Dressage-News

LOXAHATCHEE, Florida, Feb. 5, 2022–Sarah Tubman and First Apple posted their highest Grand Prix score in a year at the Welcome Back to White Fences national competition Saturday ahead of the Pan American Games gold medal partnership returning to the CDI arena at next week’s Global Dressage Festival in Wellington.

Sarah and the 12-year-old KWPN stallion were awarded 74.348% from Natalie Lamping, the retired FEI 4* judge. The duo have posted a Grand Prix Special score of 75.319% at Global’s national competition a week ago.

First Apple will be competed by Sarah in next week’s CDI4* in Grand Prix and Special, the first international competition for the pair since Wellington in March 2021. They began Big Tour in the winter of 2020, just seven months after their gold medal performance at the Pan Ams.

“I’m just trying to show nationally and get more experience and practice the feeling we want,” said Sarah after Saturday’s ride where she was coached by her husband of two months, Canadian dressage judge Lee Tubman. “Today was a bit more tense than usual with a busy warmup ring and some talkative horses being walked near the warmup–but I’m always happy to work through these things as it’s a show and you can’t control everything.

“Last week at Global he was much more relaxed and elastic for over 75% in the Special. So today even with some tension I was happy to feel the reliability in the ring and we were still able to get some nice moments.

“I’m trying to just take it day by day and keep improving my riding and learning how to ride this incredible horse. I’m happy with the trend in scores and we hope to keep making things better with time.”