Sole Mio, SenSation HW and Lucky Strike named Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse Dressage National Champions

Wayne, Ill. – Aug. 25, 2018 – Champions were named following the final tests in three divisions of the Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse National Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. To kick-off the morning, Emily Miles and Sole Mio owned by Leslie Waterman maintained their top position in the Markel/USEF Young Horse 4-Year-Old Dressage National Championship to claim the tricolor ribbon with a total score of 85.76 percent.

Emily Miles and Sole Mio
Emily Miles and Sole Mio

Sole Mio (Stanford–Donna-Rafaela, Donnerschwee), a 4-year-old Hanoverian stallion bred in Germany by ZG Wencek, was awarded a score of 84.2 percent in their Preliminary Test on Thursday, praised by the judges for his expressive trot, ground-covering walk, and excellent impression. In the final test, Sole Mio earned a score of 86.8 percent. As the Preliminary Test accounted for 40 percent of their total score and the Final Test accounted for 60 percent, the stallion’s high score this morning helped secure his division victory.

Taking home the reserve championship was Rebecca Rigdon and her own Jagger (Apache–Volumia, Osmium), a 4-year-old KWPN gelding bred in the Netherlands by S. Van Zeeland. Following Thursday’s Preliminary Test, the pair was sitting in fifth place with a score of 81.4 percent, but their Final Test score of 84.4 percent helped move them into second place with a total of 83.2 percent. Today, the gelding was awarded high marks for his uphill canter, willing disposition, and overall impression.

Rebecca Rigdon and Jagger
Rebecca Rigdon and Jagger

Completing the top three, Sarah Lockman and Jupiter (Jazz–Twinkle R, Freestyle), bred in Belgium by Stpeteroj De Begijnoeve and owned by Gerry Ibanez, earned a total score of 81.48 percent. Lockman and Jupiter finished in third place after Thursday’s Preliminary Test with a score of 82.2 percent, being praised for an energetic walk and canter gaits. Their score of 81 percent in the Final Test helped them maintain their third-place finish overall.

Sarah Lockman and Jupiter
Sarah Lockman and Jupiter

In the Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Championship, Michael Bragdell sealed the deal after receiving another perfect score of 10 for SenSation HW’s trot and overall division score of 8.712. Though the Westphalian gelding (Sunday–Donata, Dancier) took second place with an 8.7 in the Preliminary Test, they finished the championship with the tricolor after an 8.72 in the Final Test. In addition to his impressive trot score, SenSation HW, who was bred in Germany by Alfons Bergjohann and owned by Carol McPhee, earned an 8.8 for general impression, 8.4 for walk, 8.5 for canter and 7.9 for submission.

Michael Bragdell and SenSation HW

The judges commented, “his trot is everything we are looking for; expression, cadence, collectibility, connection.” The talented young horse competed in the 4-Year-Old division last year and finished in fifth, and Bragdell is thrilled with his strength and development over the last twelve months to prepare for the demanding 5-Year-Old Tests.

Michael Bragdell and SenSation HW

Earning the reserve championship was Alice Tarjan aboard her Oldenburg mare Fairouz (Frazoslis–Diva, Don Frederico) with an overall score of 8.54. Fairouz was leading the division after her performance in the Preliminary Test where she also received a 10 for her trot, but in the Final Test received a 9.5 for the mare’s “brilliant, dynamic and ground covering trot.” The walk score of 7.5 was their lowest score as they were awarded 8.0 for canter, 8.5 for submission and 8.4 for general impression.

Alice Tarjan, Fairouz
Alice Tarjan and Fairouz

Rebecca Rigdon maintained her third place position on her KWPN mare Iquem (Charmeur–Tres Bien Sijgje, Moreno) with a total division score of 8.464. Bred in the Netherlands by A. De Baere, the young mare received an 8.5 for their high-quality trot, 8.6 for the walk, 8.8 for the canter and 8.5 for general impression. Their lowest score was a 7.8 for submission due to bobbles and mistakes in the canter simple changes.

