FOREIGN RIDER AND THOROUGHBREDS DOMINATE AT NORTHEAST JUNIOR/YOUNG RIDER DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
by Theresa Davidson

She traversed a continent, an ocean and six time zones, hopped on a borrowed horse and ran away with the Overall High Score award as the Grand Champion of the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships, held August 18 and 19, 2001 at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club in Darien, Connecticut. Ashleigh Serritslev of Capetown, South Africa was among 240 riders who competed in a two-day, three-phase equestrian competition, instituted by two-time Olympian Lendon Gray.

Unique in the ranks of equestrian competitions, the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships were designed to provide riders 21 years old and younger an opportunity to hone their competitive skills and test their knowledge of all aspects of riding and horse care – all in an atmosphere of fun, learning and sportsmanship. Competitors take a written test, show in a group equitation class and ride individual dressage tests, with each of the three phases counting equally toward a possible perfect score of 300. For the youngest riders there is a Leadline class; and for riders wishing to combine jumping with dressage, Prix Caprilli tests are offered. Individual riders are also able to combine their efforts in USDF team competition as well. The NEJYR Dressage Championships encourage participation from riders in all the equestrian disciplines --hunter-jumper, eventing, trail riding and dressage and has attracted teams from Germany, Argentina and Mexico as well as individual riders from Italy, Lithuania, Canada, Austria and South Africa.

When she first arrived at the show grounds, Ashleigh Serritslev’s reaction was, “It’s so big, so green!” Over the next two days Ashleigh rode in the club’s “enormous fields” and competed in two divisions, Training Level and First Level. Riding Murphy Brown, kindly loaned by Corinna Scheller of Lost Island Farm, Ashleigh won both The Rotko Family Training Level division for riders ages 18-21 and the Overall High Score Champion with a score of 241.333. The 19 year old, who has been riding since she was 3, placed first in the Training Level dressage test with a score of 73.333, earning her also the gold medal for Overall Dressage Champion, sponsored by the New England Dressage Association. Ashleigh scored 90 on the written test and 78 in the equitation phase of the competition. She then went on to place second overall in the First Level Division with a total score of 227.355. When she discovered she was the Training Level division Champion, Reserve Champion in the First Level division, the Overall Dressage Champion gold medallist and the Overall High Score Champion, Ashleigh was both astonished and thrilled. “Being somewhere else and riding someone else’s horse and getting him to work and then winning made this championship special,” she gushed.

Ashleigh has not yet had the pleasure of enjoying all her many prizes. “They’re amazing; so many prizes are awarded for everything!” she exclaimed. “But my Prestige saddle is stuck in quarantine,” Ashleigh explained, “Because leather products coming into the country must be sprayed first.” Ashleigh’s other prizes include a Saddlery Trade Snaffle bridle, a pair of Pikeur breeches, a Mountain Horse Champion Jacket, donated by Miller Harness Company and a Swedish Exclusives Traveler jacket. A horse cooler donated by Wendy Luscombe will be a welcome addition to her horse’s gear, and a NEDA subscription will keep Ashleigh up to date with horse happenings in New England.

Not only did Carly Fraysier get by with a little help from her friends, but thanks to the generosity of one and the assistance of her barn mates she was able to compete in the La Selleria Italiana Training Level division for 15 year olds. “The day of the show, my horse went lame,” the Barre, Vermont resident explained. “I was crying, so upset that I couldn’t ride my horse. I had been looking forward to this show all summer; it’s my favorite show.” Although Carly had resigned herself to not competing, her friend Laura Graves insisted Carly ride her horse Koko’s Eternal Sun. “I’d only ridden ‘Sunny’ once or twice, on the trails at Laura’s house,” Carly said, “and I didn’t want to use ‘Sunny’ because Laura was showing too, and I didn’t want to interfere with how she did.” Laura prevailed, the two trainers braided the 7-year-old Quarter Horse at warp speed and Carly was on her way. Together the pair placed third in the dressage phase and first in the equitation phase with a score of 81.5, which earned Carly the gold medal for Overall Equitation Champion, sponsored by Theresa Davidson. In addition, Carly placed first in the written phase. Carly’s total score of 236.082 was the second highest and earned her the Overall High Score Reserve Champion. Yet the young champion credits her friend Laura for much of her own success. “It’s only because of all the hard work and excellent training that she has put into “Sunny” that I did so well,” Carly stated modestly. Along with her fond memories of the championship, Carly will enjoy her Prestige dressage saddle, Miller Snaffle bridle, Mountain Horse Champion jacket, Swedish Exclusives Zig-Zag vest and Traveler jacket, and a pass to audit an Alexa Schulten-Baumer clinic.

Kristen Kenney was “very surprised” when she discovered she had won A Drop in the Bucket’s Training Level division for ages 7 to 12. “This was my first off-island show,” the 12 year old Martha’s Vineyard native explained, “I don’t ride much, only in the summer, but then I ride six days a week.” Kristen was the Overall Written Champion, sponsored by Equine Journal, earning a gold medal for a perfect score of 100; and aboard her 7-year-old bay pony Tom, she earned a total score of 232.667, which also qualified Tom for the Seldom Seen Memorial Trophy, donated by Michael and Denise Kalland and awarded to the highest scoring Pony. The winning pair returned home with an armful of goodies; including a gift basket donated by Nickelodeon, breeches from Aanstadt-Das, a Mountain Horse Champion jacket donated by Miller’s, a Swedish Exclusives Goliath jacket and competition shirt. Another prize, a pass to audit a clinic conducted by Alexa Schulten-Baumer, will enable Kristen to enhance her understanding of dressage principles.

Winning the Fox Ledge Tack Shop Training Level division for 13 year olds was Pomfret Center, Connecticut resident Kala Farnham. “I only started dressage this year,” Kala explained, “before that I’d been riding in the equitation and hunter divisions. I got into dressage in March after I attended my first dressage clinic with Beth Baumert who came to our barn.” Kala clinched her division aboard her Thoroughbred mare Tiger Lily, placing second in both the written and equitation phases and earning a total score of 228.833. “I was really happy that my horse was doing so well, and since I just started in dressage it was exciting to win!” Hanging up in the tack room at Kala’s barn is her dressage saddle donated by the Fox Ledge Tack Shop, and in her closet at home is a new Miller’s Mountain Horse Champion jacket.

Leading the 14 year olds was Kerry Motelson, who began focusing on dressage only one month prior to the championships! Riding and competing in the hunter and equitation divisions for over six years, the Katonah, New York resident proved Lendon Gray’s contention that a hunter rider on a properly trained horse can give any dressage rider a run for her money. Kerry won the dressage phase of the Hilltop Farms Training Level division for 14 years olds and placed second in the division in the written test phase. However, she was especially pleased with her horse’s performance in the equitation phase. “A flock of Canadian geese took off and he didn’t!” she reported proudly. Her overall score of 230.167 also earned Kerry and her horse Happy Holidays the Russell’s Mills Memorial Hunter Trophy, donated by renowned hunter/jumper trainer Judy Richter. Kerry’s prizes included four tickets to New Star Showcase courtesy of Seventeen Magazine and a Mountain Horse Champion jacket.

One of the unique features of the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships is the requirement that competitors volunteer two hours of service during the weekend. Kerry was happy to volunteer because as she asserted, “there’s more to riding than just getting on and going around the ring.” Her sentiments that riders should bear some of the responsibility for making the show run were echoed time and again by all the winners. Kate Moulding believed that “it’s really important that the competitors realize that a show doesn’t appear out of thin air. Many of these organizers and volunteers are riders themselves!” Stephanie Harris especially liked her volunteer job of runner, “because I got to hear judges commenting as riders showed, and I learned so much!

