Articles: Horse News
Elfenfeuer and Pikko del Cerro HU Seize Early leads at 2012 USEF National
Dressage Championships
Alice Tarjan and Elfenfeuer
(PhelpsPhotos.com)
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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2012
By Helen Murray
Wayne, IL- The 2012 USEF National Dressage Championships got underway
Thursday in Ring 2 at the Lamplight Equestrian Center with competition held
in the Young Horse, Developing Horse and Medal Final divisions. In the
Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship Five-Year-Old
division Alice Tarjan and Elfenfeuer jumped out to the early lead after the
Preliminary Test. While in the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage
Championship supported by Hilda Gurney and Carol Lavell Lisa Wilcox and
Pikko Del Cerro HU head into Saturday's Final Test in the pole position.
The morning began with optional Warm-Up classes for competitors in the USEF
Dressage Seat Medal Finals presented by Dressage Today 13 & Under division
and the Four-Year-Old division of the Markel/USEF National Young Horse
Dressage Championship. In Medal Final competition Tillie Jones (Lincoln, NB)
riding her own MGRM Darby O'Gill claimed top-honors Thursday. In
four-year-old competition A.J. Stapleton's Dilona ridden by Anna Marek was
the winner of the Warm-Up with an overall score of 8.46. Both divisions will
crown champions Friday.
Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship
Tarjan and Elfenfeuer (Florencio I-Elfensonne by Sion) where the first
combination to perform their Preliminary Test Thursday afternoon; setting a
standard no one else in the 14 horse field could rival. The Oldenburg mare
owned by Tarjan (Oldwick, NJ)scored an overall 7.66 after earning high marks
for submission, 8.0, and 7.8 for their canter and
general impression. They also scored 7.7 and 7.0 for their trot and walk
respectively in the Preliminary Test, which counts for 40% of the overall
Championship score.
Elfenfeuer is competing in her first Markel/USEF National Young Horse
Dressage Championship after having bypassed the annual event as a
four-year-old. Heading into Saturday's Final Test, Tarjan is hoping the mare
will be more settled in her second Championship test.
"She was really tight and on the muscle (today), it was not our best
test. (Saturday) I hope she is a little more relaxed and we can have fun."
Placing second on Thursday was Jocelyn Hamann (Reno, NV) and Casanova
(Lauwersmeer Laka-Abolien by Indiaan) earning an overall total of 7.64. The
pinto KWPN gelding scored 7.0, 7.9 and 8.0 for their walk, trot and canter
respectively. The pair also earned solid marks for their submission, 7.5,
and general impression, 7.8.
The champion in the Five-Year-Old division will be crowned Saturday
following the Final Test, for which the remaining 60% of the overall score
will be awarded.
USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage Championship supported by Hilda
Gurney and Carol Lavell
Pikko del Cerro HU (Pik L- Rohweena by Rohdiamant) ridden by Wilcox cruised
to the win in the FEI Intermediaire II Test by nearly four percentage
points. Horses Unlimited's nine-year-old Hanoverian stallion, a Markel/USEF
National Young Horse Dressage Program graduate, impressive powerful gaits
but mistakes in the extended canter and the one-time changes kept them from
earning higher than the 70.746% they scored.
"I'm very, very happy the mistakes were mine...He was not quite in front of
my leg like I needed him to be," said the Loxahatchee, FL resident.
Wilcox feels confident that she can fix the mistakes from today in
Saturday's test with the 2011 USEF National Developing Horse Dressage
Championship presented by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales
International.
"I was very happy with my passage-piaffe tour. The extended was unfortunate
and we'll clean that up without a problem. The ones are usually good and
clean, so we'll just clean that up a bit as well for Saturday."
Riding to second place on Thursday was Endel Ots (Wellington, FL) and Taunia
Reed's Agastrofos (Briar 899-Hera by Nocturne 877). The 10-year-old Swedish
Warmblood demonstrated expressive and powerful gaits to score 66.842%.
Competitors in the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage Championship
supported by Hilda Gurney and Carol Lavell return to the ring Saturday to
perform the USEF Developing Grand Prix Test, counting for the remaining 60%
of their championship score.
Competition resumes in Ring 2 at the Lamplight Equestrian Center Friday at
8am CST with the Warm-Up class for the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals
presented by Dressage Today 14-18 division.
ENDS
For Live Scoring and Results click here.
For news and photos from the competition click here.
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes
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