Wayne, Ill. – Aug. 27, 2017 – Rebekah Mingari continued to dominate on the final day of the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions at the Lamplight Equestrian Center with her two mares, Allure S and Elzarma TF. The 21-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky, claimed not only the champion title of the AGCO/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship on Allure S, an 11-year-old KWPN mare, with an overall score of 69.474 percent, but she also won the reserve championship aboard Elzarma TF, an 8-year-old KWPN mare, with a total score of 68.202 percent.
Kerrin Dunn is the owner of both of Mingari’s mounts. It’s a family affair as Elzarma TF is the daughter, via embryo transfer, of Allure S. Mingari’s trainer of eight years, Angela Jackson, competed both mares up through the young and developing program before giving Mingari the opportunity to compete them. Mingari recently graduated from the equestrian business program at the University of Louisville and currently works as the professional trainer at Dunn’s Timbach Farm. Next year, Mingari plans to compete Elzarma TF in the Developing Prix St. Georges division and hopes to move up into U25 classes with Allure S.
Jumping up to finish in overall third place was 19-year-old Anna Weniger of Apex, North Carolina, aboard Don Derrick with a score of 67.917 percent. Don Derrick is owned by her mother Dawn Weniger, who trained the 13-year-old NRPS gelding up through Grand Prix before handing over the reins to her daughter last year. The young rider studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and will take a break from riding during the fall semester as she will be studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In the USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship, Suzannah Rogers, 15, of Atlanta, Georgia, held onto her lead in the individual test and claimed the championship title with her 14-year-old Haflinger gelding Adrenaline Rush SBF. The pair’s team test score of 63.846 percent, combined with their individual test score of 64.106 percent, gave them an overall score of 63.976 percent that helped them maintain their top placing.
Jori Dupell, 16, of Wilsonville, Oregon, also maintained her position after the individual test, taking home the reserve championship with her 17-year-old Half-Arabian gelding Toy Story. The horse-and-rider combination’s score of 62.521 percent in the team test, along with their individual test score of 64.756 percent, gave them an overall 63.639 percent.
Sailor Boden, 13, of Canyon Lake, California, took home third place in the championship with Blitzwane, a 19-year-old German Riding Pony gelding. Boden and Blitzwane also finished in third place during Saturday’s competition, earning a score of 62.436 percent in the team test. The pair’s team test score, combined with their individual test score of 63.130 percent, secured their third place finish with an overall 62.783 percent.
U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions Results:
AGCO/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship
Rider / Horse / Team Test (50%) / Individual Test (50%) / Total
1. Rebekah Mingari / Allure S / 70.132 / 68.816 / 69.474
2. Rebekah Mingari / Elzarma TF / 68.684 / 67.719 / 68.202
3. Anna Weniger / Don Derrick / 67.719 / 68.114 / 67.917
4. Callie Jones / Don Philippo / 67.807 / 67.721 / 67.764
5. Sophia Schults / Farley 4 / 66.404 / 68.289 / 67.347
6. Kristin Counterman / Three Times / 66.535 / 66.974
USEF Pony Rider National Championship
Rider / Horse / Team Test (50%) / Individual Test (50%) / Total
1. Suzannah Rogers / Adrenaline Rush / 63.846 / 64.106 / 63.976
2. Jori Dupell / Toy Story / 62.521 / 64.756 / 63.639
3. Sailor Boden / Blitzwane / 62.436 / 63.130 / 62.783
4. Olivia Massotti / Viktor / 61.239 / 62.439 / 61.839
5. Camille Molten / Magnito II / 59.658 / 62.927 / 61.293
6. Meredith Denton / Just G / 61.624 / 60.244 / 60.934
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Rebekah Mingari – AGCO/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Champion and Reserve Champion
On her ride on Allure S:
“Allure today was a bit more focused and she listened more to me, which was really fun. We had a great ride again and I went out and had a good time with her. She’s such a worker bee.She does her job and she really tries when she’s in the arena — that’s what I love about her. Today, we had more cadence in our canter and trot work compared to yesterday. She was more supple through her neck.”
On Elzarma TF:
“She was less spooky today and she was hotter, which was a lot of fun in the arena because I could redirect that energy. I had a blast with her and we had a clean test. She was really incredible.”
On her sweep of the Young Rider division:
“It’s an incredible feeling [to win both the championship and reserve championship titles]. I rode Elzarma as a 4-year-old and she was my project horse. She really taught me how to develop young horses and I’ve watched Allure since she was 6-years-old and I’d occasionally get on her. She was always the ultimate dream horse to ride. It’s so cool to see these girls grow up and our partnership together is incredible. I love both of them. To win this is amazing. It’s a dream come true.”
Anna Weniger – AGCO/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship third place
On her tests:
“I had really fun rides both days. Yesterday, we had one mistake. In one of the trot extensions, he broke to the canter. Today, I was trying to ride a clean test, which we did. I wanted to ride the most accurate test I could and squeeze every point out. It worked out really well. I’m really lucky to get to ride such a cool horse. He is super well trained and he has taught me so much. It’s incredible to be able to compete at these competitions with him.”
Suzannah Rogers – USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Champion
On her championship win:
“This has been my dream since I was 12— to have a pony and win. This is sadly my last year to do it so it felt really cool to win. To have that feeling that I was the competition and everyone was looking to me to try to beat was amazing. Rush is just my best friend. We’re partners, and if we stick to each other and do what we know to do, we can win. So that’s what we did. In the future, I might go to juniors. I really want to move my pony up to Prix St. Georges before I go to college. I’ll keep building a partnership with him and keep loving him. I’m so happy to have the support of my coach, my parents and God.”
On her test:
“He was really good. We had more power. Like I said yesterday, we just needed more power and better cadence. I just made sure that he was supple through his neck and body.”
Jori Dupell – USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Reserve Champion
On her reserve championship win:
“It was amazing. I’ve had my pony for 17 years, and I was never expecting anything like this with him. To pull that out feels awesome.”
On her test:
“He’s a super hot pony and has always been that way. We just had to get the power under control and be able to use it in the parts of the test that I needed to use it. That was a big part of our score improvement today. He tried so hard for me and it was awesome.”
Sailor Boden – USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship third place
On her third place finish:
“Last year we got seventh place and barely kept it together, and this year we moved up to third place. I’m really proud of that.”
On her test:
“I’m so proud of getting this far with my pony from three and a half years ago doing Training Level. He’s been a really hot pony all his life, and for him to really calm down and give his heart to me is really nice. I felt like the canter work was really good today.”