Dressage-News

By JOANIE MORRIS

GLADSTONE, New Jersey, Aug. 14–Kayce Redmond and Latino took the lead in the Brentina Cup for up and coming Grand Prix riders aged between 22 and 28 years with the final of the competition Sunday.

The Brentina Cup was created to bridge the gap between the Young Rider ranks and the Grand Prix, and named for the U.S. team US team horse, Brentina, and donated by her owners Peggy and Parry Thomas, who were present for the competition.

Of the nine horses and riders contesting the championship, the first combination in the ring delivered a standard that held up: Kayce of Alpharetta, Georgia and Latino received a score of 64.769 per cent.

“I’m really happy,” Kayce said. “He was really honest in the ring. I had some mistakes I’m not used to having. The twos felt great but then the ones started and then stopped. He felt a little bit tired in the ring but he was really rideable but I couldn’t ask for more.”

Latino, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood owned by Impulsion, LLC is a new ride for Kayce. She has been riding him since April. She has been training with Karen Lipp for 10 years and is now building her own business. She has Latino to learn the the Grand Prix while he is for sale.

“I started riding him at the end of April,” she said. “But I have known him and watched him for years.”

Just shy of Redmond’s score was Nicholia Zamora of Wildomar, California. Riding Ramsgate D, Nicholia put in a polished performance with some of the better piaffe of the group. The former event rider is now making a name for herself in the dressage world, the switch was made after four month spent in Europe.

“I just always loved the sport, I had the opportunity to move to Holland provided to me by a friend and I rode with Burt Rutten,” she said.

The age of riders eligible for the Brentina Cup was raised in 2009 to 28, meaning that Kayce, who is 28, is still eligible. She contested the championship in 2007 with Nimbus.

“I’m the grandma of the group,” she said. “I was the grandma the last time I did it but I’m just as lucky the second time around. It’s not easy to get here and it doesn’t get any easier to get a horse to that level. It’s not common to get a horse to that level, I’m very appreciative.”

Owned by Sharolyn Naftel, Ramsgate, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood has given Nicholia a chance to produce her second Grand Prix horse in her short career as a dressage rider.

“He’s quite a spirited guy,” she said. “Sharon graciously handed the reins over to me, she decided she would prefer to watch him than ride him.”

Rounding out the top three was one of the stars from the previous weekend.

Kassandra Barteau of Maple Park, Illinois,  rode BeSe to a third place finish for Diane Rosenberg. She  was the reserve champion in the National Intermediaire I Dressage Championship last weekend in her first Open Championship. This weekend she rides the 17-year-old Dutch gelding, who has been through the Grand Prix ranks with Cathy Morelli, in an amazing opportunity for experience. Kassandra was a working student with Cathy in Florida over the winter.

“I’m super happy to be here, to be here on BeSe, Cathy Morelli’s horse and to have the ride,” she said Barteau. “I overrode him in the beginning. I was happy with him; I haven’t been on him since early March. I’m happy with him always.”

Even for a seasoned competitor like 22-year-old Kassandra, who competed at the Young Rider World Cup in Germany last year and at numerous championships, the Brentina Cup offers a special opportunity.

“It’s a wonderful thing they’ve done,” she said. “It is an easier transition to work into the international ranks.”