Wayne, Ill. – Aug. 23, 2018 – Competition for the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions continued at the Lamplight Equestrian Center on Thursday afternoon, seeing Grand Prix and Intermediaire I competitors gather to vie for the championships top honors. Charlotte Jorst and Kastel’s Nintendo, her own 15-year-old KWPN stallion, claimed first place in the Grand Prix for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship with a score of 70.217 percent.
Jorst and Kastel’s Nintendo have garnered an impressive resume together over the years, even representing the U.S. at the 2016 FEI World Cup Finals in Gothenburg, Sweden. More recently, the pair competed at the inaugural 2018 Adequan West Coast Dressage Festival in Del Mar, California, but have not gone down centerline since April.
Winning Ride: Charlotte Jorst & Kastel's Nintendo FEI Grand Prix Test #FestivalofChampions
"Overall he was just on fire and we just had a lot of fun." Charlotte Jorst on winning the FEI Grand Prix test aboard Kastel Denmark's 15-year-old KWPN Stallion (Negro x Rodieni R), Kastel's Nintendo scoring a 70.21% at #FestivalofChampions. They now lead the Markel Horse/USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage National Championship division.
Posted by USA Dressage on Thursday, August 23, 2018
Nick Wagner and Don John, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Beverly Gepfer, finished in second place just behind Jorst with a score of 69.5 percent. Wagner has been riding Don John since he was five and expressed his excitement to debut the gelding at the championships during his first season competing in the Grand Prix.
Rounding out the top three was Jennifer Schrader-Williams and Millione, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Millione Partners LLC. Schrader-Williams has been partnered with Millione since early 2017 and is riding him in the Grand Prix for the first time this season. The pair from Washington earned a score of 69.217 percent.
Athletes and horses will compete in three tests for this division: the Grand Prix Test, the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle Test. Placings will be determined by overall average: Grand Prix (45 percent), Grand Prix Special (40 percent), and Grand Prix Freestyle (15 percent). The Grand Prix Special will take place Friday, Aug. 24, at 1:30 p.m., and the Grand Prix Freestyle will take place Sunday, Aug. 26, at 11 a.m.
In the second class of the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship, Heather Blitz continued her domination aboard Praestemarkens Quatero with an impressive score of 73.529 percent in the Intermediate I, surpassing their 72.853 percent in Wednesday’s Prix St. Georges. The 9-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding put in a flawless test and Blitz was thrilled by his power and high-quality pirouettes.
Winning Ride: Heather Blitz & Praestemarkens Quatero FEI Intermediate I Test #FestivalofChampions
"He’s a really passionate horse. When he wants to do something, he does it with more passion than any horse I have ever ridden… I’ll never forget that test because of the feeling. He was giving me 200 percent on every single step. He’s such a good horse, and I’m a lucky person to be able to ride him." – Heather Blitz on winning the FEI Intermediate I Test scoring 73.52% aboard her own Praestemarkens Quatero, a 9-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding and continuing to lead the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship at #FestivalofChampions!
Posted by USA Dressage on Thursday, August 23, 2018
Maintaining her second-place finish from Wednesday’s class, Jennifer Baumert and Betsy Juliano’s Handsome, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, also improved upon their Prix St. Georges score to receive a 72.824 percent in the Intermediate I.
Moving up from sixth place in the Prix St. Georges into third, Jodie Kelly-Baxley on Caymus, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Beth Godwin, earned a score of 71.912 percent.
The combinations in the USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship will perform their final test of the division, the FEI Intermediate I Freestyle on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 12:40 p.m. Final championship placings will be determined by overall average of the Prix St. Georges (40 percent), the Intermediate I (45 percent) and the Intermediate I Freestyle (15 percent).
For results and starting times, visit Foxvillage.
Live streaming is available on the USEF Network
For more information about the Lamplight Equestrian Center, click here.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Charlotte Jorst – Grand Prix winner
On her test:
“Nintendo has just had three months off so he is very fresh and he was really excited to be back in the ring. He was really forward and nice. I think my piaffe and passage were really balanced and nice. Because he was a little fresher than usual, I had some mistakes but overall he was on fire. We had a lot of fun — it was a great day.”
On competing at Lamplight with many different levels:
“The best part of riding is really the journey. I think that journey for all of us and seeing others succeed and develop at all the levels is wonderful to share with all of these wonderful people.”
On her plan for the next test:
“My goal is to get a clean test. My goal is to get 75 percent consistently so I am going to work towards that. I will continue riding, having fun, and sharing the journey.”
On future plans with Kastel’s Nintendo:
“My goal is to get back to Florida and see if I can get on the Pan-American Games team and FEI World Cup again. My overall goal, though, is to be more consistent and not have mistakes. Winning is less important.”
Nick Wagman – Grand Prix second place
On his test:
“I’m still so new at Grand Prix with him so I was thrilled to get through the test cleanly. I felt that some of the highlights today were the trot extensions. My right trot half-pass was really good. Our pirouettes were some of the best we’ve done. I also thought that his piaffe is getting more secure so I felt comfortable keeping him on the spot.”
On preparing for the next test:
“I think as I start to get more and more trust in his ability, the more I can ask him to do. He is such a brilliant horse and there is so much more in there that we’re not tapping into yet because I don’t want to overdo him. We’re just going to go in tomorrow and have some fun and show off a little bit.”
On competing at Lamplight Equestrian Center:
“This is my first time here and I think it’s great. It’s great to have all of the divisions in one place. It’s inspiring for everyone to see the different levels.”
Jennifer Schrader-Williams – Grand Prix third place
On her test:
“He was very confident today. This is a horse that is new to the Grand Prix. He has come a long way in the last two years and this is his first season in Grand Prix. Our goal has just been to get him confident and calm in the ring with steady and consistent tests. Today was the first time that he was really consistent and relaxed and showed his brilliance. I was really thrilled with that.”
On improvements for her next test:
“I think the piaffe and passage are generally quite strong for him and the extended gaits. I wanted to add a little more power while also keeping him relaxed would be a win for me.”
On her partnership with Millione:
“He came to us as a sales horse and I just fell in love with him. He was already 13 so I just took a chance on pursuing our partnership together and it’s worked out really well. He was showing at Fourth Level when I got him so it was a big jump with him. He did his first Grand Prix in February of this year.”
On competing at Lamplight in the championship:
“It feels so good to be back. I’ve had two kids and now I have a couple of horses that are coming up. I have a really good team now with Christophe Theallet as my trainer and everyone else. This horse just got accepted into the developing program so now I’m starting to see Debbie monthly. That’s been a big help.”
Heather Blitz – Intermediate I winner
On her test:
“I felt like my test had a bit more power. I figured that my horse would be a little more tired just because of the trip and the first two days he was just on fire. Today he was really on and I like that because the hotter he is, the better. He is a really passionate horse so when he wants to do something he does it with more passion than any other horse that I’ve ridden. That was really present in my test today. I’ll never forget our test today because of that feeling and he was giving me 200 percent on every step. He is such a great horse and I’m so lucky to be able to ride him.”
On her test highlights:
“With my horse, he has always had a talent for pirouettes but he has never had the strength to do them as well as he has wanted to. Now he finally has the strength for it — those felt really beautiful today.”
On her goals for the next test:
“My goal is to have fun. Mine is a freestyle that I have done in four shows now so I know it pretty well. I really want to take tomorrow a little bit easy on our off day. I’ll work him a little bit, but I really just want to come out and have fun. Reliability is another thing I want. It is moving higher and higher up on my list of priorities, along with soundness.”
Jennifer Baumert – Intermediate I second place
On her test:
“I was super pleased with my horse! We had a little bit of a distraction right in the beginning with a pile of poop, and he stayed a little preoccupied with that. He lost his confidence a little bit but I was so proud of him. He was right with me. He felt as good as he did in the Prix St. Georges and I can’t ask for more.”
On her test highlights:
“Handsome has such a gigantic canter that it sometimes is challenging to bring him back in the pirouettes. I was super pleased with our pirouettes today.”
On her goals for the next test:
“I just want to have fun. I have a really fun freestyle and I love my music. The music gets Handsome a little amped up too and I’m really looking forward to it.”
On her team:
“Just like Heather said, the list is too long. I definitely want to thank the owner of my horse, Betsy Juliano, Debbie McDonald, who came to help me this week, and my groom, Morgan. My parents also came out. I also really want to thank Lamplight Equestrian Center and all of the sponsors here for putting on a fabulous show and making this all possible.”
Jodie Kelly-Baxley – Intermediate I third place
On her test:
“I was so happy with my horse today. It was truly the first time that I’ve felt like I took everything that I had in the warm-up into the show ring. It was such an amazing feeling that I even had a few moments where I spaced thinking about how amazing it was. I was so happy with it. I had a little bobble during a change and few other things that I can clean up still. He is such an honest and consistent horse and I can always count on him every single day. I don’t have to worry about him letting me down.”
On her test highlights:
“For me, it wasn’t just one specific movement but it was the trot itself. I have been struggling with being consistent in the show ring so when I can take that and have that quality it’s like we’re on autopilot. It felt all right there today.”
Results: Grand Prix for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship
Rider / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Charlotte Jorst / Kastel’s Nintendo / Kastel Denmark / 70.217
2. Nick Wagman / Don John / Beverly Gepfer / 69.500
3. Jennifer Williams-Schrader / Millione / Jennifer Williams-Schrader / 69.217
4. Mette Rosencrantz / Marron / Mette Rosencrantz / 68.391
5. Bianca Tota / Cadento / Bianca Tota / 66.870
6. Patricia Becker / Freedom / Anne Ramsay / 65.043
Results: Intermediate I for USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship
Rider / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Heather Blitz / Praestemarkens Quatero / Heather Blitz / 73.529
2. Jennifer Baumert / Handsome / Elizabeth Julianno / 72.824
3. Jodie Kelly-Baxley / Caymus / Beth Godwin / 71.912
4. Nora Batchelder / Faro SQF / Andrea Whitcomb / 69.794
5. Nick Wagman / Ferano / Elizabeth Keadle / 69.735
6. Nora Batchelder / Fifi MLW / Nora Batchelder / 69.147
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