US Dressage Finals Competition Gets Under Way

By Jennifer Keeler/Yellow Horse Marketing

The much-anticipated start of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan became official today when the first horses trotted down arena center lines at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. As the inaugural national head-to-head competition for adult amateur and open riders from Training Level to Grand Prix, hundreds of exhibitors from coast to coast have gathered to share in what for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Today sixteen non-championship "USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass" classes were held in four arenas in front of an esteemed roster of FEI and USEF judges, including Jayne Ayers, Charlotte Bredahl, Janet Foy, Sandra Hotz, Jeanne McDonald, Michael Osinski, Gary Rockwell, William Solyntjes, Jane Weatherwax, and Lois Yukins.

Eva Oldenbroek Tabor of Region 9 was the very first exhibitor to enter the Alltech Arena this morning for her Intermediate II test aboard Uberlinis.

"When I first walked in I said, 'Oh my God, look at all this!'" said Tabor.  "It looks like a European World Cup venue.  The footing is fantastic, and the whole setup is just beautiful."  

Tabor was thrilled with how her flashy Dutch Warmblood gelding handled the impressive atmosphere, scoring 65.000 percent to top the class.  

With her Finals week off to a winning start, Tabor's 22-hour drive from Medina, TX, seems to be time and effort well spent. "From the moment we arrived on Tuesday, everything has been super-well organized, like a top-class event," Tabor said.  "I have no complaints and am so happy to be here."

Looking fresh despite a four-day journey across the country from Region 6, Lisa Morton-Gramyk and her fifteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Rubinesque, contested Fourth Level Test 3 in the outdoor Stonelea Arena, surrounded by picturesque fall foliage and under sunny afternoon skies.

"This is by far the biggest venue we've ever been in; we don't have anything like this at home.  But even though it's such a big venue, it feels comfortable," said Morton-Gramyk, who noted that it was snowing in her home town of Sagle, ID. "Part of the reason I came here is to put myself in a new environment and to challenge myself. I've met some fantastic people, and I've learned so much already.  I hope that more people from my region will be tempted to come next year. Win or lose, I'm just so thankful to have this opportunity to compete here.  I feel like this is my Olympics."

It's not just competitors who have traveled far from home to participate in the Finals experience. USDF Region 5 director Heather Petersen, of Falcon, CO, is scribing for all four days of competition.

"As a regional director, I thought it was important for me to be here for the Finals," said Petersen, "and what better way to show my support than to volunteer?"

Wrapping up an exciting first day, exhibitors enjoyed a Competitor Welcome Party and Trade Fair Kick-Off on the concourse of the Alltech Arena. Competition resumes tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. ET as the first of the Finals championship classes gets under way.

Follow the action, check results, and view photos and video on the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website. Starting tomorrow afternoon, watch live online streaming of the weekend's competition on the USEF Network.  

Good luck to all competitors! We're glad you're here!

Behind Every Team, There's a Team

Ready to roll: The writer and Taffy show off their extended trot. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Truett.

By Jennifer Truett

Here I am, the night before we leave for the US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan, and I haven't even started packing yet. The horses are bathed and the trailer is packed, thanks to my wonderful groom, Ayme, but I haven't even begun figuring out what to take and it's already 10:30 pm.

Taffy, Sunset, and I had one last check-in with our local coach, USEF "S" judge Sue Madden-Mandas, today; and she was very happy with everything Taffy did. She even used the word "perfect" to describe a trot-halt-rein back-trot. I've never heard that word from her before to describe a movement :-) I'm super excited about how well Taffy is doing. 

Sunset's also doing much better! His neck is totally back to normal, thanks to a lot of generously donated myofascial work from our ever-supportive body worker, Julie Fox, who came out multiple days in a row, including over the weekend, to ensure his comfort and success. I am so blessed to have the best support team to help keep my boys healthy and sound and me mentally stable in spite of all the craziness leading up to this major event. 

I want to send a special thanks to the most amazing farriers, Skip and Josh Miller, who care as much for my horses as I do. Skip even called me last Saturday to ask how Sunset was doing. He knew I was worried about Sunset not feeling his best, and so Skip was worried about me. He and his son, Josh, always go out of their way to keep my horses' feet as perfectly balanced and healthy as possible. 

