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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2008

By Joanie Morris

San Juan Capistrano, CA - Day one of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions was highlighted by the afternoon performances of the 12 best horses in the country competing in the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 Olympic Team in Dressage. Serving also as the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, the class featured four Olympic veterans.

San Diego rider and Olympic veteran Steffen Peters had plenty of fans on hand to watch him ride his two horses, and his new star Ravel proved to be the class of the field, winning his fifth Grand Prix in a row with a fantastic effort and a score of 75.792%.

"I was beside myself," said Peters after his test. "It adds a lot of pressure when you've had a good season. There were areas that I took a little more risk with Ravel and everything came together on the right day. It's an Olympic year and you have to raise the bar, if you jump it that's even better."

The 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding's test featured beautiful flying changes and transitions. Relatively inexperienced at the level, Akiko Yamazaki's horse put the veterans on notice that he was going to be in the mix for selection.

"For him at his age with his experience that is what I can and should expect," said Peters. "The last four or five days were exactly like he was today. The plan was to stick to the program and make some adjustments if needed I to. He pulled it off."

Peters' other mount, Lombardi 11, who won the 2007 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Championship, put in huge extensions to pick up good marks from the judges and earn a score of 70.625%. The 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding, also owned by Yamazaki, lies in third place going into the second day of competition.

"Even though he's 17, he can still be a little bit unpredictable," said Peters. "Its very hard to keep him focused. He's a horse with tremendous talent but his mind is not always where it needs to be. It certainly helps to have a test like that."

Brentina, a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Parry & Peggy Thomas, was first in the ring and didn't disappoint her legions of fans. With her longtime rider, Debbie McDonald aboard, she commanded presence when she entered the arena and although she did make a couple of mistakes, the overall quality was rewarded with a score of 72.667%

"Knowing this will be our last year together, I enjoy every moment with her," said McDonald.

McDonald and Brentina were members of the bronze medal-winning teams at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2006 World Equestrian Games. The veteran mare had a very quiet 2007 but has returned in force for one more Olympic bid. McDonald also rode her second horse of the afternoon, Felix, for a score of 66.50%

"He's still very green, I've shown him very sparingly trying to get him confident," said McDonald.

"I definitely think we have a strong chance to medal," said McDonald of Team USA's chances at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. "Steffen's horse proved that he is right up there in the mid to high 70s. Brentina can improve and you have another horse that can get in the 70s and you get it right on the day, that's what it is about."

Courtney King-Dye and Harmony's Mythilus slipped into fourth with a score of 70.208% just ahead of King-Dye's other horse, the veteran stallion Idocus. Harmony's Mythilus, despite just being in his second year of Grand Prix showed his maturity and talent to put in a very solid performance.

"Mythilus I was very pleased with," said King-Dye. "I made a mistake with his shoeing and it took him about a month to get over that. But Myth is really on an upturn. I feel really good about making what I have in him better."

King-Dye expected a better performance from Christine McCarthy's Idocus. The 18-year-old stallion didn't put in his best test.

"Idocus to be honest, I was disappointed," said King-Dye. "He's been really awesome, he came out today a little bit fighty. The second piaffe conked out on me. It definitely wasn't the ride I was hoping for with Idocus. Sometimes I just love him too much, I kept the warm up too short."

The National Grand Prix Championship continues Sunday afternoon.

Barteau Picks up Where she Finished off in 2007 - on Top in the Young Rider Division

The day kicked off with the National Young Rider Dressage Championship. Twelve riders rode the Young Rider Team Test including the defending champion from 2007.

A very busy Kassie Barteau qualified three horses with which to try to defend last year's title and she got off to a fantastic start with her 2007 partner, Gabriella. The 16-year-old Hanoverian mare scored 65.467% to lead off the division. The score held throughout the class and Barteau's title defense was underway.

"She's always a good girl," said Barteau. "She's always very, very consistent. I was super happy with her. We just went nice and steady. We had a clean ride."