Winning the Beval Saddlery Training Level division for 16 year olds was special for Jessica Bauer of Union, Connecticut because, as she explained, “I took a horse that I had trained, and we did so well. When I got my horse a year and a half ago, she’d been sitting in a field for four years. We both learned together.” Jessica, who reports having ridden before she could walk, placed second in both the written and equitation phases, earning a score of 227.750 to clinch the division championship. She also placed first in the Prix Caprilli Training Level test, Section B. “That was a lot of fun; my horse really loves to jump! It is such a challenge to get your horse to be good for the dressage part.” Jessica is looking forward to attending the Alexa Schulten-Baumer Clinic, one of her prizes, and wearing her Mountain Horse Champion jacket. She expects that her Thoroughbred mare Blurs Angie Reed will look smart in her new leather halter, courtesy of The Paddock.

Ashley Harper had never before been to a show as big as the NEJYR Dressage Championships. “I felt I was out of my league when I arrived,” the Granville Smt., Pennsylvania resident explained. Instead, Ashley was at the top of her class, with a second place finish in the equitation phase contributing to a total winning score of 228.250 in the JMS Andalusians Training Level division for 17 year olds. Ashley and her Thoroughbred mare Olivia also competed in the Prix Caprilli Training Level, Section C test. “It’s more challenging to jump, then go right back to doing the dressage part!” she reminisced. Along with a Mountain Horse Champion jacket, Ashley’s prizes include 2 tickets to Total Request Live in New York City, courtesy of MTV and “my favorite memory of standing on the podium and having Lendon Gray hand me my awards!”

Assessing the competitors’ performance was a top-flight group of judges, including well-known dressage and hunter-jumper judge, Victor Hugo-Vidal; Trip Harding, trainer, Young Riders Team coach, clinician and USDF Bronze and Silver Medallist; three-time Olympic Dressage Team Bronze Medallist Robert Dover and Olympic Show Jumping Team Gold Medallist Melanie Smith-Taylor. Amongst the riders there was unanimity in their praise of the judges. “They were professionals, yet very friendly,” said Jeannette Gonzalez. “It seems like the judges were enjoying the show too!” observed Megan Dennis. “It was fun to be judged by Olympians; it made me want to do my best,” reported Ashley Harper. “The judges gave good pointers and their comments were so helpful,” thought Jessica Bauer.

Returning competitor Megan Dennis of Cooperstown, New York won the Training Level division for riders ages 9 to 11 last year. Since division champions must compete at the next higher level in subsequent years, Megan was pleased that her dressage test was even better than last year. “But I wasn’t expecting to win the division!” she confessed. Megan had the third highest score on the written phase and rode her Thoroughbred gelding Bold Knight to a first place finish in the equitation phase to win the Miller Harness Company First Level division for 11 to 14 year olds. They also placed third in the Prix Caprilli First Level, Section A test. Both horse and rider will be well outfitted for the fall: Megan’s prizes include gift certificates courtesy of Adashi and Ariat, a State Line Tack wool cooler and a Mountain Horse Champion jacket.

Jeannette Gonzalez was grateful that Lendon Gray conducted weekly clinics at her training facility, Gleneden Dressage at Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford, New York. “Without them, I wouldn’t have done as well as I did,” asserts the winner of the Thornhill First Level division for riders 15 to 17 years old. Jeannette’s first place finish in the equitation division helped her earn a score of 229.306. The 15-year-old resident of Fairfield, Connecticut competes primarily in hunter/jumper and eventing competitions with her Warmblood Cross horse, Ben Jammin. However, Jeannette was most pleased with her performance in the dressage phase. “My horse is not good at the extended trot, but we had one really good extension,” she said proudly. Jeannette and her horse also placed first in the Prix Caprilli First Level test, Section B. “We’re used to doing the jumpers, and he had lots of fun showing off how he can jump!” In future competitions Ben Jammin will also be showing off one of Jeannettes’ prizes, a Thornhill Klasse dressage saddle. Other prizes include a leather halter, courtesy of The Paddock and a Mountain Horse Champion jacket.

Not only did Gleneden Dressage conduct clinics, but the event organizers also provided Roving Trainers at the NEJYR Dressage Championships. Young professional riders Jennifer Baumert, Courtney King and Tom Noone, all of whom have represented USDF Region 8 at the North American Young Rider Championships, generously donated their time and talent to assist and coach riders throughout the weekend. “They were always on call,” Jeannette Gonzalez explained, “helping with what aid to use to do a certain transition.” Two inspiring demonstrations also helped the riders form an image in their minds of what they could aspire to do. Lendon Gray narrated Tina Konyot’s ride aboard her horse, and Olympian Sue Blinks taught Courtney King on a Prix St. Georges horse. “It was amazing to see such beautiful riding,” recalled Ashleigh Serritslev. The demonstration riders “get you to see a goal you want to reach – to ride like that person,” explained Jessica Bauer. Adding to this fail-proof recipe for fun and learning was a series of informal talks that accompanied videotaped rides. Judge Margaret Freeman and Sports Psychologist Leslie Weiss conducted these mini-lectures, which were uniformly described as helpful, inspiring and interesting.

According to Stephanie Harris the NEJYR Dressage Championships are “the best.” “It’s just for young riders and I love the atmosphere. The three phases give you the opportunity to do well in other areas, plus the demos and lectures are helpful!” The 19-year-old Warwick, Rhode Island resident has competed in the Championships since their inception in 1999. “But I did my best overall this year,” Harris explained. “Robert Dover was so helpful and encouraging, and that made a big difference for me.” A third place finish in the dressage phase aboard her Trakehner/Quarter Horse Look Sharp helped her win the VH1- Save the Music First Level division for ages 18 to 21 with a total score of 229.339. Stephanie will indeed look sharp this year in her Mountain Horse Champion jacket and will surely find inspiration of another sort when she and a friend attend the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.

Placing first in the written test phase and second in the dressage phase assured returning competitor Kate Moulding, a resident of Northampton, Massachusetts, of The Horse Connection Second Level division championship with a score of 230.611. Aboard her Thoroughbred Milton, Kate was “thrilled about the way we were able to keep it together in the ring. My horse was happy even with other horses in the ring.” Kate also placed third overall in the First Level division and competed in the Prix Caprilli test as well. “He had fun,” she remarked, “but was confused that he wasn’t continuing to canter after the jump!” Winning this championship was special for Kate because it was her last show with her horse before heading off to Brown University. The winning pair took home a Crosby Dressage saddle and a Crump girth, courtesy of the Horse Connection and a Mountain Horse Champion jacket.

Long listed to represent Canada at the North American Junior Championships, 17-year-old Erin Shaw suffered two broken arms in an accident at her barn earlier this year and was laid up until the end of July! Notwithstanding this challenging situation, aboard her black Thoroughbred Cossack, Erin won the equitation phase and placed first in the written test phase to take the Bates Isabell Third Level division championship with a total score of 232.368. Her equitation score also earned her the silver medal as the Overall Equitation Champion. Winning the NEJYR Dressage Championships was special for Erin because, “we had worked hard all year. It was good to get a bit of a payoff. This was my first time to the U.S. and I was proud to do so well,” she explained. The triumphant duo returned home to St. John loaded with goodies: a Bates Isabell dressage saddle, a Mountain Horse Champion jacket, the book Of Women and Horses, courtesy of Ultimate Horsebook Store and a NEDA subscription.

Jessica Rizzi’s participation this year in the NEJYR Dressage Championships resulted in a hat trick. The diminutive and bedazzling rider, a working student for Lendon Gray, won the Third and Fourth Level championships in 1999 on a schoolmaster and the First Level championship in 2000 on a four year old. The Bedford, New York resident returned this year to compete in Third and Fourth Levels on a 14.3 hand Connemara stallion, Ballywhim Ardan Mor, owned by Nancy Burr Montanaro. “I wondered how the judges would react to him,” Jessica reminisced, “because he’s a ‘pony’ and in fourth level there were no others, only fancy Warmbloods. He’s tiny, but he doesn’t think so! He’s got presence and a great attitude: no one is towering over him!” In Third Level Jessica and “Danny” were Reserve Champion behind Erin Shaw with a score of 229. The dynamic duo then went on to place first in both the dressage and equitation phases in the Fourth Level, earning them top honors in the Equifest Travels Fourth Level division championship with a score of 231.875. The top prize was a trip to the Aachen Horse Show, donated by Equifest Travels, which Jessica had won in 1999 and second place winner Courtney Budd had won last year. So, in a heartwarming gesture of generosity, Jessica offered the top prize to the third place winner of the division, Alison End, who also trains with Lendon Gray and with whom Rizzi represented Region 8 in the North American Young Riders Championships the week before. Jessica, however will keep her Mountain Horse Champion jacket. Although she has taken top honors for three consecutive years, Jessica intends to return again next year; however, this time to give back. “I’ll be there,” she asserts, “but as a volunteer.”

In anticipation of achievements such as these, an encouraging number of very young riders presented themselves in the Leadline class, open to riders at least four years old and no older than eight. Fourteen riders were led at a walk both ways of the ring, asked to turn, halt, salute and answer a simple question about the pony or tack. Champion of the Weatherbeeta Leadline Class aboard her 12.2 hand Welsh Cross pony St. Nick was six-year-old Brooklee Han of Redding, Connecticut, who first sat on a pony at six weeks old. Brooklee returned home with a Wintec Leadline saddle and a burning desire to compete again. “She was ecstatic,” reported her mother, Dorothy Han, “and she’s already trying to learn dressage tests and wants to return next year to do the training level tests!”

Hoping to attract hunter/jumper riders who might not otherwise participate in a “dressage show” and to introduce dressage riders to the challenges of jumping, the event organizers offered for the first time two Prix Caprilli tests. A Training Level ride incorporating jumps no higher than two feet and a First Level ride with two-and-one-half foot jumps were offered. There was no written or equitation phase to this competition. To their utter amazement, there were 75 entries! In addition to the two winners mentioned above, 12-year-old Hannah Madsen, with the highest overall test score of 68, placed first in the Training Level Section A, aboard her Oldenburg Drambuie, who, at 18.2 hands was the tallest equine at the competition. Returning competitor Connie Chave placed first in the Training Level Section C, aboard her Dutch Warmblood, Helium. Chave also competed in the Training Level division for 18 to 21 year olds and finished third overall thanks to her third place finish in the equitation phase and second place finish in the written phase. Carrie Freeman placed first in the First Level test, Section A with the second highest Prix Caprilli score overall of 66.176. The 13-year old, who competes as well in hunter/jumper and eventing competitions, also showed her 18-year old Thoroughbred Touchtone in the First Level division. All five sections of the Prix Caprilli test were generously sponsored by Bates, and first place winners were awarded a leather halter, courtesy of The Paddock.

Lendon Gray sees the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships as an early stepping-stone for riders for the North American Junior Championships, the North American Young Rider Championships, the Pan American Games and the Olympics. To give riders normally accustomed to competing as individuals the experience of competing as a member of a team, she invited riders of any level or combination of levels to compose teams of four. Scores from the riders’ divisions would be combined, and the lowest score dropped. An unexpected 48 teams were declared in the USDF Region 8 Team Championships, sponsored by Two Swan Farms. Meghan Connolly, Jacqueline Chassier, Ana DiGironimo and Brieana McConagly of the First Time Farm team won the USDF Team Championships with the highest combined score of 681.250. In addition to their individual prizes, team members won gift certificates for Blundstone Boots, eDressage.com mugs and NEDA subscriptions. The Gleeful Gleneden team, with Courtney Budd, Alison End, Catherine Pereira and Jessica Rizzi were Reserve Champion with a total combined score of 678.125.

Competitors were also given the opportunity to shine, literally, in a traditional Pony Club inspired Turnout Inspection. Riders presented themselves and their tacked-up mounts to judges who inspected tack for safety, cleanliness and condition; horses for grooming and fitness and riders for safe, neat and appropriate attire. Although most youngsters are immune to bites from the neatness bug in their personal lives, 118 professional looking riders presented healthy and glistening ponies and horses to the delight of the judging panel and surprise of their parents. Winning with a perfect score of 30 was Brandilee Hilbert whose prize was, appropriately enough, an Equestrian International grooming bucket full of supplies, a hat from The Horse Connection and an eDressage.com mug.

In honor of their supremely talented and patient Grand Prix horse that has introduced several riders here and abroad to the joys and challenges of dressage, owners Peter and Francine Walker established the Abaluga Award. The top six riders in the Third and Fourth Level divisions with the highest combined dressage and equitation scores earned a spot in a clinic conducted by Patrick Burrsens later this fall at Gleneden Dressage, while anyone competing in the two divisions was invited to audit the clinic free of charge.

In addition to those already mentioned, numerous Special Awards and Perpetual Trophies were also awarded, given in honor of horses unforgettable to their owners or admirers. To the mare earning the highest percentage score in a dressage test or Prix Caprilli test, Beth Clarke and Martha Servey donated the Crown Juel Award in honor of the American Thoroughbred owned by Peggy Whitehurst and trained to Grand Prix by Lendon Gray. The winner was Kaleidoscope, shown by Tara Every, whose second place finish in the dressage phase of the Rotko Family Training Level Division with a score of 72.917 also earned her the silver medal in Overall Dressage. Fabian 64, a 25-year-old Oldenburg gelding shown by Samra Zelman in the First Level division won the Maple Magnum Memorial Trophy, donated by the Dutta Corporation in honor of the Grand Prix mount owned and shown by Suzy Dutta. Sara Kalafut’s BDF Laurente, a 13.3 hand Norwegian Fjord gelding, won the Sport Horses of Color High Point Trophy with a score of 227.417. The award was donated by Sport Horses of Color International, a worldwide organization that registers and promotes the breeding and showing of colored sport horses and ponies. Not only did the pair land this special award, but they also placed third in the Prix Caprilli Training Level, Section A test, second in the Hilltops Farm Training Level Division equitation phase and third in that Division overall. One week later, they showed off their talents to the hunter/jumper world at the Hampton Classic in the Children’s Hunter Pony Division! The Kitwell Consul Trophy for the Highest Scoring Arabian is an award, donated by Wendy Luscombe of Luscombe Arabians, which honors the memory of the Arabian ridden by Lendon Gray at Grand Prix, a level achieved by very few Arabians.  This year’s winner was Orion, an Arab cross, ridden by Ana DiGironimo who placed first in the dressage phase and second in the equitation phase of A Drop in the Bucket’s Training Level division, finishing as Reserve Champion of that division with a score of 230.333. Ana’s score also earned her the High Score Pony Club Award. Actress, director and dressage rider Glenn Close donated the UVM Roseanna Trophy to honor her 14.2 Morgan Rosie, which was awarded to WBM’s Tin Can Sailor, shown by Constance Figuero with a high score of 221.083 for the breed.

Regardless of ribbons or standings, everyone went home a winner. Competitors showcased their talents, learned a lot and enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow riders. Judges, roving trainers, demonstration riders and lecturers returned home satisfied that the selfless sharing of their expertise contributed to the enhancement of everyone’s experience. Volunteers saw the fruits of their innumerable hours of labor in the delighted expressions on the faces of countless riders. And Lendon Gray and her tiny but inexhaustible group of organizers achieved their goal. They produced a competition that encourages riders under 21 to become true horsemen with correct position, competitive skills and knowledge of all aspects of riding and care; offers scholarships that enable competitors to further their education and is a forum within which riders have fun and develop good sportsmanship.