I can never thank my super-wonderful friend, mentor, and student, Suzy Fitzsimmons, enough for making the trek to Ohio from Minnesota to help and support me at Finals. I set up a clinic for her to teach at my farm since she was in town, but I know in my heart she would have come just to be there for my boys and me.

Many students and friends--from Minnesota and Michigan and all over Ohio--are coming to Kentucky to cheer us on. I am excited to glance through the crowd and see smiling friends instead of strangers.

My parents and wonderful hubby, Lenny, are also coming. They are the foundation of my strength and confidence. I could never do what I do without all these amazing people.

I have to be a little bit of a starry-eyed fan for a moment. I just checked my stabling assignment and discovered that my boys are stabled adjacent to Akiko Yamazaki, owner of Ravel and Legolas! I am so excited to finally get a chance to thank her in person for all that she has done to help make dressage what is is in our country. She's been a hero of mine for quite a long time, so I'm thrilled. Many thanks to the stabling gods for putting my precious boys in such a perfect location!

It Takes a Village: How One Adult Amateur Rider Got to the Finals

By Ashley Barnes

USDF Education Programs Coordinator

It’s not every day that you can call your husband on the way home from Regional Championships and casually mention that you’ve qualified for a national dressage competition, but that’s exactly how it happened for adult-amateur rider Krista Nordgren.

Nordgren qualified for the US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan at the Great American/USDF Region 8 Championships in Saugerties, NY, by placing in Prix St. Georges and via a wild-card score for Intermediate I. However, she wasn’t really planning on competing until her husband said, “Well, you’re going, right?”

With the overwhelming support and encouragement from friends, family, and her trainer, Nordgren decided to make the trip to Kentucky. It was, she realized, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Transporting seventeen-year-old Schando from South Portland, ME, to Lexington was not without its obstacles. Nordgren reached out to others in her region who had also qualified for Finals and were planning to attend, and so her Danish Warmblood gelding joined two vans of horses heading down from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Their old Kentucky home: Krista Nordgren and Schando arrived at the Horse Park early so they'd have plenty of time to settle in and enjoy the sights. Photo courtesy of Krista Nordgren.

Having attended the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event a few times as well as the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Nordgren is familiar with the Horse Park--but she says it's still a magical place. In fact, she says, one of her main reasons for trying to qualify for the US Dressage Finals was the chance to come to the Horse Park as a competitor and not a spectator. 

Nordgren and Schando arrived earlier than most, and the extra time has allowed them to settle in and get to know their new surroundings for the week. She reports that there's a great sense of camaraderie among the fellow denizens of Barn 22, which has made her feel welcome and ready to begin this exciting journey.

“When I tell my friends I’ve won my USDF silver medal or got a 65 percent, I get this look of ‘I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but you’re really happy,’" said Nordgren. “When I’m able to tell people that I’m competing head to head for a national championship, it’s something that people who aren’t familiar with dressage can understand. It’s been amazing to hear friends' and family’s support and just the overall thrill of it!”

Nordgren and her supporters plan to make the most of their time in Lexington. After her family arrives, they will visit some of the area's top Thoroughbred farms and will also make their way down the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail. And Nordgren has even managed to get out for a run on the Rolex cross-country course.

US Dressage Finals and Dressage in the Bluegrass competition starts tomorrow. For day sheets, click here.

Good luck to Krista Nordgren and all of the riders and horses who have worked so hard to get here! You are all winners.

The $1 Horse and the Mystery Disease: One Rider's Journey to the US Dressage Finals

Jennifer Truett and her horses, Sunset N and Lafayette HQ, will be competing at the US Dressage Finals. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Truett.

By Jennifer Truett

Wow! It's really real! I just got my ride times and am very excited, a little nervous, and in great anticipation for what's about to happen in Kentucky. 

I'm Jennifer Truett, and I was asked by USDF to blog about my experience preparing for and competing at the US Dressage Finals, presented by Adequan. I jumped at the chance to share my journey. 

