Sagacious HF, at 18 Years Old, to Start in Tim Dutta USA Grand Prix Championship 11 Years After Seeking 1st National Title
7 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Sagacious HF, at 18 Years Old, to Start in Tim Dutta USA Grand Prix Championship 11 Years After Seeking 1st National Title
May 17, 2017
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
When Sagacious HF is ridden by Chase Hickok down the centerline in the Tim Dutta United States Grand Prix Championships at Gladstone, New Jersey it will be another memorable highlight for the 18-year-old KWPN gelding whose championship career began at this same event 11 years ago.
Sagacious, whose initials HF stand for Hyperion Farm of owner Al Guden, was competed here by Lauren Sammis to earn a place on the American team that won team gold and individual silver at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2007. Their success was dedicated to Judy Guden, Al’s wife, who was terminally ill with breast cancer and could not go to Rio.
Lauren rode Sagacious in the national Grand Prix championships in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Caroline Roffman, named the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Rising Star in 2010, took over the ride on Sagacious, still owned by Al Guden of Wellington, Florida in late 2012.
She and Sagacious became the first American combination to compete at the prestigious Under-25 division in Aachen, Germany the following year, placing second.
After the European tour, Caroline dropped plans to qualify for the Brentina Cup Under-25 American championships figuring the horse had done enough at the time.
Chase Hickok then leased Sagacious from Al Guden and in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington in 2015 racked up 10 straight victories in the Under-25 division before winning the Brentina Cup national championship that summer.
The duo moved up to Grand Prix eight months ago and logged a victory at a CDI in last winter’s Global circuit.
Now 27 years old, Chase will pilot Sagacious in the championships, 11 years since the horse’s first pursuit of a national title.
