Winter 2023-2024 Issue

Page 6 Winter 2023/2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Strasser-Shostak and the 2010 Oldenburg gelding, who not only competed in her first-ev- er CDI-W freestyle, but also qualified for a spot on Canada’s team for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. The pair only started doing CDI’s in May. “The atmosphere tonight was just incredible. It is just amazing to have this type of venue in North America and such a positive crowd, and such a wonderful group of organizers that really make it fun and have everything running smoothly, even though it’s such a big show,” she said. Rounding out the top three was yet another talented young rider, Hope Cooper, riding Jane Karol’s Flynn PCH, a 2006 Hanoverian stallion. Cooper and the experienced Grand Prix mount danced under the lights of the Dixon to contemporary hits including, Mi Gente by J Balvin and Willy William and of course some Beyonce, delivering a score of 74.115%. The precursor to the main event, the CDI3* Grand Prix Special saw Canada’s Evi Strasser and Déjà Vu Tyme go two for two this year at Dressage at Devon, capturing the victory in both the CDI3* Grand Prix Qualifier, and CDI3* Grand Prix Special. The pair posted a 66.117% to take the victory over Christian Garweg, who posted a 64.745% aboard Karen Meyer’s 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Excalibur RS. Rounding out the podium in third was Emily Wy- man and Gretchen Stearnsand’s, Chigali, a 2007 Dutch Warm- blood gelding. Top young riders kicked off Saturday’s CDI competition with the CDIU25 Grand Prix 16-25 sponsored by American Equus. Earning the blue ribbon was Allison Nemeth aboard Karen Nemeth’s 2011 Danish Warm- blood mare, Tiko, on a score of 65.590%. Vanessa Creech-Ter- auds and the 2012 Hanoverian gelding, Daniel L, owned and bred by Louise Leatherdale of Leatherdale Farms earned a score of 64.795%, ultimately taking home the second-place position. She and Leatherdale Farm’s 4-year-old Hanoverian mare, Duett claimed the Reserve Champion title in the division earlier this week. U.S. rider, Siena Harris-Gissler rode her newest mount, Status Royal OLD to a score of 64.615% and third place. Thursday morning, Sep- tember 28, the USDF Breeders Championship Final - East Coast Series Age Group Materiale Classes took center stage. Horses who qualified for their respective age group throughout the compe- tition year had the opportunity to vie for USDF Breeders Champi- onship honors. The USDF Three-Year-Old Materiale Championship was presented to Kimberly Kotch and Salinger H2O, a 2020 Olden- burg Gelding bred by Kendra Hansis and owned and ridden by Kotch. The pair scored an overall 78.050% after receiving a 75.000% and an 81.100%, re- spectively, from the two judging panels. Taking home the tri-color in the USDF Four Year Old Mate- riale Championship was Hannah Heritage aboard Athena LG. a 2019 Hannoverian mare entry owned and bred by Margaret Graham, with scores of 82.400% and a 77.400% for an overall 79.900%. The Five-Year-Old sec- tion was captured by the Court- ney Alston entry, Tackmann’s Delicious, piloted by Kaitlin Blythe. Scoring a 83.500% and 73.000% from the two judges panels, the 2018 German Riding Pony Stallion posted an overall 78.250%. This year's DaD Grand Championship honors went to the Iron Spring Farm Inc. entry, Love Dance, a 2017 Oldenburg Mare, bred by Jürgen Fetzer. Handled expertly by Quinnten Alston, Love Dance captured the Mare Championship and the Mature Horse Championship on their way to being crowned the 2023 Dressage at Devon Grand Champion. The NorCordia Dressage at Devon 2023 Master Class gave the live audience and participants alike a unique opportunity to learn from one of the best in the world. Danish Olympian and World No. 2 ranked dressage rid- er, Laudrup-Dufour traveled from Denmark to give her first Master Class outside of Europe. Many of the six participating demo riders later remarked on her instruction to remember the basics and to recognize that horses perform their best when calm, confident, and inspired. Elite Grand Prix dressage riders “battled” to live music under the lights in the Dix- on Oval on Friday evening, September 29. The inaugural Dressage at Devon Dance Off challenge featured horse and rider combinations, contempo- rary live music by the Elegance String Quartet, and a panel of celebrity judges providing numerical marks and live com- mentary. Lauren Sammis was crowned Dance Off Champion in her makeshift Adidas and bling with her Daisy Van Wit- tenstein P! Sammis wowed the crowd and celebrity judges with her never before attempted, NO HANDED tempis. BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality Emergency Service Available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com The CDI-W Grand Prix Mu- sical Freestyle, held September 30 at Dressage at Devon, was a qualifier for FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final Riyadh (KSA) to be hosted April 16-20, 2024. Benjamin Ebeling and Indeed tapped into the energy of the fully-packed grandstands in the Dixon Oval to deliver a perfor- mance worthy of contesting for the World Cup title next spring, earning more than just a blue ribbon. Competitors included some of the top ranked riders on the FEI Dressage World Cup™ North American League Standings: No. 8 ranked rider, Evi Strasser of Canada; No. 9 ranked rider, Michael Bragdell of the U.S., as well as top young competitors, Benjamin Ebeling and Hope Cooper, and Tokyo Olympic Ebeling Wins DaD Grand Prix Musical Freestyle, a World Cup Qualifier pair, Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic and her long-time partner, Aquama- rijn. Ebeling posted a score of 77.325% aboard the 2008 Danish Warmblood mare. “I hope the thirty minutes of grooming and massaging her before the ride was enough. I feel that really spending time with her in the stables before the ride continues to develop the partner- ship,” Eberling said. “Sometimes I sing to her, sometimes I dance in her stall – she is a special horse, and she needs that connec- tion with someone.” Fellow up-and-coming rider, Tanya Strasser-Shostak, daughter of Evi Strasser, and her mom’s mount, Fidelis Tyme claimed second-place on a personal best score of 74.280%. It was a big evening for Benjamin Ebeling and Indeed came a step closer to their goal of qualifying for the FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2024 with a win in Dressage at Devon’s marquee event, the CDI-W Grand Prix Musical Freestyle. Ebeling has had the ride on Indeed, owned by Vantage Equestri- an Group II, LLC, for two years. Photo by Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media for Phelps Media Group