Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 6, 2022–Sarah Tubman experienced a “wow” moment on Balia in winning the Lövsta Future Challenge Intermediate II Sunday to qualify the 10-year-old mare for the developing Grand Prix final at Global Dressage Festival.

Sarah of Murieta, California and the Westfalen mare she has been developing for the past five years scored 67.401% before a panel of three FEI judges in the centerpiece international arena to earn an invitation to the final at the end of this month of the winter-long series.

Sarah, who rides for Summit Farm that sponsors the accompanying Prix St. Georges for developing horses, competed Balia (Belissimo M x Florestan I) at Small Tour last year.

“She’s super fun to ride, she’s very electric,” Sarah said, “… definitely like a mare. I think she would keep going until maybe her legs fell off. So she’s super fun, and I really think she has a lot of talent for the future.

“We still have a lot of work to do and a lot of polishing work to do, but it’s a really ‘wow’ moment in there that I think we can build into something really special and really reliable for the future.”

Plans are to get Balia into international competition and possibly go to Europe to gain experience at medium tour.

“So being able to do something like this, get her in a big ring, get some great feedback from the FEI judges, it’s invaluable,” she said.

Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, New Jersey on Summersby II won the Summit Farms Future Challenge developing Prix St. Georges on a score of 71.617%. Susanne Benne of Cocoa, Florida and Liebling placed second on 68.921% to also qualify for the final.

Summersby, a seven-year-old Oldenburg mare (Sezuan x Sandro Hit), is being prepared by Alice for developing Grand Prix in 2023, joining her lineup that already includes three international Grand Prix horses and another that qualified earlier this season in the Lövsta developing Grand Prix division as well as others.

She acquired Summersby as a foal and has competed in young horse classes each year since the age of three.

“She’s a little hot, which I like,” Alice said. “It’s super leggy, so it’s got a fun feeling. And it’s super uphill to ride, and it’s pretty honest. She can be a little spooky, so that’s why I want to get some miles on it, but I think it’ll be a decent Grand Prix horse.”

Results:

Lövsta Future Challenge Intermediate II

Summit Farm Future Challenge Prix St. Georges