Owned by Robert Oury, Gabriella tried very hard throughout the test and put in a customary stellar performance. Barteau was busy throughout the morning, riding all three horses before 10:30, and finishing up in sixth place with Raymeister and seventh with Sheffield.

"My friends and my mom helped me back in the barn," said Barteau of fitting in all three rides in two hours. "It work out just fine actually. They are all very different but since I ride them all the time I know my spot on each of them."

Twenty one-year-old college student Laura Noyes made the long trip from Delaware, OH with her 13-year-old Trakehner gelding Synchro worth the effort, finishing just off Barteau's winning score on a 65.156%.

"We came out about a week and a half ago and have been based at Debbie McDonald's barn about two hours away from here," said Noyes. "I came out with George Williams and it has been nice we've both had just one horse to focus on."

The pair performed an accurate test, picking up very consistent marks from the five judges, Noyes was happy that Synchro kept his enthusiasm in check.

"Overall it was good," said Noyes. "He was very fresh, I was hoping he would chill out a little bit because it was so hot. But not so much. I blew a line of threes and some of the changes. He gets really worked up sometimes but I was happy how he handled the pirouettes."

Rounding out the top three Young Riders after the first day is Holly Bergay and Soliloquy. The 15-year-old Tucson, AZ rider put in a very determined performance to sit less than a point off the lead on a score of 64.622%. Soliloquy has three years on her rider who is the youngest of the division.

"She felt great and had good energy despite the heat," said Bergay. "Usually she's a little fireball. She stayed focused yet still really energetic. We did a few CDIs this year which helped prepare for this kind of environment which helped to make this a little less stressful. She's 18 but she doesn't show it. "

Bergay was sixth at the North American Junior/Young Riders' Championships in 2007 and had hoped to earn a spot on the 2008 Paralympic Team.

"I was trying for Hong Kong," said Bergay. "You have to do a number of international qualifiers and it didn't work out for us. But the WEG is including Para for the first time so I want to try that, if not there is always London. I have a lot of opportunities and I'm really grateful for that."

The 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Young Rider Dressage Champion will be crowned after the 12 riders ride the Prix St. Georges Test Sunday morning beginning at 10:50 a.m.

Pooley Best of the Juniors

The Juniors followed the Young Riders into the ring at the Oaks Blenheim facility, and nine of them went to task for the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Junior Dressage Championship.

Local rider Mackinzie Pooley and Jonkara put in a dynamic performance as the third combination into the ring. From Coto de Caza, CA, Pooley is a veteran of the North American Junior/Young Riders' Championships and hopes to return in 2008. Their score of 68.30% was good enough to keep them just ahead of Brandi Roenick, who came into the Championship ranked first of all the Juniors.

"My horse paid attention really well," said Pooley. "I went for it in the mediums in the canter. Those are things that I can do well. Some places I was conservative. Everyday is different with my horse. Some days she'll be awesome and some days she'll be not so great."

Roenick, from Scottsdale, AZ, rode the energetic chestnut mare Pretty Lady to an energetic performance to slip into second on an even 68%.

"I put more effort in the medium and extended trots," said Roenick. "She 's been breaking so I eased up a little bit so that I didn't have a break. She's a hot horse so I know that she's always energetic. She's not going to be lazy."

Roenick plans to continue riding the 11-year-old Dutch mare and has high hopes for their career.

"I'd like to take her to Grand Prix," said Roenick.

Catherine Chamberlin and Fashion rounded out the top three on a score of 63.950% The Chandler, AZ rider rode tactfully, knowing where she could take chances.

"Fashion paid attention really well and feel like he had fun," said Chamberlin. "In some places I pushed on him and in some places I had to be a little bit more conservative. You just have to know your horse at that moment to know if you should go for it."

The Juniors return to the ring at 8:30 on Sunday morning for the second round of the Championship.

ENDS

For complete results and live scoring please see: www.dressageontheroadtohongkong.com . for more information please contact USEF High Performance Communications Manager Joanie Morris at jmorris@usef.org.

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation(r) 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.