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Articles: Press Release
Michael Bragdell and Selten HW Win the Four-Year-Old Division in the
2008 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships presented
by Collecting Gaits Farm
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2008
By Stacey Meier
Lexington, KY - In the second day of competition at the 2008
Markel/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Young Horse
Dressage Championships presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, claiming the
title in the four-year-old division was Michael Bragdell and Selten HW,
besting 19 other horses to win with a score of 8.56.
Bragdell and Selten HW came into this competition in first place after
qualifying. Bragdell decided to ride in the optional warm up class the
day before the championship, which helped him and Selten HW get a feel
for the arena along with the overall show environment- ultimately they
placed first in the class.
"I was pretty confident that he would be okay with all the stuff but you
never know- it's a four-year-old," said Bragdell.
Selten HW (Sandro Hit x MS High Princess by Hohenstein) is a black
Hanoverian stallion owned by Cadence, LLC., and was bred in the U.S. by
Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold. Selten HW has been at Hilltop Farm since he
was a yearling and Bragdell, who is a trainer at Hilltop, started him
when he was three years old. Though lightly shown, Selten HW's
accomplishments have been big, including starting off his show career
with a Reserve Champion at the Devon Horse Show when he was only two
years old.
"He's such a super horse," said Bragdell. "He just goes in there, the
winds blowing... I felt the wind gust kind of grab a hold of me and he
still is just clucking along like nothing. That's the part I love about
him-the trainability. He just goes wherever I point him."
Bragdell described Selten HW's personality as very easy going and he
knew the horse was special when he sat his first canter on him.
"His canter is unbelievable," said Bragdell. "I guess it takes you away.
It's truly an incredible feeling."
Bragdell hopes to build on Selten HW's success and return to the Young
Horse Dressage Championship next year to compete in the five-year-old
division.
Taking the Reserve Champion spot was Emily Gershberg and her horse
Zatino H with a score of 8.24. Zantino H (Sir Sinclair x Karma by
Equador) is a bay Dutch Warmblood gelding who was bred by J.A. de Hass
in the Netherlands. This was Gershberg's first time showing at the Young
Horse championship and she had nothing but praise for her horse when
asked about their performance.
"I was very happy with it today," said Gershberg. "I think I have a
wonderful, wonderful horse. He's been extremely consistent. He's got a
super temperament-he's always been super. He's like a big Labrador-he
wants to be in your pockets, he loves attention.... He's just a
wonderful easy, easy going horse but when you get on him and you ride
him and you ask him for a little, he's there."
Simultaneously as the four-year-old division of the Young Horse
championship was taking place, in the adjacent ring was the qualifying
class for the USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship
sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International.
This championship was formed only a year ago and has grown by drawing a
higher caliber of horses and riders.
In the Developing Horse qualifying class, it was Susan Dutta and Golden
Choice DC who led in the end with a score of 69.417. Golden Choice DC
(Gran Cru x Wesbe by Westbury) is a chestnut Hanoverian mare bred in
Germany by Hermann Stemmann and owned by Tim Dutta, Inc. Placing second
was Jason Canton and Grandioso with a score of 68.417. Last year, Canton
and Grandioso won the six-year-old division of the Young Horse
championship and have taken the next step to Developing Horse. Owned and
ridden by Canton, Grandioso is a dark bay Westfalen gelding (Grosso Z x
Popocateptal by Palisandergrund; bred in Germany by Willi Hillebrecht).
The championship class will be held on Sunday for the title of National
Developing Horse.
Earlier in the day was the FEI Five-Year-Old Young Horse Consolation
Class. Jodie Sevens Kelly and Dutch Warmblood mare Wencenza who had the
top score of 7.592. Owned and bred in the U.S. by Beth and Roy Godwin,
Wencenza (Contango x Piacenza by Juventus) is a Dutch Warmblood mare.
Right behind Kelly was Angela Hecker-Jackson and Wersace who had the
second best score of 7.296. Wersace (Weltmeyer x Geniale by Gelria) is a
chestnut Hanoverian mare who is owned by Barbara Wood and was bred in
Canada by Jenny Hrobelsky. Both horses and riders will go on to compete
in the finals for the five-year-old championship Sunday
For more information, contact Jennifer Keeler, USEF's National Director
of Dressage, at (859) 225-2024 or via e-mail at jkeeler@usef.org.
ENDS
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.
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