – she and Winzalot have been chalking up wins across the country in 2010.
Catherine Chamberlain (Chandler, AZ) and Verdicci were just off the pace with a score of 68.486% - and although Chamberlin lives in Arizona, she feels adopted by California because she has spends so much time there competing.
“I think we have some really good riders out there,” said Chamberlain. “Riders like Steffen Peters – we’re being inspired. We get to have clinicians with some of the top riders which is really motivating.”
Chamberlain and her eight-year-old Dutch gelding won the Individual Silver Medal at NAJYRC behind Pestana so the competition between these riders has spanned the country, especially considering Chamberlain and third place finisher
Genay Vaughn (Individual Bronze medalist at NAJYRC) were tied following the Team Test. The tie was broken on the basis of the collective marks where Chamberlain prevailed.
“It’s really great that we can continue the success,” said Chamberlain.
Genay Vaughn (Elk Grove, CA) and Waranja, a 14-year-old Hanoverian mare, put in a steady and accurate effort to continue their top placings throughout the summer tour.
Vaughn was third in this championship in 2009 and would like to improve on that position in 2010. Teammates with Pestana on the Silver medal-winning team at NAJYRC, the riders have spent a lot of time together over the last month.
“We just wanted to come here and do our best,” said Vaughn.
The Junior Team Test features flying changes, canter half pass and walk pirouettes – and in the afternoon the Juniors turned the newly renovated Dick and Jane Brown Arena over to the Grand Prix riders vying for selection to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
By Joannie Morris
Related Link
Scores 2010 U.S. Dressage Championships - Week Two