I am the owner (along with my amazing hubby, Lenny) and head trainer of Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon, Ohio. We teach not only dressage but also eventing, hunter/jumper, sidesaddle, and skills to better communicate with and understand horses through groundwork. We have a very active educational calendar, with clinics given by my coaches Heather Blitz and Mary Wanless, and our horsemanship expert, Suzy Fitzsimmons. We are active supporters of USDF's educational programs, organizing and hosting both the "L" program and Instructor Certification Programs.

My approach to training horses and people is different than most. Developing correct biomechanics and trust in the relationship is more important to me than doing movements. I have a very holistic approach to training both horses and people, always considering mind and body when making decisions. 

I specialize in identifying and changing unhealthy, asymmetrical, habitual patterns in horses and humans, which dramatically improves the way they move both in and out of the arena. I have helped many riders suffering from back pain to find relief and ride virtually pain-free. I have also helped people to overcome paralyzing fear issues and become happy, bold, and confident riders.

Two of my horses were purchased for $1 each because their breeders had no hope of finding them homes. One had a completely atrophied right shoulder and went on to compete at Third Level level before sadly succumbing to laminitis brought on from Potomac Horse Fever. The other is one of my current mounts, Lafayette HQ, a 2002 Hanoverian gelding. After a tragic run-in with a manure spreader that longitudinally fractured his cannon bone as a four-year-old, "Taffy" was to be put down had I not chosen to give him a chance. I’m happy to report that, four years after entering my life, he has steadily climbed through the levels. He is now competing successfully at Fourth Level and will likely be ready for Prix St. Georges next spring. If you'd like to learn more about his rehab process, follow this link.

I teach many clinics throughout the year and enjoy working with riders and horses of every level. I have many clients who aren’t at all interested in showing and instead focus their energies on becoming better horsemen. I believe that every rider deserves to learn how to "speak horse” through biomechanics and empathy to improve their relationship with their horses.

Well, now that you know a little more about me, my farm, my horses, and my teaching/training philosophies, I'll share with you how my preparations are coming along for Nationals. Taffy is totally in "coast" mode. He's really ready. He feels strong, confident, and happy. We stopped schooling PSG-level requirements last week to drop back to doing Third and Fourth. His flying changes have been the hardest movement for him to figure out. We've spent the past year and a half working on them. We used to be able to clear an invisible three-foot jump during a change, and there were many times that jumping the invisible fence was following by a massive buck and bolt! In fact, even at our shows this May, we still didn't have it together enough to get through a test without a runaway gallop at some point after a change. Taffy finally got the right-to-left change figured out about midsummer, and then the left-to-right change one week before the Region 2 Championships! YAY! He ended this year ranked ninth in the Third Level Horse of the Year standings! Pretty good for not really having his changes until about a month ago. ;-)

Sunset N, however, is not in coast mode, as much as I would love for him to be. Three weeks ago, my 2006 Danish Warmblood gelding was going the best he ever has, even maintaining international-quality gaits. But then he slipped into a bit of a slump. We trail-rode and played games on the ground, but nothing seemed to help. Since we've been through this before and have never gotten to the bottom of it, I decided to get him thoroughly checked out to try to figure out what was wrong. We went to Michigan State University and were incredibly fortunate to have Drs. Hal Schott and Duncan Peters co-evaluate him. They determined that Sunset is perfectly sound, not neurologic, with totally normal blood chemistry and neck x -rays and ultrasounds. We decided to do a spinal tap and draw blood to see if he might have antibodies in his blood for EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis), even though he was not neurologic.

Sunset's spinal tap and blood results were positive from the MSU lab; but samples were also sent off to five other labs across the country, and all came back negative. So we were left with no more answers than we came in with. Both vets were clearly frustrated by this mystery, since we all wanted to find an answer. They recommended that I go ahead and start him on Marquis and do a slight shoeing change and see what happens. 

Within a couple days of starting the Marquis, Sunset's body started feeling totally different in a good way--much stronger and coordinated in his back and hind legs. Unfortunately, the day after our trip, I noticed that he wouldn't turn his neck much at all or flex his chin toward his chest. He wound up with a very sore neck from a reaction to the spinal tap that has gone on for the past two weeks. With lots of carrot stretches, massages, hot compresses, light exercise, and love, finally I am happy to report that his neck is back to 90 percent of normal and he worked at 80 percent of normal! Just a couple of days ago, I thought there was no way he was going to make it to Nationals, but now I think he will!

