Compiled by Nancy Brannon, with news from Kathy Massey
The Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 3 Championships, hosted by the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association, were held October 11-13, 2019 at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia. More than 350 horses were entered in this year’s Region 3 Championships. The prestigious dressage show also included a Vendor Walk with more than 42 vendors, plus an art show and sale. On Saturday night, the GDCTA presented a special award to their longtime, and now retiring, show secretary Sandy Donovan. Afterwards, the crowd was wowed by Trick Rider Ginger Duke, who put on quite a show, and a vaulting performance by Falconwood Vaulters from Covington, Georgia.
Two riders from the mid-south were especially successful at this championship show. Caitlyn Massey of Arlington, Tenn. and Cheryl Becker’s Bashkir Curly gelding Mikato impressed the judges to earn 72.083% and win the First Level JR/YR championship. Caitlyn and Mikato placed first in Friday’s JR/YR class with a score of 74.722%.
Marie Vitullo riding her Thoroughbred Night Owl placed eighth (out of 38) in the First Level Adult Amateur Championship class with a score of 68.056%. The pair won first place in Friday’s Second Level Test 1 Adult Amateur class on a score of 65.000%.
A selection of winners at the USDF Region 3 Championship Show follows:
U.S. Dressage Team rider Nora Batchelder of Williston, Fla., aboard the pinto Dutch Warmblood mare WGangster Girl, took home top honors in the Grand Prix Freestyle Championship on Saturday (Oct. 12), and on the final day of competition (Oct. 13), they added the Grand Prix Open Championship to their resume. Their freestyle performance earned a winning top score of 70.388% under both judges.
Katherine Lewis, from Aiken, S.C., and her Oldenburg gelding Donneur won the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship with a unanimous win under both judges, scoring 70.662%.
Jennifer Huber of Wellington, Fla. and her Danish Warmblood mare Madam Noir claimed victory in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship with top scores from both judges – 63.533%.
Anna Marek of Williston, Fla. claimed top honors over more than 30 entries in the First Level Open Championship with Maryanna Haymon’s five-year-old Hanoverian mare Danae MF. Her winning score: 73.472%.
Flooded with 38 entries, the First Level Adult Amateur Championship was won by Tina Cook of Denton, N.C. and her PRE stallion Carbonero XCVI, earning their third Region 3 title of the weekend with a score of 72.708%.
Christine Malpartida, of St. Petersburg, Fla., claimed the blue ribbon in the Adult Amateur Equitation Regional Final, riding her Hanoverian gelding Freudentanzer to a score of 87.000%.
In the Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Final 13 & Under division, Maren Elise Fouche-Hanson of Colbert, Ga. rode her gelding In My Feelings to top ten rivals with a score of 78.00%.
In the 14-18 division Semi-Final, Caroline McQueen of Milton, Ga. proved to be the best in a field of 15 riders, earning a top score of 84.000% with her Hanoverian mare Mandolin RH.
Find more information at: https://www.gdcta.org/oct-reg-3-champs. Complete scores are available on Fox Village http://www.foxvillage.com/.
The Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 3 Championships, hosted by the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association, were held October 11-13, 2019 at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia. More than 350 horses were entered in this year’s Region 3 Championships. The prestigious dressage show also included a Vendor Walk with more than 42 vendors, plus an art show and sale. On Saturday night, the GDCTA presented a special award to their longtime, and now retiring, show secretary Sandy Donovan. Afterwards, the crowd was wowed by Trick Rider Ginger Duke, who put on quite a show, and a vaulting performance by Falconwood Vaulters from Covington, Georgia.
Two riders from the mid-south were especially successful at this championship show. Caitlyn Massey of Arlington, Tenn. and Cheryl Becker’s Bashkir Curly gelding Mikato impressed the judges to earn 72.083% and win the First Level JR/YR championship. Caitlyn and Mikato placed first in Friday’s JR/YR class with a score of 74.722%.
Marie Vitullo riding her Thoroughbred Night Owl placed eighth (out of 38) in the First Level Adult Amateur Championship class with a score of 68.056%. The pair won first place in Friday’s Second Level Test 1 Adult Amateur class on a score of 65.000%.
A selection of winners at the USDF Region 3 Championship Show follows:
U.S. Dressage Team rider Nora Batchelder of Williston, Fla., aboard the pinto Dutch Warmblood mare WGangster Girl, took home top honors in the Grand Prix Freestyle Championship on Saturday (Oct. 12), and on the final day of competition (Oct. 13), they added the Grand Prix Open Championship to their resume. Their freestyle performance earned a winning top score of 70.388% under both judges.
Katherine Lewis, from Aiken, S.C., and her Oldenburg gelding Donneur won the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship with a unanimous win under both judges, scoring 70.662%.
Jennifer Huber of Wellington, Fla. and her Danish Warmblood mare Madam Noir claimed victory in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship with top scores from both judges – 63.533%.
Anna Marek of Williston, Fla. claimed top honors over more than 30 entries in the First Level Open Championship with Maryanna Haymon’s five-year-old Hanoverian mare Danae MF. Her winning score: 73.472%.
Flooded with 38 entries, the First Level Adult Amateur Championship was won by Tina Cook of Denton, N.C. and her PRE stallion Carbonero XCVI, earning their third Region 3 title of the weekend with a score of 72.708%.
Christine Malpartida, of St. Petersburg, Fla., claimed the blue ribbon in the Adult Amateur Equitation Regional Final, riding her Hanoverian gelding Freudentanzer to a score of 87.000%.
In the Dressage Seat Medal Semi-Final 13 & Under division, Maren Elise Fouche-Hanson of Colbert, Ga. rode her gelding In My Feelings to top ten rivals with a score of 78.00%.
In the 14-18 division Semi-Final, Caroline McQueen of Milton, Ga. proved to be the best in a field of 15 riders, earning a top score of 84.000% with her Hanoverian mare Mandolin RH.
Find more information at: https://www.gdcta.org/oct-reg-3-champs. Complete scores are available on Fox Village http://www.foxvillage.com/.
