Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

GLADSTONE, New Jersey, Aug. 8–Nartan, ridden for just three months by Katherine Bateson-Chandler since being acquired from the Dutch owner, on Sunday moved a big step closer to being selected for the American team for the World Equestrian Games.

Katherine and the 15-year-old KWPN gelding performed a more confident Grand Prix Special to place second on 71.875 per cent behind Tina and Calecto V, the black Danish stallion on 72.375 per cent with Todd Flettrich and Otto again filling the third spot with 69.917 per cent, the same order of finish as Saturday’s Grand Prix. Steffen Peters and Ravel were excused from these trials but will join the team here the first week of September.

The Grand Prix and the Special account for 55 per cent of the total of the four competitions over two weekends at this historic U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters an hour from New York City. A second Grand Prix will be held Friday and the Grand Prix Freestyle on Sunday.

After Sunday’s ride, Katherine of Wellington, Florida, said, “I’m taking a deep breath today and will stop breathing again tomorrow.”

She said that for her and Nartan being a new combination as the horse was bought by Jane F. Clarke from Jeanette Haazen of The Netherlands “every day matters” in building a relationship.

Jeanette, who has been coaching Katherine since the sale and who is at this competition coaching her on the horse that she owned for 13 years, said that she feels Nartan is now both her’s and Katherine’s.

“There is more to do,” she said. “When it is finished then the horse will be Katherine’s.

“I am very, very happy for her… and that Nartan may be a member of America’s team,” she said, cautioning that she did want to jinx Katherine’s chances by assuming the pair will make it.

Jeanette agreed to sell Nartan when it was clear she would not be on the Dutch team for WEG, which is made up Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas, Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival–the Nos. 1 and 2 combinations in the world–Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Hunter Douglas Sunrise and Hans Peter Minderhoud and Exquis Nadine.

The Special Sunday was only the second time the pair have ridden. The first time, at a CDI3* in France, was not a good experience she said, and she had focused on the Grand Prix as that will determine team results in Kentucky.

Nartan, she said, was rapidly learning “the American lifestyle” for horses where they are treated more as pets than in Europe.

“Jeanette said she noticed Nartan’s personality coming out really fast,” she said.

“It’s not that the Europeans don’t love their horses as passionately as we do, but the mentality is different.”

Tina Konyot said “her best buddy” Calecto “wasn’t at his best, but he gave me everything he had, he never said, ‘no.'”

Margaret Duprey, the owner of Cherry Knoll Farm that in turn owns Otto, said she was “really excited” at the prospect of having her first ever team championship horse.

“I’m sort of holding my breath and not holding my breath” for the conclusion of the trials.

Prospects for Lauren Sammis on Sagacious HF and Susan Blinks on Robin Hood dimmed when both had mistakes in the Special.

The field of WEG prospects was reduced to 12 from 15 when Susan Jacomma withdew Wadamur, Elisabeth Austin scratched Olivier and Jane Hannigan took home Maksymilian, who had represented the U.S. at the 2008 World Cup Final,

Jane said she will look for a Young Rider or Pan American Games hopeful as a possible future rider for Maksymilian.

The complete scores: