Benjamin Albright and Bundeschampion Dominy Book Double Win at 2025 CDI Ocala

Shows

2025 CDI Ocala

-- WEC press release, edited by Eurodressage

Benjamin Albright (USA) and DSP Dominy made their trip to Ocala a fruitful one as the pair claimed a double win with one personal best score at the CDI on 7 - 9 March 2025.

Double Win

In the Prix St Georges the pair led a field of three riders and took the blue ribbon with a 66.764% earning test. In the Intermediaire I the next day they added expression to the ride and lifted their score to a winning 67.324%, a personal best.

Second place in the Intermediate I went to Jaron Verheij (NED) and Sixtus MK, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (by Silberschmied x Quaterback) owned by Myra Flanagan, who had a personal best score of 66.441%. Jessica Howington (USA) and her own MW Marcario, and eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Morricone x San Amour, were third with a score of 64.706%.

From Texas to Ocala

Dominy at the Hanoverian approval in 2016

Originally from Frederick, MD, Albright worked for Scott and Susanne Hassler and Kim Barteau among other professionals before starting his own business in 2014. He moved his business, Albright Dressage, to Conroe, TX, in 2018. This is his first winter season in Ocala, FL, and he brought 16 horses to WEC – Ocala.

“We love it here, so we’re trying to figure out how to keep coming!” he remarked.

Bundeschampion Dominy in the U.S.A.

Dominy is a 12-year old Bavarian warmblood by Diamond Hit out of Parole D'Honneur (by Pour Plaisir x Plaster x Fighter). He is bred by Else Schnell in Germany.

He became a premium stallion at the 2015 South German Stallion Licensing and sold for 100,000 euro at auction to the Dressage Performance Center Lodbergen. In 2016 he was approved for the Hanoverian verband.

In the autumn of 2015 he did his 30-day suitability test in Schlieckau and scored 8,73 for dressage and 7,38 for show jumping, totalling 8,27 points. He became the high scorer of the 2017 Munster Stallion Sport Test.

He was first shown by Lukas Fischer, who finished 7th with him at the 2015 Bundeschampionate and sixth in 2016. Tanja Fischer showed him in 2017 before Therese Nilshagen took him over and first competed him in May 2017. She rode him to the title in the 5-year old division at the 2017 Bundeschampionate.

In 2018 he qualified for the Bundeschampionate but did not go to Warendorf. Nilshagen continued to produce and compete Dominy to Prix St Georges level. Their last show was in Ankum in November 2020.

As a breeding stallion he has very little offspring registered with the FN. Only four broodmares and 12 sport horses sired by him are listed.

Sold to the U.S.A.

Dominy got sold to the U.S.A. and was acquired by Carlin Dye as her Young Riders' hopeful.

Dye put the horse in training with U.S. based Portuguese rider Tiago Ernesto, who premiered him in April 2022 at Third level. Ernesto finished third at the 2022 Region 9 Championships in the Prix St Georges and competed the horse through February 2023 at the Global Dressage Festival.

Dye took the chestnut to Albright’s barn and realized she had too much horse, according to Albright. The original intent was to sell. Albright first competed Dominy in Wellington in March 2024 one month after Ernesto and then took the horse home to Texas; where he showed him in their first CDI as a pair in Katy, TX, in April 2024, scoring 67.402% in the Prix St Georges. He also rode Dominy for owner Dye at the Region 9 championships in October 2024, as well as at a national show in Ocala in December 2024.

Once Benjamin saw his potential, he put a group together to purchase the horse, the DSPD Group. The pair first competed for their new owners in February 2025 in Ocala at small tour level. The CDI this weekend was their second international.

“Now a group of my clients and supporters own him together with me,” said Albright. “We’re using this level as a year to get to know each other. I haven’t competed with him very much, so we’re trying to see what we have in the ring. Then we will try to get him into the grand prix after this season.”