Iverson and Harrison Win Grand Prix Titles at 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships

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2023 U.S. Dressage Championships

American Under 25 rider Quinn Iverson and senior Codi Harrison became the winners of the two Grand Prix titles in their respective divisions at the 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships at Lamplight equestrian center in Wayne, ILL, on 26 August 2023.

Iverson extended her title from 2022 and is the back-to-back Under 25 champion, while Wellington, Florida based Codi Harrison collected her first major title in her career by winning the Grand Prix division.

Under 25: Quinn Iverson

Returning 2022 U.S. Under 25 champions Quinn Iverson (Wellington, Fla) with Bille Davidson’s 2009 Hanoverian gelding Beckham (by Benetton Dream x Don Davidoff) closed out an exceptional week with a second Under 25 title in the "Brentina Cup" championship for young Grand Prix riders.

Iverson and Beckham won the Intermediaire II with 68.234%, the short Grand Prix with 67.409% and placed second in the freestyle with 68.504% riding to borrowed music from Susan Dutta. They maintain the overall lead and got the championship title.

"I’m speechless right now," said Quinn about winning her second, consecutive Brentina Cup title. "Very excited, very proud of him, and thankful to the owners who got us here and keep supporting us along the way, and trainers and farriers and everybody in between. We couldn’t be here without them. Today wasn’t quite our day, but the other tests were really solid. He was with me. And in the past we’ve had lots of bobbles here and there, and we’re finally starting to smooth it out, and I’m glad that we could show things that we’ve learned since last year."

Emily Hewitt (Atlanta, Ga.) and Tammy Pearson’s 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding Fidens (by Tango x United) took the reserve champion title. Two weeks after becoming the first-ever gold medal winner in the 2023 North American U25 Championships, Hewitt landed silver at the Nationals. She was second in the Intermediaire II (67.587%) and short Grand Prix (65.461%) but placed sixth in the freestyle (65.675%). Her overall total, however, carried her to second place.

"My horse, despite the heat and all the odds against us, he was really with me and really solid and he tried his little heart out," said Emily. "We came from NAYC and so having essentially a month-long show was tough on him, but without fail, he was always with me and so wanting to try."

Emma Asher (Greenwood Village, CO.) and Elegance N , a 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (by Jazz x Obelisk) owned by Seeley Equestrian Ventures, became the bronze medalists after making climbing the ladder from a sixth place in the Inter II (64.411%), to a third place in the short Grand Prix (65.281%) to winning the freestyle with 69.155%. Their kur was set to 1980s pop music.

"My highlight was definitely today, but also even though it was really hot on Thursday, we were still able to get going and show what we’ve been working on," said Emma, who trains with Katie Duerhammer. "I was extra excited about today, because I’ve never ridden that freestyle. So I was just excited that I was able to go out and really show him off."

Seniors: Codi Harrison

Codi Harrison is the 2023 U.S Grand Prix Champion

Codi Harrison (Wellington, Fla.) and her own 2007 Danish Warmblood gelding Katholt’s Bossco (by Don Schufro x Michellino) claimed the most prestigious title of the week, the U.S. Grand Prix champion's title after winning the Grand Prix (72.477%) and Special (69.829%) and placing third in the freestyle (75.675%).

In the absence of nearly all U.S. top squad listed pairs, the young professional saw an opportunity to make her mark at the Festival of Champions and capture the first significant title in her career: U.S. Grand Prix champion.

"The freestyle is my favorite," Codi said after the Kur. "When I did the U25 here in 2018, I had borrowed a freestyle from Lars (Petersen) which was a mix of country and rock and I think it matched ‘Bossco’ so well. He loves the high-energy, rock part of it, so when I made my own for him, I think I’ve had it for a year and a half now, I went with rock. I think it’s so fun with the different changes of tempo. It lights him up, gives him a little more energy in there. So I picked it for him and it’s fun because I get to highlight his good things, his piaffe and passage, and do things I don’t like one time."

Bossco has been Codi's equine partner from young riders level to Grand Prix. "I found him in Denmark at Blue Horse," she said. "I got him to be my Young Riders horse, and then I worked for Lars for five years and together he helped me teach Bossco the Grand Prix. We went from Young Riders to U25 and now we’re here in the senior Grand Prix."

Lehua Custer (Wellington, Fla.) and F.J. Ramzes, Wendy Sasser’s 2010 KWPN-NA gelding by Juventus x Rampal, earned the top score in Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Test, earning a 76.350% with their freestyle to pop and dance music. After placing third in the Grand Prix (69.434%) and Special (69.595%), they moved into the reserve champion spot with their winning Kur.

"I’ve only done this freestyle twice now. I rode it one time at a CDI," said Lehua who is originally from Hawaii. "Ramzes’s owner and I were on road trips all the time together, and the music we like is kind of upbeat. It keeps us awake while we’re driving. Some Beyonce, some Sia, it’s really positive and kind of that strong, empowering feeling. He’s a big guy that kind of likes to rock it, so we went with that. I’ve done tons of freestyles on other horses at lower levels for years and years and I’d never really done a Grand Prix one until this. I just smiled through it and tried my best for him, and he’s a trouper. He always says yes, so I knew if I rode well, he’d be there for me."

Katie Duerrhammer (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Kylee Lourie’s Paxton, a 2011 Westphalian gelding by Dante Weltino x Don Marco, had the second-highest score in the class with her freestyle set to retro pop music, scoring a 75.775%. They were fifth in the Grand Prix with 68.673% and second in the Special with 69.637% and moving into third place overall.

"I’ve had my freestyle about a year and a half. Last year here was the first time I rode it and then rode it one time to qualify to come here," Duerhammer explained. Terry Gallo made it, and we really want the floorplan to be stuff that really showcases his highlights. He can usually handle a pretty high degree of technical difficulty because when things come up faster, we don’t get to go as fast, and he likes to go really fast. So I think we’re going to make a few tweaks and kind of change the way we do the flying changes. But the rest of it I was really happy with."

An assistant trainer to Adrienne Lyle at TYL in Florida and Colorada, Duerhammer chose music that was fun.

"t can’t be too heavy because he’s super light, but it’s elegant," she said. "Also, it can’t add too much energy. We need easy, peaceful and calculated music out there, and I think she did a really beautiful job with that and it’s still really fun in the moment. I was really happy with his rideability today. He was very rideable, and we were slowly over the week adding a little more energy and a little more impulsion, and I think he was really good today."