Dressage-News

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, May 25–David Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital, fresh from double victories at home in Canada, moved south of the border to claim the pair’s first win in his former homeland of the United States by taking the Kentucky Dressage Associaton CDI3* Grand Prix Friday in his campaign to win a place on the Canadian team at the Olympics in London in two months.

The score of 69.021 per cent was a personal best for the pair, with Pierre St. Jacques of Anthony Florida, and Lucky Tiger in second place on 68.702 per cent, the former Canadian who has ridden for the U.S. for the past 10 years, the only non-Canadian in the top six places. Diane Creech and Devon L were in third place on 68.191 per cent.

The result by David and the Deborah Kinzinger-owned 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Lavallo x Indira Gandhi x Weinberg) in the Grand Prix on Friday came after last week’s victories in both the Grand Prix and the Olympic Grand Prix Special at the Milton, Ontario, CDI3*, the first competition in his new homeland for the Omaha, Nebraska, native since becoming a Canadian citizen last Christmas.

Pierre and Lucky Tiger, whose first competition for the United States was on the gold medal team at the Pan American Games in 2003, is on the periphery of qualifying for the U.S. Grand Prix Championships that will also be the selection trials for the American Olympic team. The CDI3* competitions at Kentucky and in Allentown, New Jersey, this weekend are the last opportunities to qualify for the U.S. trials.

“Today’s ride was so exciting for me and I know there’s still more potential for much bigger scores,” David said of Friday’s win that came after a 12-hour drive from Ontario to Kentucky .

“We had a very nice clean test with the exception of two small uncharacteristic mistakes.

“He’s feeling so fresh still after an almost 12-hour trip and coming off a CDI last weekend.”

Robert Dover, the U.S. six-time Olympian who was his coach during the winter when David competed Chrevi’s Capital in Florida in his debut season at Grand Prix and who was on hand last weekend, was not in Kentucky.

Instead, Nicholas Fyffe, the Florida-based Australian rider, helped in Lexington.

David and Chrevi’s Capital are scheduled to compete in the Olympic Grand Prix Special and then a decision will be made on the next stage of his campaign to win a place on the Canadian team for London.

Canadian Olympic selection is based on results of CDI3* and above events anywhere in the world up until June 17.

Results: