Darcy Gaines and Amigo
Lexington, Ky. – Nov. 12, 2016 – For Darcy Gaines of Versailles, Kentucky, her win in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship was not too many miles to travel, but it was a long time coming. Gaines and her own Amigo, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, topped the field to claim the championship with a score of 69.917 percent.
Riding to a selection of music from the movies Driving Miss Daisy and The Holiday, Gaines was thrilled with her horse’s performance in the Alltech Arena on Saturday evening.
Darcy Gaines and Amigo
“Everything I asked for from him, he responded just like you want your horse to respond,” Gaines said. “He was right with the music and didn’t make any mistakes. I couldn’t have asked anything more of him today.”
It was a long road for Gaines and Amigo to reach the national championship. With a husband in the Air Force for twenty years, riding was a challenge. After many year of working numerous jobs, scrimping and saving, Gaines finally saved up to buy her dream horse. Unfortunately after only a year of ownership and one outing at Prix St. Georges he suffered a career ending injury. She thought that was the end of her riding career but she picked herself back up.
Darcy Gaines and Amigo
“I saved every penny I could,” she said. “I went to Europe with my mother who isn’t a horse person and found Amigo as an unbroke 2-year-old. I just really liked something about him and thought he was a good fit for me.”
Gaines has brought the gelding along herself with help from trainers along the way and currently works with Jim Koford.
“Intermediate I is the highest level I’ve ever ridden,” she said. “It feels great to do it on this horse that I have trained myself.”
Darcy Gaines and Amigo
All of the hard work and saving are paying off in spades for Gaines.
“I say that I’m always the bridesmaid but never a bride,” she said. “I’ve always been a groom and always worked as a working student. I haven’t always gotten the opportunity to compete and now I feel like I’m finally getting there.”
The reserve championship is a familiar spot for Alexandra Krossen from Basking Ridge, New Jersey and Damani, an 11-year-old Hanoverian mare with a score of 69.833 percent. The pair were the reserve champions in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Freestyle class in 2015 as well.
Alexandra Krossen and Damani
“I was very happy with her today,” Krossen said. “She was a little bit hot so things flowed a bit easier, she was a little bit more maneuverable. I had a little bobble in my threes due to the hotness but she was really good and she handled it very well.”
Damani who is owned by Krossen’s trainer, Heather Mason, originally came into the barn as a sales horse but that didn’t last for long.
Alexandra Krossen and Damani
“Heather started working with her and said ‘OK, she has a lot of potential!’” Krossen explained. “I showed her last season and that was our first season together. After that, she was supposed to be for sale but she did really well and she has a lot of talent so I still have the ride on her. I’m very lucky.”
Grand Prix Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Lynette Wadsworth/Witze G/66.750
2. Phyliss Summer/Wilby/66.500
3. Amy Grahn/Zabaco/65.708
4. Kristy Truebenbach Lund/Akvavit/65.375
5. Suzie Halle/Tennyson-ISF/62.958/
6. Kristin Herzing/Gentleman/62.750
7. Lauren Thornlow/Royal Konig/60.542
8. Jenifer Gaffney/Fabio/60.292
9. Lee Burton/Enebro XIV/55.500
Intermediate I Open Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Morgan Barrows/San Corazon/71.708
2. Ashley Wimmer/Somerhall/71.583
3. Nicole Levy/Floratina/71.500
4. Heather Mendibur/What Happen/71.083
5. Kristin Wasemiller/Casaro/70.625
6. Linda Strine/Beerend W./69.667
7. Kayla Barteau/GP Ubilee/69.125
8. John Mason/Faye/69.000
