McWhorter, Geck, Allen, Yang Win Youth Titles at 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships

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2023 U.S. Dressage Championships

Pony rider Ben McWhorter, children rider Maryn Geck, junior rider Taylor Allen, and young rider Miki Yang became the winners of the youth division titles at the 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships - aka Festival of Champions - held at Lamplight equestrian center in Wayne, ILL, on 21 - 27 August 2023.

Pony Riders: Ben McWhorter

The FEI pony division is still very much in its infancy despite more than twenty years of effort by Lendon Gray (Dressage4Kids) to get a pony riding programme launched in the U.S.A. While pony hunter/jumper classes go through the roof, pony dressage struggles to gain traction. This year, however, there were seven pairs competing in the Nationals, which is a record. Let's hope this gets pony sport moving in the right direction.

Bennett "Ben" McWhorter (Baton Rouge, La.) and Jennifer Burts’ 27 (!)-year old German Riding Pony gelding, Littel Joe 2 (by Lukas x Narwal), won the two rounds to become the U.S. Pony Dressage Champion. He posted 68.428% in the team test and 68.423% in the individual test for gold.

"I was just going for it today and just showing him off because this will probably be his last big show, and just having fun with it," said champion Ben about his individual test. When asked about Littel Joe he replied, "he is owned by Jennifer Burts, who’s been super helpful and super supportive of me while riding Littel Joe, and it’s been such a great experience. He has a super fun personality. He does not act like he’s 27 years old. More like he’s 10, but it adds a super cute character to him."

Mary Chapman Martin (Opelika, Ala.) and her own German Riding Pony gelding Cadbane H (by Steendieks Carpaccio x Magnum), took home the reserve champion title. She posted 65.238 (3rd) and 66.846% (2nd).

"Cadbane H, or “Cooper,” is 7, so he still has a baby personality," said Mary. "He’s very silly. I kind of have to keep him from not looking at flowers in the ring or something because he might want to eat them. But he’s a very good boy. I’m very proud of him, because this is his first time ever being in an environment like this, and I’m very happy with him."

Alexandra Garvey (Dallas, Texas) and Unscripted, a 2005 Dutch registered gelding (pedigree unknown) owned by Dressage4Kids, rounded out the top three for the overall standings. She was second in the team test (65.761%) and fourth in the individual (65.806%)

"It went really well," said Alexandra after her individual test. "I did kind of go off course, which was definitely a bummer, but I’m super proud of him. I really want to thank personally Lendon Gray for donating him from her donation program. She’s been amazing. She’s helped me in my training. And also Nancy Hinz, Jodie Kelly, and George Williams."

Children: Maryn Geck

In the children division for Under 14 riders, Maryn Geck (West Linn, Ore.) and Laura Geck’s 2015 Hanoverian gelding Herr Karlson (by Hochadel x Di Caprio), won the title after placing at the top of the leaderboard twice. They won the team test with 76.625% and the individual test with 76.796%

"I originally got him in March, but he was with my trainer for a few months and came to Oregon, where I live, in May. So I just had a few months to really catch up my riding and his training, and he’s come so far in the past few months. I’m so proud of him. He likes the atmosphere," said Geck about riding Herr Karlson a Championship. "He probably likes all the attention and all the treats he gets. I think he just likes showing in general because he gets to show off. What’s his personality like? MG: He’s so sweet. He just puts his head in your arms and he wants snacks and cuddles all the time. I love him so much."

For Geck it was the second trip to the Festival of Champions. " I did ponies last year on my pony. She passed away in December, so I’m kind of here to honor her because we got reserve last year, so I’m here for her," said Geck.

Lizzie Oshman and the 13-year old Danish bred pony Webster (by FS Concorde x Vivaldi) were fourth in the team test (74.90%) and second in the individual test (76.083%) to become the reserve champion.

"I’ve had him for about three-and-a-half years, and he’s been really awesome. I’ve been showing children’s just this year, and it was a rough start, but I think he’s done really well and teaching me a lot. I’m really happy with him.

Sage Chacon and the 18-year old KWPN bred Apfelkorn (by Sandreo x Gootimes) were third twice, with 75.000% and 75.579% and moved into the third-place position overall.

"We first got my horse from a well-known trainer, Willy Arts," said Chacon. "I was looking for a horse and he was like, “Yeah, I have a horse.” I went over there and got on him and my legs were so tiny I couldn’t even canter. But I gradually started to ride my other pony, and my sister Hope brought him up, and when she was done with him, I got him. We’ve come a long way since then. Now I can actually canter him. This is my last year in children’s. I’m moving on to juniors now with the same horse, so I’m very happy with him. We have a really good connection.

Junior Riders: Taylor Allen

The Junior Championship came to a conclusion on Friday 25 August with the second of two rounds, the individual test.

After placing second in the team test with 69.140%, Taylor Allen (Niwot, CO) earned the top score in the individual of 69.803% aboard her own 2010 Dutch Warmblood mare Fleur de Lis (by Tuschinski x Goodtimes). This brought her overall score to a 69.472% and she clinched the national champion title.

