The National Horse Show is in Del Mar, California every year. The show is at the race track. The warm-up is on the race track that has this new, “spngy” footing. After worming up there, the ride happens in a sandy, deep footing. With those conditions anyone scoring well has really accomplished something. Southern California is now the mecca of American dressage so it isn’t always easy to score when people in magazines on very expensive horses are in your class. Nonetheless, we’re willing to show our horses. That’s what it is about-showing training (the dressage) of the horse.
Tom Valter rode Swedish Warmblood, Charman, and Lusitano Stallion, Ultriz Interagro. Both placed in the ribbons. Charman won the High Point ribbon for Swedish Warmbloods.
Katie Thompson rode Uno-HM in the Fourth Level, ending up in the mid-sixties for scores.
Rebecca Raede on Elmegarden’s Ziam continued to work on their collection of qualifying scores for the USDF National Junior Championships. (She earned a first and a second despite Ziam’s new found “electricity.” Ziam was on fire.
Mary Burke & Prince
Mary Burke usually rides adult amateur but she wanted to know what it would be like to ride with the big guns in the CDI-W. They’re scores were respectful and she ended up in the top half of some very large classes (over 15 rides.) It was all good experience.
A couple weeks later, Rebecca practiced her new Musical Freestyle on her horse, Ribbons N’ Curls. Another week later, she got her qualifying score needed for her Junior FEI Championships on Elmegardens Ziam. That was at the Flintridge show.
Tom Valter 