9. Michael Bragdell/Qredit Hilltop/68.750
10. Kelli Mardell/Hemmingway/68.667
Intermediate I Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Darcy Gaines/Amigo/69.917
2. Alexandra Krossen/Damani/69.833
3. Birgitt Dagge/Walk of Fame/65.750
4. Becky Shealy/Zidane/65.500
5. Terri Sue Wensing/Valentino/65.375
6. Anna Jaffe/Moonshine/65.208
7. Susan Griffiths/Algebraic Expression/64.667
8. Torrey Wilkinson/Talisman BHF/63.875
9. Clare Morrison/Beau-Regard/63.792
10. Jamie Knight/Teske van G/63.750
Fourth Level Open Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Shannon Stevens/Pik L’s Donabella/71.556
2. Jane Hannigan/Fackeltrager/69.741
3. Jennifer Conour/Daisy Van Witten/69.185
4. Erika West-Danque/Chancellor WAS
5. Debbie Hill/Cartier/67.926
6. Jessie Steiner/RedSnapper/67.815
7. Stephanie Collom/Solemia/67.815
8. Nora Batchelder/Micanopy RH/67.667
9. Kristin Wasemiller/Vashti/67.407
10. Jennifer Roth/Reebok/67.000
Fourth Level Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Katherine Lewis/Donneur.73.778
2. Anne Chapin/Luna Popp/68.833
3. Cecilia Cox/Winnie Too/67.844
4. Julie McCrady/Remanessa/67.222
5. Jill Dearing/Vignette/65.611
6. Julia Denton/Win Win Situation/64.544
7. Stacy Rose/Otto/64.100
8. Alison Otter/Leonidas Van Pel/63.611
9. Birgitt Dagge/Shalimar/61.889
10. Jamie Mc Devitt/Deuce/58.944
Third Level Open Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Michael Bragdell/Faberge Blue/73.556
2. Jennifer Roth/Reebok/72.889
3. Callie Jones/Don Philippo/71.889
4. Kristin Wasemiller/Vashti/71.089
5. Jonni Allen/FWF Princess Jul/71.044
6. Sara Schmitt/HB Dschafar/69.994
7. Juliet Hess/Diano/69.722
8. Lauren Chumley/Laurel/69.389
9. Stacey Hastings/Guateque IV/69.178
10. Jacquelynn Macki/Weltrubin 5/68.944
Third Level Adult Amateur Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Amy Swedlin/Quileute/67.650
2. Lisa Rush/Finestep HW/67.393
3. Lyn Davis/Dahlia Ace/66.581
4. Sarah Kern/Enkeur NPF/66.410
5. Elisabeth Dewar/Sunshine/65.641
6. Kelly Griffith/Agathon JP/65.598
7. Teresa Fickling/Dolcetto O/65.128
8. Susan Sulentic/Victorious Secret/64.829
9. Kendall Brookhart/Rianna/64.615
10. Laura Viola/Forum’s Valdano/64.530
Second Level Open Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Jennifer Conour/Emerald/72.778
2. Deirdre Malburg/Boldness Be My/72.111
3. Korin Rinaldo/FHF Pequin/71.500
4. Sammi Jo Stohler/Gunner/70.722
5. Jennifer Boblitt/Confetti APT/70.389
6. Kate Phillips/Neapolitano Glori/70.00
7. Kristen Becker/Amadeus/69.833
8. Lynn Jendrowski/Diesel VT/68.167
9. Jutta Heinsohn/Niko/67.167
10. Katie Joyce/Zolansky M/65.889
Second Level Adult Amateur Freestyle Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Kendall Brookhart/Rianna/71.722
2. Michelle Morehead/Silhouette/71.444
3. Heather Fultz/SS Seraphina/70.889
4. Kaitlyn Twardzik/Onyx/70.167
5. Andrea Jackson/FS Djambo/69.889
6. Sharon Munroe/Sirrius/68.444
7. Kerry Rose/Benjamin Blue/68.389
8. Cathy Scholten/Casey/67.667
9. Malena Brisbois/Amadeus/66.167
10. Birgitt Dagge/Laxwell/65.833
First Level Open Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Heather McCarthy/Au Revoir/73.971
2. Mike Suchanek/Duchess L/73.627
3. Kayla McKay/Rapunzel/72.451
4. John Mason/Angela’s Angel/72.402
5. Mike Suchanek/Fighting Chance/71.912
6. Nicole Avila/Won Ruby/70.245
7. Mike Suchanek/Delta L/69.902
8. Martin Kuhn/Frazier/69.461
9. Missy Gilliland/Windermere DDB
10. Sara Schmitt/Shanel/66.961
First Level Adult Amateur Championship
Rider/Horse/Total Score
1. Ashlee Watts/Hampton/72.059
2. Lauren Lewis-Glad/Sinfonie/71.961
3. Barbara Butman/Balalaika/71.716
4. Lynn Shea/Black Ice/70.441
5. Lucy Tidd/Evita/69.363
6. Linda Currie/Frost T/69.069
7. Sara Stone/Gotham/68.873
8. Kristy Truebenbac/Living Lucky/68.775
9. Amanda Apesos/Ben/68.578
10. Ashley Burnett/Aquino/68.382