Geven, Fuqua, Simonson, Shipka Win 2021 U.S. Dressage Championships

Shows

2021 U.S. Dressage Championships

Children and pony rider Tessa Geven, junior rider Kat Fuqua, young rider Christian Simonson, and Under 25 Grand Prix rider Chase Skipka became the champions in their respective divisions at the 2021 U.S. Dressage Champions - aka Festival of Champions.

Held at Lamplight equestrian centre in Wayne, ILL, the U.S. national dressage championships took place on 24 - 29 August 2021.

Children: Tessa Geven

Twelve combinations closed out the U.S. Children Dressage National Championship by riding the Children Individual Test. After winning the USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship earlier in the week, Tessa Geven claimed another national champion title. Geven (Cataula, Ga.) piloted Sir Frederico, Carden Burdette’s 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Sandro Hit x Don Frederico, to her second major win of the week, finishing with an overall score of 74.787%.

“It’s, again, exciting,” she said of her second title. “It’s been very, very busy this whole week because we have been taking care of them all. Frederico is owned by Carden Burdette. I would like to thank her for letting me ride her horse. He is very good. He can get sometimes a little lazy in the ring, especially without a whip, but he can also get too hot. He is very sweet. He likes to get a fancy sometimes. He gets very fancy up front and not as nice in the hind, so it is not necessarily correct. He loves food. He is super gentle. I don’t spend as much time with him since he is not mine. But I wish I could spend more time with him. He’s super sweet."

Sienna Rowe (Urbanna, Va.) and D’Agostino, Christian Garweg’s 2013 Hanoverian gelding by Destano x Samarant, collected reserve-champion honours with an overall score of 74.309%.

“He is part blind, so he has had that for about two years now. He’s eight, and he is definitely a character. He is super sweet and he loves food. He would do anything for it. He loves to be pet for anything," Sienna said about D'Agostino.

Maren Elise Fouché-Hanson (Colbert, Ga.) and Estremadura MVH, her 2009 KWPN mare by Sir Oldenburg x Metall, were third with a score of 73.531%.

"“The test today was amazing. I am so proud of ‘Z’," said Maren. "This is her third show ever in her life. I got her from Dressage 4 Kids. She was with the Steiners when we got her. Her owner was Jeannie Marin, and she decided to donate her to Dressage 4 Kids because she was going back to vet school. I’m so proud of [Z]. She has so much impressed me. It was just a wonderful day.”

Pony Riders: Tessa Geven Does the Double

Ten pairs rode their Pony Individual Tests in the U.S. Pony Rider Dressage National Championship. Tessa Geven and Tullymor’s Houdini (by Fieldstream Riley x Connemara Persuasion) won the class with a score of 70.135%. Geven and her 2003 Connemara gelding’s strong test moved them to the top of the overall leaderboard with a score of 70.424%, claiming her second title of the week.

“It’s exciting, especially because this is supposed to be my last show on this pony because I am getting too tall,” Geven said of being a national champion. “This is a very emotional experience right now, but I’m really taking it in.”

Maren Elise Fouché-Hanson also competed in two age categories, children and ponies. Aboard In My Feelings, a 26-year (!!) old gelding of unknown origins, she collected reserve champion honours with an overall score of 69.587% in the pony division.

"Today we did have some bobbles," said Maren. "It was definitely not the same test we had yesterday, but as well as he did yesterday and as well as he did in the warm-up, I’m super proud of him. He is probably just getting tired. He is going to have some nice rest days while I ride my other mare in Children’s.”

Aislin Falasco (Little Rock, Ark.) and Unscripted, her 2005 KWPN gelding by Casall ASK, placed third overall with a score of 68.850%.

Falasco: “It was really good. I could probably be a little more prepared myself, but he was so good. He had my back the entire time. I was super proud of him; he was great.”

Junior Riders: Fuqua Beats NAJRC Champion Kment

Eleven pairs competed in the Junior Individual Test of the U.S. Junior Dressage National Championship to determine the title winner. The scores were extremely close at the top of the leaderboard, but Kat Fuqua and Dreamgirl P (by Spielberg x Goodtimes) ended up the national champions.

Fuqua (Atlanta, Ga.) and her 2008 KWPN mare’s partnership peaked at the right time to clinch the win with a score of 69.793%.

“I haven’t even really fully taken it in yet,” Fuqua said of being a national champion. “It’s really exciting. This is my first win at a dressage championship, so it’s so exciting.”

The 2021 North American Junior riders Champions, Lexie Kment (Palmyra, Neb.) and Montagny Von Der Heide, Laureen Van Norman’s 2004 Trakehner gelding by Hibiskus, took reserve-champion honors with an overall score of 69.766%.

"My test yesterday was really good. I think one of our highlights was our medium canter," said Kment. "I learned from NAYC a couple of weeks ago that those are a strong suit of ours. I really went for it and had fun today. Our trot was a little more relaxed. It was a little slower, but we had a better trot throughout I thought.”

Devon Pomeroy (Wind Gap, Pa.) and Royal Dark Chocolate, her 2008 Oldenburg mare by Royal Doruto out of Farina (by Don Larino), won the Junior Individual Test with a score of 69.313% to finish in third place overall with a score of 69.682%.

