Ali Brock Rides Rosevelt to Victory at Devon World Cup Grand Prix Special
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Sept. 28, 2014
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Allison Brock of the United States who describes herself as a “green” Grand Prix rider rode Rosevelt to victory in the Dressage at Devon World Cup Grand Prix Special Sunday in only their second international Big Tour event.
Ali and the 12-year-old Hanoverian stallion were placed first by all five judges for a score of 72.961 per cent, with German judge Christoph Hess awarding the highest mark of 74.706 per cent.
Michael Barisone of Long Valley, New Jersey on Ellegria was second on 69.804 per cent and Canada’s Leah Wilson on Fabian JS in third on 69.235 per cent.
“He’s settled into himself,” Ali, 35, told dressage-news.com. “He decided this year he’s a Grand Prix horse and he knows his job and gets on with it… and he hasn’t tapped his limit yet.
“He just sort of arrived. He absolutely let me ride him, to do whatever I needed. I don’t know how to explain it.”
The pair won the Grand Prix with a score of 71.440 per cent.
Rosevelt (Rotspon x Laurie’s Crusador) is owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun based out of Wellington, Florida and Keswick, Virginia, whom Ali has worked for 10 years after Sue Blinks moved to California following the retirement of their Flim Flam that Sue competed at the 1998 World Equestrian Games and the 2002 Olympics in Sydney.
Ali, who has trained with Kyra Kyrklund at the Finnish Olympian’s base in England–Kyra watched the ride on line–but is coached by Michael Basisone in the U.S. has her sights set on taking Rosevelt to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Rosevelt, whom she describes as her “LTR”–long term relationship–after taking on the ride five years ago, was slow to develop through the small tour to Grand Prix.
“It took him a long time to settle into the work,” Ali said. “He was saying, ‘God, this is hard.’ He needed the time.
“He let me get there, let me pick away at it even though I’m a green Grand Prix rider myself. He let us get the experience.”
Rosevelt appears to have no intrinsic flaws, with an outstanding walk and good canter and trot that produces solid marks in piaffe and passage.
After their only previous CDI Grand Prix, at Saugerties, New York in 2013, Ali decided to compete at national events in Florida and Virginia over the spring and summer.
Ali prepared Rosevelt as if for a CDI and the horse responded.
“He came into those shows with the attitude, ‘I own this, lady’.”
Results in the high 70 per cent range in July and August convinced her the stallion was ready to return to the CDI arena.
“I think the horse is going to be really, really, really good,” she said. “What he showd me in the past couple of days was, ‘Ma, I got this, I can do this. I’m going to rise to the occasion.’
“I really do think he’s going to be a 75 per cent horse,” she said. “We need to keep training and getting into the show ring.”
Ali and Rosevelt return to Florida in November to prepare for the Global Dressage Festival of seven CDIs over the winter.
The footing at Devon that she said was perfect despite heavy rain is identical to the surfaces installed at the Global show grounds, a factor Ali considers vital for the continued improvement of the stallion.
“I hope I can keep it up and bring it to Wellington and improve on it,” she said.
“Rio is our goal. It’s a long way out but as George Morris says you need a year and a half to be ready.
“I think he’s proved he is worth the effort. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing until he’s solid.”
Results:
