Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WAYNE, Illinois, Aug. 27–Her Highness O whom rider Caroline Roffman described as a diva outside the competition arena lived up to her name as the clear winner in the U.S. Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship Sunday, a victory made sweeter when the owner assigned the horse to Caroline after watching her win a title at these championships two years ago.

Caroline of Wellington, Florida and the nine-year-old Hanoverian mare (Hohenstein De x Spa Wild Lady O x Weltmeyer) scored 73.333 per cent in the Developing Horse Test to clinch the two-phase championship presented by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International.

Wakeup (Wagnis-Maiden Montreal by Macho), a seven-year-old American Warmblood stallion ridden by Emily Wagner plaed second with a score of 69.461 per cent.  Emily of La Cygne, Kansas, competed at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany, as a five-year-old then followed up in 2011 to win the sx-year-old title at these championships. Wakeup also won the award for the highest scoring U.S.-bred horse with 69.905 per cent.

Jessica Jo Tate also of Wellington and the nine-year-old Westfalen gelding Faberge (Florestan I x Baroness x Brentano II) was third on 69.760 per cent.

In the six-year-old championship, Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, New Jersey, and the stallion Somer Hit (Sandro Hit x Rhussia x Rotspon) claimed the title with an overall score of 8.05. Simply Nymphenburg (Sir Donnerhail I x Wendy x Weltmeyer) ridden by Cesar Parra of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, was reserve champion while Kir Royal ridden by Roberta Carleton of Salisbury, Connecicut placed third on a championship score of 7.672 per cent.

Caroline, 23 years old, got the ride on Her Highness in 2010 when she won a championship here.

The horse had been a broodmare with four foals on the ground, but no mounted competition record.

The mare was first competed at Prix St. Georges on Florida’s winter circuit this year followed by three other shows before the championships.

“It was really fun it came full circle,” she said.

“I didn’t know what I had, but I thought she had potential. It’s great to be here two-to-three years later. What she lacks in talent she makes up in heart. I think she has great potential.”

Caroline said she want to breed Her Highness by embryo transfer and have some American-bred horses.

With a string of rising FEI horses that she has developed in recent years, she considers herself “really lucky because I can rest horses. All of the horses we have developed ourselves and it makes me proud of what we have done.”

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