GLADSTONE, New Jersey, June 14–Caroline Roffman rode her Pie to victory in the Prix St. Georges Thursday, the first of three competitions in the United States Intermediaire Championships.
In the first appearance for the pair at the championships in this century-old U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters, Caroline of Wellington, Florida and the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Worldly x World Lady x World Cup 1) scored 73.974 per cent in what she described as their “best ride ever” and near their previous personal best of 74.474 per cent attained in Florida in the winter of 2011.
Steffen Peters of San Diego, California, and Sundance 8 were second on 72.237 per cent and Christopher Hickey of Colora, Maryland, and Witnss Hilltop third on 71.158 per cent.
Thursday’s Prix St. Georges counts for 45 per cent of the total, with 40 per cent for the Intermediaire I scheduled for Saturday and 15 per cent for the Intermediaire Freestyle Sunday.
“All season we’ve been building, trying to get here,” said the 23-year-old Caroline who was the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) “Rising Star” of 2010.
“When I got here I wanted to be a little braver and put the pedal to the metal. And he answered.”
Steffen, aged 47, said he was “happy to see younger riders coming up… us older riders are happy to see that.”
Caroline said that a few years ago she worked with a sport psychologist who taught her to visualize her competition rides–“and it kind of worked out.”
Results:
