Saturday, September 28, 2024 — Burbank, California. Show day three of the Great American Insurance Group / USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships and the 57th Annual California Dressage Society State Championship Show brought out the best in junior/young riders, adult amateurs, and professionals alike. Maybe it was the temperate weather, with milder heat than previous championship shows, or maybe it was simply the culmination of another year of schooling, practicing, and preparation.
USDF Regional Champions
Dressage equitation isn’t just for kids anymore, as the adult amateurs who competing in the USDF Adult Amateur Equitation Regional Finals clearly demonstrated. Equitation classes make a statement that riders’ ability influences their horses’ performance and comfort. Because our horses depend on how well we ride, equitation is well worth our focus, whether we compete in equitation classes or not. So here’s to the adult amateurs - you are all winners in our eyes!
Today’s winners in the USDF Adult Amateur Equitation Regional Finals, sponsored by Big Dee’s Tack and Vet Supply, included Rachel DeBerdt riding Renaissance Man HVH in first, followed by Kristina Huff on Winzer 207 in second, out of a class of seven. Competitors rode in groups of three and four to show their form and effectiveness at walk, trot, and canter, then rode individually to a pattern unique to this class.
USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Finals for the 13 & Under and 14 to 18 divisions. With five competitors in the 13 & under class, and nine riders in the 14-18 age group, a lot of good riding was on show. Lilian Ramirez on Fuerst Felix N won the USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Finals 13 & Under, and Emma Schneider won the USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Finals 14-18.
Lilian Ramirez
The Great American/USDF Prix St. Georges Level Regional Championships, in both Open and Adult/Amateur divisions, concluded today. Alyssa Doverspike rode Bello to the Open Prix St. Georges Championship, with Sandy Savage piloting Fina to the Reserve Championship. In the Adult Amateur division, Terri Sue Wensinger and Gorgeous took home the Championship, and Adele Pierce with Suenos Grande captured the Reserve Championship.
Walker Cash Lefkowitz
CDS Celebrates the Future
Saturday saw CDS juniors and young riders shine in a variety of classes. At second level, the Las Vegas dressage community showed up and showed how to win.
CDS Second Level Junior/Young Rider Champions Walker Cash Lefkowitz and Pirata XXXIII, Catherine Prato’s 15-year-old, 16.2 hand buckskin Andalusian stallion, traveled from Las Vegas for the championships. “I’ve been riding him for about six months,” Walker said of Pirata XXXIII, “and I really like him. I also ride another horse, A6.”
Throughout the weekend, Walker and his horses set a great example of how to make the most of a championship show, campaigning his two horses at second level.
On Thursday, Walker took advantage of the Welcome classes to acclimate his horses to the arenas. In the Welcome Second Level Test of Choice, he was third with A6 and fourth with Pirata XXXIII, setting them up for success in the following days.
On Friday, in the CDS Second Level Test 2 Junior/Young Rider class that was the first of the two classes needed for the Championship title, he took second with Pirata XXXIII and fourth with A6.
On Saturday, he and his horses competed in CDS Second Level Test 3 Junior/Young Rider, the second leg of the Championship competition, where he won first with Pirata XXXIII and fourth with A6.
When the scores were combined today, Walker and Pirata XXXIII became the 2024 CDS Second Level Junior/Young Rider Champions, and took fourth place with A6.
In addition, Walker and Pirata XXXIII won Reserve Champion in the Great American/USDF Junior/Young Rider Second Level Regional Championship, and placed fourth in the USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Final 14-18.
Looking Ahead
Watch for the results of the $1,000 CDS HOY Grand Prix Freestyle Open, the highlight of Saturday night’s gala dinner celebration. There’s more great news to come from the Great American Insurance Group / USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships and the 57th Annual California Dressage Society State Championship Show.
See results from each day of the show at California-dressage.org and foxvillage.com
Post, tag #celebrateusdf7cds and share your photos and stories from the show!
