Dressage-News

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Aug. 6–Kassandra Barteau and Gina Frantz’s Holsteiner stallion, GP Raymeister, were awarded the 2009 Fiona Baan “Pursuit of Excellence” Memorial Trophy by the U.S. Dressage Federation Thursday.

Originally from Orlando, Florida, but now living in Maple Park, Illinois, Kassandra earned the title of Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Young Rider Champion in her last year as a young rider. She was a member of the silver medal winning Young Rider Team representing Region 2. Kassie and GP Raymeister also earned the gold in the FEI North American Young Rider Freestyle Championship.

Her overall average of 69.386% at this year’s NAYRC earned her the honor of winning the Fiona Baan “Pursuit of Excellence” Memorial Trophy.

“Winning the Fiona Baan trophy was a huge surprise,” she said. “I never expected to win it, but it is a wonderful feeling. I loved the wonderful atmosphere at the Kentucky Horse Park and having the opportunity to ride in the new stadium. It has been such a wonderful experience. I wished my mom could have been there, but I am so grateful for my amazing sponsor, Gina Frantz, and for ‘Ray.’ As a young stallion he can get nervous in bigger arenas with large crowds, but in the freestyle he was really with me and I am so proud of him.”

The is on permanent display in the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame and has been presented since 1994 to the young rider competing in the USDF/Platinum Performance North American Young Rider Dressage Championships that receives the highest combined average score for all three of their dressage tests, FEI Young Rider Team, Individual, and Freestyle.

The “Pursuit of Excellence” is the legacy Fiona Baan who for almost 30 years worked for the United States Equestrian Team (USET). She was US Dressage Team leader for the 1976 Olympics, in which the US won the Bronze Medal, the 1987 Pan Am Games, and for the Bronze Medal dressage team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.