“I was very, very pleased with my test. Both days the consistency for me and my horse is a big thing and making sure it’s brilliant and has enough power, but also making sure that everything is clean, consistent, and quiet. So, I was really, really happy. From yesterday to today I was able to add a little bit more, especially in the trot work, and I was super pleased with how relaxed she stayed in this awesome environment," said Pomeroy.

Devon's horse Royal Dark Chocolate is a Dressage4Kids donated horse which also competed at the 2018 WEG in Para Dressage. "She was Annie Peavy’s horse before she was donated," said Devon. "She definitely has much more showing experience than I do. I think it definitely helps both of our confidence in the show ring, me knowing she knows her job and she is able to teach me a lot too. It’s both of us teaching each other at the same time.”

Young Riders: Christian Simonson

Eleven combinations rode the Young Rider Individual Test as second and last class counting for the U.S. Young Rider Dressage National Championship. Both the Team and Individual Test counted for 50 percent of the overall score.

The 2021 North American Young Riders Champions Christian Simonson and Zeaball Diawind continued their path of glory this summer by claiming top honours in the class to clinch the national championship title. Simonson and Christina Morgan’s 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding by Furstenball x Zardin Firfod, who are members of the Discover Dressage USEF/USDF Emerging Athlete Program, scored 75.489% after having a lovely test. The pair’s overall score was 74.632%.

“It feels really good,” Simonson said of being a national champion. “We had a really long week with NAYC two weeks ago, and then to have ‘Zeaball’ come to this competition and performing just as well, hitting another two personal bests for me; it just feels really amazing. It was a whole team effort getting him here though, making sure he stayed happy and great. It was a whole team effort.”

Simonson has been based with his trainer Adrienne Lyle in Denver, CO. "Young Riders was about 5.5 hours from here, so after NAYC we gave him a nice break, hanging out with the hunter ponies there, trail riding, making sure he got as much time outside of the arena as possible. And then, after a nice full week of light work, we just slowly brought him up, but he has such a great brain that it doesn’t really take much to get him back into competition mode.”

Christian had a very busy summer but reaped the fruits. "I feel like the experiences of going to Europe and competing, and then going to NAYC, which is a fun environment, does make me more experienced, but having [trainer] Adrienne [Lyle] with me has been so wonderful. Constantly talking to me, working on small things; it’s really helped. Throughout the whole test I was thinking, ‘What would Adrienne do?’”

Mackenzie Peer (Overland Park, Kan.) and Ansgar, Mackenzie and Lane Peer’s 2005 KWPN gelding by Special S x Formateur, took home the reserve champion title with an overall score of 69.558%.

"“I am just over the moon to be here at this competition," said Peer. "I love Lamplight, so to be here with all of these incredible riders makes you step up your game and appreciate the fact that you can be here. And that I am here with a happy and healthy, sound horse and surrounded by healthy friends, and the fact that we can just share a great week together.”

Allison Nemeth (Flemington, N.J.) and Tiko, Karen Nemeth’s 2011 Danish Warmblood mare by Tuschinski x Haarlem, were third with an overall score of 69.166%.

“I was so proud of Tiko today," Nemeth stated. "We have issues sometimes with our confidence. She was really good, and felt that she was really good and that we could relax a bit in the test, especially in the walk, and I was just happy to have a clean test.”

Under 25: Chase Shipka

Seven combinations completed their Grand Prix Freestyles in the U.S. Under 25 Championships, also known as the Young Adult Brentina Cup.

Chase Shipka and Gladstone Zee T, who are Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program members, had a solid freestyle to win the class with a score of 69.820%. Shipka (Wellington, Fla.) and her 2011 KWPN gelding by Apache x Jazzz lead the division from start to finish, ending on an overall score of 70.114%.

“It’s overwhelming,” Shipka said of her national champion title. “I’m just so happy that this was the result of this weekend. I didn’t come here expecting this. I just wanted to do my best and for him to do his best, so I’m very excited.”

Shipka continued, “I have had him since he was seven. When I got him, he had been doing Prix St. Georges seven-year-old classes in Europe. We have learned the Grand Prix together, which I think is really special. He’s only 10 now, so we have a few more years together. We are going to move onto the senior Grand Prix next year. I turn 25 on September 3rd, so I think that this is our last U25 competition together. Improvement wise, he is only 10 so we still have a lot to work on, but he shows great talent for the Grand Prix so I’m excited to move forward with that.”

McKayla Hohmann (Georgetown, Mass.) and Numberto, Elisabeth Austin’s 2001 KWPN gelding, collected reserve-champion honours with an overall score of 66.973%. Numberto (by Negro x Ahorn) was a former ride of Spanish Olympic team rider Severo Jurado Lopez before selling to the U.S.A.

Rosemary Julian-Simoes (Barrington, Ill.) and Rankrado, Rankrado LLC’s 2004 German Sport Horse gelding by Ranko x Erato, placed third with an overall score of 66.147%.