Less than half a point separated the top three in the class. Allison Berger (Chicago, Ill.) and Delacure, the 2014 Hanoverian gelding (by Deveraux x Brentano II) she owns with Marianne Berger, won the team test with 69.292% and finished second in the individual with 69.607% to land in a close reserve champion position overall,

Leah Drew (Lincoln, Mass.) and Jazzbeat, a 2010 Hanoverian gelding (by Jazz x Sandro Hit) owned by Berryfield LLC, got the bronze medal after placing third in the team test with 68.888% and third in the individual with 69.215%.

Drew edged out North American Junior Kur gold medal winner Madison Sumner, who could not repeat the medal earning success she achieved in Traverse City and finished fourth overall, a few points short of a podium place. Interestingly, Allen also competed at the NAJRC two weeks ago, but had to retire in the team test, which ended her NAJRC run. Berger scored individual test bronze and Drew also rode at the NAJRC but on a different horse, Damons Davian.

"It’s been incredible. For me this was a way to get back in the ring because I had a rough go at NAYC where I wasn’t able to make it through my team test," Taylor Allen stated. "So, I spent the past two weeks getting back and really making sure I fixed what went wrong. I think it was a completely different experience (than NAYC), like getting to go in the ring more and hand walk in there every morning and just getting her in the ring more."

For bronze medal winner Drew, this year's medal was also sweet redemption. "Last year I had a really bad experience (at the Nationals)," said Drew. "My horse in every test was just so hot and so spooky. And so, coming back this year and being able to prove to myself mostly, but also everyone else, that I can come here with this horse and show how good we can be. That was so good. This makes me so happy and so proud of him. He’s the best."

Berger loved the whole experience at Lamplight. "I love Festival because there’s a junior and young rider division, and so you get to meet so many wonderful people. We saw a really close day today and yesterday. There are so many talented riders and they’re all super sweet, so I loved getting to know everyone last year and then again, this year."

Young Riders: Miki Yang

The Young Riders Championship became an interesting battle between medal winners from the North American Young Riders Championships (NAYRC) and California based Miki Yang, who did not compete at the NAYRC this year.

Miki Yang (Los Altos Hills, Calif) reigned supreme and swept the board in the team test (71.029%) and individual test (73.382%) to become the U.S. Young Rider Champion. Her partner in crime this year was Grey C Carrus, a 2014 Oldenburg gelding (by Grey Flanell x Krack C) owned by Four Winds Farm.

éI was really happy with my horse, “Grey C," said Miki after the individual test. "He’s only 9, so each show I do, I want it to be a confidence builder for both of us. I was really happy with the power that I felt we had in the trot. I felt like we were able to showcase that pretty well. The walk was more relaxed today. We had a little bit of tension, but today I felt like he could stretch. The canter work, I was quite happy with, especially the pirouettes. They’re all the way down at X instead of closer to the quarterline, so being able to prepare that and get an honest feeling for those was a good feeling. I’m just overall very happy with it."

Yang, who was the 2018 US Children Champions (on Gardens Sam) and a team gold and individual silver medalist at the 2021 NAYRC (on Donovan), is looking forward to the winter. "Next up, we’re hoping to see if we can do some small tour competition, stepping it up to the I-1," she said. "We’ll do our homework over the fall and winter and start playing around with some U25 things, introducing him to piaffe and passage and seeing how he takes to that."

NAYRC kur silver medal winner and 2021 U.S. Junior Champion Kat Fuqua and her own Dreamgirl, a 2008 Dutch Warmblood mare (by Spielberg x Goodtimes), twice finished with 69.950% and 70.441% to become the reserve champion for the division.

"I was also really happy with my test and my horse today," said Fuqua. "She was really on my side, just giving it her all. I think the highlight of the test would definitely be the canter pirouettes. They weren’t perfect, but they were a really big improvement from the team test. And, of course, the tempi changes are always our favorite."

The reigning North American Young Riders Champion Mary Claire Piller landed the bronze at the National Championships. Aboard Emily Brollier’s Caterina, a 2011 Hanoverian mare (nu Carabas x Weltmeyer) she was third in the team test (68.626%) and fourth in the individual (69.460%) to rounded out the top three in the overall final standings.

"I was really pleased with my mare," Piller explained. "She’s always right with me, every time. We had some uncharacteristic mistakes in this test and the last test, which add up in the end, but I was super happy overall."

Fuqua said that Dreamgirl got a break almost a fortnight after NAYRC and before heading to Lamplight. "Dreamgirl got a really big break because I had to start school, so she was laid over at NAYC and then came here. She was just grazing for hours every day and getting her energy back up for the shows. She came out fresh and ready to go," she explained. Piller said her horse only got a short break after the NAYRC. " I took her home and turned her out for like two days and left her alone. She came back and was ready to work after that," she stated.