Rebecca Rigdon and Iquem

Endel Ots and Lucky Strike (Lord Laurie-Heidi, His Highness) added their second national championship title to their resume this afternoon when they topped the Markel/USEF Developing Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship with an overall score of 73.264 percent. In 2016, the pair won the Markel/USEF 6-Year-Old Young Horse Dressage National Championship and last year they received the reserve championship ribbon in the Developing Prix St. Georges division. Bred in Germany by Monika Hartwich, Lucky Strike and Ots also represented the U.S. at the Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships in the Netherlands.

Endel Ots and Lucky Strike
Endel Ots and Lucky Strike

Riding away with the reserve championship was Christopher Hickey and Straight Horse Zackonik, an 8-year-old Danish Warmblood mare bred in Denmark by Straight Horse. Owned by Cecelia Stewart, Straight Horse Zackonik (Blue Hors Zack–Romanik, Blue Hors Romanov) received an overall average of 71.039 percent after their performance in the Developing Prix St. Georges test.

Christopher Hickey and Straight Horse Zackonik
Christopher Hickey and Straight Horse Zackonik

Heather McCarthy of Prairie Grove, Illinois, and Sandi Chohany’s Au Revoir (Ampere–Lara, Liberty M) maintained their third-place position from the first day of the division. The 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding, bred in Germany by Harm Oncken, earned an overall score of 70.608 percent.

Heather McCarthy and Au Revoir
Heather McCarthy and Au Revoir

FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE

Emily Miles – Markel/USEF Young Horse 4-Year-Old Dressage National Champion

On winning:
“It feels awesome. I know that we all work all year long, and it comes down to two seven-minute tests. It’s a blink in time and we all go home hoping to get there safe and sound so it’s one little bubble, but’s this is something you never forget. It means so much. Everyone has worked really hard to get here and it worked out really well for me today. I have a fabulous horse and team so it feels pretty good.”

Emily Miles and Sole Mio
Emily Miles and Sole Mio

On her test:
“Mio was great for me both days. We came in on Monday and today he was tired. It was a long week for them. I didn’t ask for much today and instead wanted to show how awesome just his natural gates are and I think the judges recognized and rewarded that. I was proud of him because he was tired and it is a lot for a 4-year-old to do this all week long. He didn’t make one mistake.”

On her future plans:
“I have two 4-year-olds in this class and they’re both young stallions. I plan to give them a good two weeks of lunging and maybe some cavalettis. I don’t plan to sit on them for two weeks. They are both Hanoverian approved so they have to do a Hanoverian approval thing in November, but other than that I think solidifying their strength, connection, and suppleness is important. I want to build on a foundation of quality gaits in order to make it next year to the 5-year-old test.”

Rebecca Rigdon – Markel/USEF Young Horse 4-Year-Old Dressage National Reserve Champion

On winning reserve champion:
“It’s absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for more. I have had my horse for a little under five months so every experience that I’ve had with him has been a new one. He has never put a foot out of place. I can’t ask for more and this is a really super experience for the horses’ development.”

On her test:
“I live in San Diego so I’ve been here for almost two weeks. He’s had several days off in the course of being here and the first test he felt a little tired and lacking a little lateral suppleness. I gave him yesterday off and it really helped. Today he came out and he was absolutely perfect. He is a super horse.”

Rebecca Rigdon and Jagger
Rebecca Rigdon and Jagger

On her future plans:
“My horse is in the process of growing and I wouldn’t typically be on him right now. We’ll go home and have a couple of weeks off and then gradually get to where we’re working on the 5-year-olds. My horse has grown quite a bit lately so he needs to get stronger in his back and the connection overall but he needs a good break first.”

Sarah Lockman – Markel/USEF Young Horse 4-Year-Old Dressage National Champion third place

On her test:
“I feel like my test during the first day was actually a little better. I gave my horse yesterday off and today in the warm-up he definitely felt a little spicy and opinionated. There’s definitely quite a difference between working through something with a 4-year-old versus an older horse, you have limited tools. It all ended up working out really well. We were lacking our spark by the time that we got to the ring because of the tough warm-up we had. I was really happy with him and to ask a 4-year-old to come to a big venue and be consistent is all you can ask for.”