Results - 2021 U.S. Dressage Championships - Wayne

Children

1. Tessa Geven - Sir Frederico - 75.675 - 73.898 --- 74.787
2. Sienna Rowe - D'Agostino - 78.100 - 70.518 --- 74.309
3. Maren Elise Fouche-Hanson - Estremadura MVH - 73.725- 73.337 --- 73.531
4. Olivia Martz - Norra - 72.025 - 74.342 --- 73.184
5. Tessa Geven - Big Bear's Cepheus - 70.750 - 71.537 --- 71.144
6. Catherine Schmidt - Peregrino MR - 69.450 - 70.888 --- 70.169
7. Ella Berkhofer - Cor Don Bleu - 66.775 - 70.375 --- 68.575
8. M.K. Connatser - Donau Hit- 66.625 - 65.550 --- 66.088
9. Autumn Vavrick - Stegenees DDH - 65.275 - 63.851 --- 64.563
10. Jack Burwell - Magnito II - 64.525 - 61.435 --- 62.980
11. Reya Salazar - Oliver Twist - 59.825 - 61.125 --- 60.475
12. Elise Franks - Syrtaki - 69.525 - Elim --- 34.763

Pony Riders

1. Tessa Geven - Tullymor's Houdini - 70.713 - 70.135 --- 35.068
2. Maren Elise Fouche-Hanson - In My Feelings - 72.237 - 66.936 --- 33.468
3. Aislin Falasco - Unscripted - 69.952 - 67.747 --- 33.874
4. Sophia Beck - Bonnaroo - 67.713 - 68.377 --- 34.189
5. Finley Peterson - Mystic Max - 67.952 - 66.170 --- 33.085
6. Caroline Grosso - SPS Divine - 65.856 - 62.296 --- 31.148
7. London Morin - Laurel - 65.571 - 61.576 --- 30.788
8. Santina Hackett - Fierro L'oasis - 61.142 - 64.774 --- 32.387
9. Abigail Taft - My Merry Way - 59.475 - 57.567 --- 28.784
10. Caylin Blue - Freckle Juice - 56.285 - 58.197 --- 29.099

Junior Riders

1. Kat Fuqua - Dreamgirl - 70.959 - 68.627 --- 69.793
2. Lexie Kment - Montagny Von Der Heide - 70.807 - 68.725 --- 69.766
3. Devon Pomeroy - Royal Dark Chocolate - 70.050 - 69.313 --- 69.682
4. Julia McDonald - Lehndorff Van De Vogelzang - 70.757 - 67.254 --- 69.006
5. Beatrix Leffingwell - Nymphenburg's Sylvester - 68.888 - 67.695 --- 68.292
6. Kylee Kment - Honor - 67.221- 68.087 --- 67.654
7. Ella Fruchterman - Holt's Le'mans - 67.625 - 67.548 --- 67.587
8. Nicole Ellsworth - Rower Be 6- 4.039 - 67.941 --- 65.990
9. Allison Berger - Mejicano CXV - 62.171 - 65.980 --- 64.076
10. Tiggy Gates - Shadow's Dream - 63.939 - 62.499 --- 63.219
11. Reese Wyman - Samurai - 63.030 -61.274 --- 62.152 of

Young Riders

1. Christian Simonson - Zeaball Diawind - 73.774 - 75.489 --- 74.632
2. Mackenzie Peer - Ansgar - 69.950 - 69.166 --- 69.558
3. Allison Nemeth - Tiko - 68.774 - 69.558 --- 69.166
4. Caroline Garren - Bell Angelo - 66.578 - 70.195 --- 68.387
5. Katherine Mathews - Soliere 67.940 - 67.009 --- 67.475
6. Tillie Jones - Qi Gong TF - 66.911 - 67.892 --- 67.402
7. Averi Allen - Superman - 67.646 - 67.156 --- 67.40
8. Tillie Jones- Apachi- 67.989 - 66.568 --- 67.279
9. Leah Tenney - Enghavegaard's Tebaldi - 66.421 - 66.470 --- 66.446
10. Nicolas Beck - Campari - 62.303 - 67.009 --- 64.656
11. Raegan McCool - FHF Rockstar - 64.509 - 63.970 --- 64.240
12. Julia Lee Barton - Ilionne - 65.342 - DNS - --- 32.671

Under 25

1. Chase Shipka - Gladstone Zee T - 70.411 - 69.948 - 69.820 --- 70.114
2. McKayla Hohmann - Numberto - 66.970 - 66.486 - 68.445 --- 66.973
3. Rosemary Julian-Simoes - Rankrado - 66.705 - 65.332 - 67.105 --- 66.147
4. Callie Jones - Don Philippo - 64.970 - 65.153 - 67.665 --- 65.457
5. Emily Smith - Dublin - 62.911 - 64.230 - 65.680 --- 63.920
6. McKenna Holliday - First Law - 63.293 - 60.384 - 63.930 --- 62.080
7. Emily Smith - Quantum Jazz - 57.970 - 62.461 - 56.535 --- 59.776
8. Natalie Pai - Utopie D'Ouilly - 57.999 - DNS - DNS --- 23.200