Today Sunset was happy, playful, supple, and eager again in his work. I will not ever force a horse to work, and it broke my heart to see him in so much pain, so I am overjoyed to see him coming back to his big ham personality again. 

Thanks for joining me during this chapter of our journey!

Kentucky, Here We Come!

By Jennifer Keeler/Yellow Horse Marketing

Final entries are in and horse vans have already begun arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington for the 2013 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, the first national head-to-head competition of its kind showcasing riders and horses competing for top honors at all dressage levels from Training to Grand Prix as well as musical freestyles, to be held November 7-10.  

With exhibitors attending from as far away as Maine, Florida, Idaho, and California, competition will be fierce across 24 championship classes.  The 300-plus entries represent all 9 United States Dressage Federation (USDF) regions and include riders from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels, including adult amateurs, professionals, and high-performance riders.

Adult amateur rider Krista Nordgren and her horse, Schando, are making the trip from Maine to compete in the US Dressage Finals at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I. Photo courtesy of Krista Nordgren.

Adult amateur Krista Nordgren is traveling from her home in South Portland, ME, to compete her 17-year-old Danish Warmblood, Schando, at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I. 

"I had heard about the Dressage Finals and declared on a whim before the Region 8 championships," Nordgren said. "It was a huge surprise when I qualified! I talked it over with my husband and coach, and they encouraged me to go, calling it the experience of a lifetime."

"I have no expectations, but for me it's not about winning anyway," Nordgren continued.  "My joy will be in fulfilling a dream of competing at the Horse Park, and competing on a championship stage that few amateur athletes will be as fortunate as me to experience.  I can't wait to get there."

Grand Prix-level trainer/rider A. Whit Watkins, Moody, TX, is thrilled to be making the 16-plus-hour trip to Lexington after an injury jeopardized her riding career.

"Just a year ago I was getting out of the hospital from having major spinal surgery and was not certain that I would be able to ride competitively ever again," said Watkins. "But I'm back in the saddle and was thrilled to win my Region 9 championship classes and secure invitations to come to Kentucky! I am so excited to come and participate in this inaugural event." Watkins will ride Cipriani in the Open Intemediate II Championship and Oublette at Grand Prix and the GP Freestyle.

Besides competing for national honors, fantastic prizes, and more than $50,000 in prize money, exhibitors and spectators will enjoy a wide array of activities. Events kick off on Wednesday, November 6, with a welcome reception at the USDF headquarters, followed by a Competitor Welcome Party at the Alltech Arena on Thursday, November 7. Bourbon and Bluegrass tours will provide the opportunity to visit local bourbon distilleries and legendary Thoroughbred breeding farms, as well as a special behind-the-scenes tour of the world-famous Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Friday festivities include a unique "Taste of the Bluegrass" dinner at the Alltech Arena, while Saturday-evening performances include ringside dining during musical freestyles and a special liberty performance by Kim Barteau and the Friesian stallion GP Boater.

Individual and group VIP seating and dining options are available for purchase during the competition, and a multitude of equestrian vendors will be on hand to satisfy every discriminating shopper's taste. While you're at the Horse Park, you can also tour the expansive grounds, including the International Museum of the Horse, Hall of Champions, and popular Horses of the World demonstrations. And you can watch open dressage classes during the USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass competition, which coincides with the Finals.  

Unable to attend in person? Follow the action through updates on the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website. Plus Friday and Saturday evening's competition will be streamed live on the USEF Network.

"I am very excited about this week's US Dressage Finals," said USDF president George Williams.  "I'm overwhelmed by the response from US riders who are traveling from across the country to attend this inaugural competition, the support of our sponsors, and the expertise of our staff and organizing committee in making this event a reality.  I'm proud to be a part of it."

To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, download competition information, review entry lists, purchase tickets to special events, and sign up to receive news and updates, visit the official event website.