Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Dec. 7–Courtney King-Dye, who competed for the United States at the 2008 Olympics, has been given the ride on S Infinity, an eight-year-old Sandro Hit gelding shown successfully at small tour.

Courtney, 32, of New Milford, Connecticut, was given the ride by owners Cetty and Brad Weiss of Wellington after Shannon Dueck. who has trained and ridden the horse for the past 2 1/2 years, opted to continue riding for Canada.

“It was a difficult decision to change trainers just as he was getting ready to compete at Grand Prix,” Cetty Weiss said. “Shannon has been a fantastic person and trainer–the last 2 1/2 years have been exciting and fun. Shannon took Finn to the place he is today.

“It has always been my dream that Finn competes for the USA so it is with a heavy heart we leave but we are excited to start new with Courtney King-Dye.”

S Infinity was started by Christopher Hickey after being bought by Cetty as a three-year-old, then ridden by her daughter, Arianne, in six-year-old events. World Equestrian Games and World Cup competitor Shannon Dueck, based in neighboring Loxahatchee, then took over the training.

At Palm Beach competitions last winter, S Infinity and Dueck were scoring over 70 per cent at Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire 1.

Courtney has endured a difficult year.

Her Olympic mount, Mythilus, died from complications during colic surgery in October. Ten days later, Rendezvous 3, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood mare competed by Courtney, shattered her pastern bone in a turnout paddock and had to be humanely euthanized.

In July, the stallion Don Principe was sent to Courtney to train and ride aiming for a place on the U.S. team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

The 10-year-old Hanoverian by Donnerhall out of a Prince Thatch xx dam, SPS Papagenais owned by Marydell Farm in Columbus, North Carolina.

She also competes Grandioso, a 10-year-old PRE stallion by Adelante, owned by Kimberly van Kampen-Boyer of Fruitport, Michigan and Wellington, Florida.

Courney told dressage-news.com: “From what I have seen of him when he a was a five-year-old, and a tiny bit from when I saw him with Shannon last year in the small tour, he is a super horse with a lot of potential. As far as when, there is no pressure there. Cetty knows that I am a slow going trainer. It takes me some time to really get to know a horse and to make them my own and feel ready to show.

“S Infinity is only 8 coming 9. Right now, it is just time to get him fit and get to know each other. As soon as I
feel he is ready, we will start competing.

“Don Principe’s owner and I also have hopes of Prince being a valuable horse for the US. He, too, is very green and a change of rider always takes some time. In terms of WEG, we will aim to do the qualifiers if he feels ready, but it is a long term project and we will take it one step at a time and let
the horse tell us when he is ready for more.

“With both horses, we may be a little late for WEG, but I think they both have very promising futures.”