BY REGINA ANTONIOLI
Grand Prix classes set the tone on the first day of the 2020 Great American/USDF Region7-California Dressage Society Championships. Ari Lopez (Vacaville, CA) captured the first Horse of the Year title, riding Duarte Monterrey to a 66.630% in the Open Grand Prix. The 15.2 hand, bay, Lusitano gelding is owned by Carolyn McMullen was originally bred and trained as a bullfighting horse in Spain. Apparently that discipline wasn’t a fit and he was retrained as a Dressage horse. Carolyn was drawn to his size and amazingly willing temperament. Known as “Party Boy” in the barn, he is described by Ari as. “Just a happy horse”. The plan is for Carolyn, under Ari’s guidance, to compete at GP next year.
Ari Lopez on Duarte Monterrey - 15.2 hand bay - OPEN GRAND PRIX
TERRI MILLER PHOTO
The Adult/Amateur Grand Prix was won by Kimberly Adams (Wildomar, CA) on her own black, Hanoverian gelding Spartakus with a 63.750%. Kimberly beamed as she described her 19-year-old schoolmaster as just loving his job. “He is such a good horse…such a good boy.” She had a trail riding business in Colorado and did not start riding dressage until she was 30. Kimberly moved to California to pursue her dressage dreams and her trainer, Kathleen Raine knew “Smartakus” -- a nickname, was the right fit, and after three year the proof is in the piace.
Meredith Delich (Kensington, CA) took top honors in one of the largest classes of the day besting a field of 15 in the CDS Adult Amateur Prix St. Georges. She earned a 63.603% on her dark bay, Dutch Warmblood, Fabilant. The Open CDS Prix St. Georges was won by Carla Schulz-Mobley (Vacaville, CA) on Quinique N, a Hanoverian gelding owned and bred by Christiane Noelting.
Another Noelting bred horse, the Hanoverian stallion, Velantis N was ridden by Christian Hartung to an impressive score of 79.300% in the Great American/USDF Third Level Freestyle.
Other notable wins and scores included Rachel Wade (West Sacramento) in the Five-Year-Old Futurity, on her Dutch Warmblood Paradigm. The pair not only won the class, but their 78.409% was the Open High Score of the day. The other two high scores of the day also came in Futurity classes. The Adult/Amateur High winner was Gretta Williams on Dutch mare, Priyanka (71.667%). The Jr/YR High-Score winner was Grace Wiseman riding Orlando DG in the 6-year to a 65.000%
For complete results of the day’s classes click on the link.
Friday classes will include the start of equitation, more freestyles and the second phase of the Young Horse Futurity.