Sarah Lockman and Jupiter
Sarah Lockman and Jupiter

On her future plans:
“With the management of young horses there is a fine line between time off that is good for them and the time off that isn’t productive. I do a lot of trail riding and hill work, which they don’t even know that’s work. It’s fun and we are very lucky at our farm to have big grass pastures, which is rare in California. He will have a lot of time in the field. We have our regional championships coming up in a month but compared to this it’s not that big of a deal.”

Michael Bragdell – Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Champion

On SenSation HW:
“[SenSation HW] came to me late last year to get ready for 4-year-olds. I didn’t feel like I had the horse I wanted for the championship but I still felt his quality and that he had a chance to make it here. I was happy with how last year went. I felt this year has really solidified the training behind him. He has grown more and more. Almost every week he surprises me and he finds another gear. I thought I had a fabulous trot coming in but I felt him kick it up a notch in the championship classes. He really tries for me and puts his heart out. It feels great out in the ring. Thank you to the facility and all the staff who are working hard to make this happen. Everybody does such a tremendous job making this such a fantastic event. I have to thank the owners of this horse, Carol, Scott, and her entire family.”

Michael Bragdell and SenSation HW

On his test:
“I wanted to maintain the quality of the trot that I had the first day. I had a little bobble in the first serpentine. Even though he got a little tense, I know that he can still produce it and he came right back to me. I really wanted to improve his walk today to have more relaxation. I felt like he gave it to me today, so I was really happy with that.”

On advice for training young horses:
“It’s important as you train them up that the 4-year-old, 5-year-old, and 6-year-old’s are good markers on where we would like the horses to be at that age. It will not necessarily work for every horse at that age. You need to pay attention to what your horse is telling you. Where are they physically and mentally? Are they ready to be at this level? It can be a big difference. My 5-year-old was not trotting like this back in January. I caught a glimpse and then the wheels fell off. You can’t worry about that though and just stick with your program and believe in it. You really need to listen to your horse to make sure you understand the amount of pressure they need. It’s also important to do other things than 20-meter circles in an arena, mentally for horses is important. Go out in the woods and go trail ride.”

Alice Tarjan – Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Reserve Champion

On having success with young horses:
“It’s getting harder because the competition is getting better. You have to train the horses to move and it’s a reflection of the quality of the horses that are here; they are getting better. I’m going to go home and train harder so I can out train Michael next year, game on!”

On her test:
“The trot is always a highlight for this horse. She has a consistent walk that is correct in the rhythm. It’s not the biggest walk but I think moving up the levels it will be fine. Her canter needs some development and it’s a work in progress.”

Alice Tarjan, Fairouz
Alice Tarjan and Fairouz

On advice for training young horses:
“There is a preconceived notion that some horses just magically move like this and that’s not the case. They are trained to move like that. It is in there, but if you want to do these young horses classes you have to learn to train the gait because that’s what it is judged on.”

Rebecca Rigdon – Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Championship third place

On having success with young horses:
“It’s fantastic. I could not be happier with my mare. She is quite green for this environment. She’s only been to five shows in her life and it’s unbelievable how far she’s progressed in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait until next year.”

On her test:
“Overall today, she was genuinely tired. She kept going though, despite her uncharacteristic mistakes. She just needs more experience in the show arena but I’m so thrilled with her and she really tries.”

Rebecca Rigdon and Iquem

On advice for training young horses:
“Following the training scale and listening to your horse is important. Take your time because the whole point is for these horses to be international Grand Prix horses. So if that’s what you really want and expect then you have to have these challenges like the 5-year-old tests, but then know when to back off so they don’t lose their brain.”

Endel Ots – Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Champion

On his relationship with Lucky Strike:
“It’s really fun [to have a second national championship with Lucky]. He is such a big horse that it takes a little bit of time for him to get strong with everything. I think he still needs a little bit of time to develop and get even stronger. It’s nice because I know that I have a good relationship with him and I showed him here enough times that I know how he thinks. I don’t usually have to school through a bunch of different movements, I can just do a couple things that are a little bit difficult for me. I feel pretty sure about the rest of the movements.”

Endel Ots and Lucky Strike
Endel Ots and Lucky Strike

On his future plans:
“I’ll give [Lucky Strike] a little bit of time off and starting playing with the I1 and getting a freestyle for him. Hopefully we’ll do some CDI’s during the Florida season but he gets to just be a horse for a couple of months first.”

