Ottawa, ON—Cheryl Meisner won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle at CDI-W Beaulieu International Dressage Classic, held at Beaulieu Farm in St Justine de Newton, QC, August 6-9, 2009.
During the Freestyle, Meisner of Blandford, NS, and Paganini, John Risley’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Havidoff x Statuar) performed another very strong test to powerful piano music to score 73.750%. Jacqueline Brooks of Mount Albert, ON, and her 2008 Olympic partner Gran Gesto (Grannox x Goldstern), a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch, received a score of 70.950% for second. In third place, with 69.700%, was Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON, and Amicelli, Wendy Beresford and Ute Busse’s 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding sired by Amigo xx. Simone Williams of Navan, ON, and Wunder Ein, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Wolkenstein II x Maat) owned by Simone, Margaret and Robert Williams, earned fourth place, with 69.150%. Olympian Evi Strasser of St. Adele, QC, and her young Grand Prix mount, Action Tyme, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Aktuell x Aleksander), finished in fifth scoring 67.050%.
In the Grand Prix test, Meisner and Paganini earned 68.426% for the win. Strasser and Action Tyme earned second place, scoring 65.787%. Olympian Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, ON, riding Robyn Eames’ nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding Anton (Antaeus x Melit), finished in third, with 65.404%. Fourth place, with 64.851%, went to Irwin and Amicelli. Rounding out the top five were Brooks and Gran Gesto with 64.766%.
“Paganini was so consistent and so honest in his performances at Blainville. I was very pleased with the majority of his tests especially his passage and piaffe,” said Meisner. “I was happy that his scores were in the ballpark of the Dressage Canada World Equestrian Games selection criteria, and hopefully he continues to improve on these scores and proves to be a serious contender for the WEG team.”
Trussell and Anton won the Grand Prix Special with 66.375%. Devon L, Douglas Leatherdale’s nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (De Niro x Wolkenstein II), and Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON, were second with 65.042%.
In the Advanced division, Julie Watchorn, Schomberg ON, won the Intermediaire I Freestyle with a score of 70.300% riding her 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare Quintesse. Second place went to Trussell, who scored 68.000% with Brynn, Stephanie Jeffrey’s 11-year-old Hanoverian mare sired by Belcanto. Lee Tubman of Dunnville, ON took third place after scoring 68.000% aboard Ducat Developments Ltd’s eight-year-old Hanoverian mare De La Rosa, sired by De Niro. Nicole Shinton of Uxbridge, ON, riding GB Classic, her 15-year-old Rheinlander gelding (Print Miro x Argentan) finished in fourth with 65.000%.
Tubman won the Intermediaire I after scoring 70.877% with De La Rosa. Meisner and Lucky Strike, John Risley’s 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ferro x Aktion), finished second with 69.561%. In third, with 66.930%, was Nancy MacLachlan of Terra Cotta, ON, with Deniros Tyme, Julia Fogel’s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding sired by De Niro. Tom Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON, and Kelly Murray’s Raconteur, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding sired by Rockwell, finished in fourth with 65.614%. Watchorn and Quintesse were fifth, scoring 65.088%.
In the large Prix St. Georges class, Tubman earned another win with De La Rosa, this time out of 16 entries, scoring 66.930%, while MacLachlan and Deniros Tyme were second with 65.789%. Meisner and Lucky Strike were third with 65.614%, and Olympian Gina Smith of Brockville, and Rhythmix, Diana Weatherall’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, placed fourth with 64.825%. Riding her horse Huno, an eight-year-old Trakehner, Lyne Joly of Sherbrooke, QC, was fifth with 64.474%.
Up-and-coming young talent, both human and equine, was also featured at CDI-W Beaulieu International Dressage Classic. Lyne Joly and Rubinio, an Oldenburg gelding owned by Fondation Equestre Rainville and sired by Rubin-Royal, won the Young Horse Six-Year-Old Preliminary and Final classes with 64.200% and 65.000% respectively.
In Young Horse Five-Year-Old Division, Diane Creech rode Douglas Leatherdale’s Hanoverian Gelding, Hallmark (sired by His Highness), to wins in both classes, scoring 76.400% in the Preliminary, and 84.400% in the Final. Andrea Bresee of Uxbridge, ON, and Pericles, a Hanoverian gelding owned by Loretta Flynn, finished second in both classes, scoring 70.800% (Preliminary) and 76.000% (Final). Remember Tyme, Leo E. Hakka’s Oldenburg gelding sired by Rohdiamant ridden by Roberta Morris of Godmanchester, QC, finished third, scoring 64.800% in both.
In Young Riders division, Amy Jager of Puslinch, ON, won all three tests riding Jive, her 18-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Ulft, scoring 66.053% in the Individual test and 69.850% in the Freestyle. American Kaylee Hollingsworth and Raffles placed second in all three tests, with her best mark being 65.850% in the Freestyle.
Noemie Gagnon-Bergeron of Kanata, ON, rode Vavite Fortuna to victories in both the Junior Team and the Junior Freestyle (67.000%). Anais Hebert of Boucherville, QC, and Belle Allure, finished second in the Team and Freestyle (64.400%) tests and won the Junior Individual test with 64.123%.
Tanya Strasser-Shostak of Ste-Adele, QC, made a clean sweep in FEI Pony division, winning all the tests in the division riding her pony Nemo Tyme.
The international judging panel included Stephen Clarke (FEI O— GBR), Peter Holler (FEI I—GER), Liselotte Fore (FEI I—USA), Alison King (FEI I—HKG), Joan Macartney (FEI I—CAN) and Brenda Minor (FEI C—CAN).
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