On competing at Lamplight:
“The people and the stabling are great. Everything is so close. It’s a little bit of a trek from Florida but the show management, the judges, and everything about this show facility is wonderful. It’s really fun to see so many people that you don’t get to see all the time. I love this facility.”

Endel Ots and Lucky Strike
Endel Ots and Lucky Strike

Christopher Hickey – Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National  Reserve Champion

On his test:
“This horse is very special. People say that when you have a good mare, you have the best horse and this is a wonderful mare. She comes out and works so hard; she’s amazing. She has a wonderful mind. Today, I was pleased with my tempis and just did a novice mistake and cruised past my centerline, so that cost me. I’m super pleased with my horse. Working up to this show, we live in South Carolina so I’ve been working these horses outside and getting them acclimated to the heat because I wasn’t sure what the temperatures would be like here. I’m glad I did that because it decided to be hot today.”

Christopher Hickey and Straight Horse Zackonik

On his future plans:
“I will go home and my horse will have some time just hacking and trotting over cavalettis and just having some easy time. Then she is also quite close to doing I1’s so she will do the Florida CDI’s. The Pan American Games are next year so we’ll see how that shapes up.”

On competing at Lamplight:
“It’s nice to have a show facility that has trees and feels like a more natural environment. We’re lucky to have such wonderful showgrounds like Global and Tryon, but when you have a more mature facility with trees and landscaping it adds a lot to the feeling. It’s a more natural setting for everyone.”

Heather McCarthy – Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National  Championship third place

On her preparation with Au Revoir:
“He is a really special horse to me. He did the 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds here but he was a late bloomer mentally and physically. This winter was a big winter for him as far as him just maturing and finding himself. He grew up a lot. He is a big boy now and he looks so mature and he’s finding his balance and his power. On Thursday, I had no expectations of him being able to come here and hold his own against these other horses.”

Heather McCarthy and Au Revoir
Heather McCarthy and Au Revoir

On her future plans:
“[Au Revoir] will go to regionals and then hopefully US Dressage Finals. We are not going to Florida this winter but next winter would be my goal. He will have a break after regionals. We’ll train all winter and try to come out better and stronger next year.”

Results: Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Championship

Rider / Horse / 5-Year-Old Prelim / 5-Year-Old Final / Total Score 
1. Michael Bragdell / SenSation HW / 8.7 / 8.72 / 7.712
2. Alice Tarjan / Fairouz / 8.78 / 8.38 / 8.54
3. Rebecca Rigdon / Iquem / 8.5 / 8.44 / 8.464
4. Roberto Brasil / Furstin P / 7.94 / 8.28 / 8.144
5. Ali Potasky / Flash Dance / 8.24 / 7.96 / 8.072
6. Alice Tarjan / Serenade MF / 8.16 / 7.98 / 8.052

Results: Markel/USEF Young Horse 5-Year-Old Dressage National Championship

Rider / Horse / 4-Year-Old Prelim / 4-Year-Old Final / Total Score
1. Emily Miles / Sole Mio  / 8.42 / 8.68 / 8.576
2. Rebecca Rigdon / Jagger / 8.14 / 8.44 / 8.32
3. Sarah Lockman / Jupiter / 8.22 / 8.1 / 8.148
4. Emily Miles / Daily Show / 7.82 / 8.3 / 8.108
5. Alice Tarjan / Jaliska / 7.86 / 8.06 / 7.98
6. Alyssa Doverspike / Figaro / 8.2 / 7.76 / 7.936

Results: Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage National Championship

Rider / Horse / FEI PSG Score / Developing PSG Score / Total
1. Endel Ots / Lucky Strike / 72.794 / 73.578 / 73.264
2. Christopher Hickey / Straight Horse Zackonik / 71.863 / 70.49 / 71.039
3. Heather McCarthy / Au Revoir / 69.167 / 71.569 / 70.608
4. Melissa Jackson / Domani / 68.728 / 71.52 / 70.403
5. Cesar Parra / Don Cesar / 68.382 / 71.471 / 70.235
6. Michael Bragdell / Sternlicht Hilltop / 68.922 / 70.294 / 69.745

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