THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN writes in its fall 2010
magazine some info about Selten HW, like Lilo Fore referring to him as
“a flamboyant young talent”. With a score of 8.692 the pair
(Elizabeth Ball and Selten HW) was the very first to sweep the
Four-Year-Old, Five-Year-Old, and now SIX-Year-Old divisions of the
Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. Breeder Irene
Höflich-Wiederhold watched with a proud eye as onlookers marveled at
the cadence and scope of this young horse’s gaits.
Here is a picture of this Historic moment! Showing
Elizabeth Ball on Selten HW, Roger and Irene Wiederhold, Lilo Fore as
well as Lisa and John Seger:
September 23rd, 2010:
DRESSAGE TODAY prints the following article in the
arena news about Selten HW, Elizabeth Ball and others. Summer Champions
Crowned at Festival, Lamplight and Central American Games
September 8th, 2010:
DRESSAGE TODAY prints the following page,
congratulations to all and most of all, Selten HW:
August
24th, 2010:
Elizabeth Ball wins Trilogy Saddle “Best Seat” Award at Young
Horse Championships aboard Selten HW.
August 1st, 2010:
MARKEL/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program The new Markel Insurance
Company advertising – congratulations to all!
Selten HW, Bone Chance and DG Brendo with riders and
owners!
Two years ago, when Selten
HW won the Markel/USEF National Four-Year-Old
Young Dressage Horse Championship, he decided he liked
being national champion. In fact, he liked it so much
that the following year, with rider Elizabeth Ball, he came back
and took the Five-Year-Old National Championship. This
past weekend, at the 2010 Markel/USEF National Young Horse
Dressage Championship, Selten and Ball did it again when they
won the national title for Six-Year-Old horses.
Elizabeth Ball and Selten
HW Winner of the Markel/USEF
National Six-Year-Old Young Dressage Horse
Championship (Photo courtsey of Irene Wiederhold)
Selten HW
(Sandro
Hit x SPS
High Princess HW by Hohenstein)
was bred in the U.S. by Roger and Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold and
they were on hand to see him take his third national Young Horse
Championship title and thus, make history as the first to win
the Four-Year-Old, Five-Year-Old and Six-Year-Old divisions.
His Four-Year-Old win was with Michael Bragdell. “They were
there watching him, along with many of our supporters, and we
all had a great time,” Ball said of the National
Championships, held at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne,
Illinois.
Young Horse Championships 2010: Selten HW with
rider/owner Elizabeth Ball
as well as breeder Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold
and husband Roger Wiederhold, judge Lilo Fore and Lisa and
John Seger – representing Markel Insurance Company.
She and Selten
HW won with a score of 8.692 earning a victory that Ball
called “a great honor. I’m so happy to have been part of the
Young Horse program three years in a row. It’s a wonderful
program.”
The national title capped what has already been a stellar year
for the duo. “This year, he’s averaged 86 percent in
competition and he’s been undefeated,” Ball said of Selten
HW. “He’s proven himself to be quite successful.”
Whether or not Ball and Selten
HW will head into the Developing Horse competition next year
remains to be seen. “The Developing Horse program is
possible,” Ball said. “But, I want to be careful and I want
to be sure that he’s strong enough to do it with the same
success he’s had so far. He’ll tell us if the Developing
Horse will be too much or not.”
Ball credited a large team of supporters, including her groom,
her family and her entire network of friends and supporters at
her barn, for the tremendous success that she and Selten
HW have had over the years. “So many people make up my
support team. For every horse and rider combination, there is a
whole group of people behind them who are making sacrifices and
cheering them on and without them, we wouldn’t be in the show
ring.”
Although she’s gotten some assistance from Guenter Seidel
along the way, Ball has essentially brought Selten
HW along on her own. Selten, however, has made the road to
success relatively easy because of his great desire to be a
winner. “He wants to win. You can feel it,” Ball said of her
partner. “When he comes to a show, he becomes the best of all
the parts he does well at home. He just brings it all together
when showing and becomes so focused and so reliable. He’s only
six, so he’s not yet perfect, but it’s not for lack of
trying.”
When asked if she thought she’d one day look back and
think of Selten
HW as a horse of a lifetime, Ball said, he already
is. “I think that already,
no matter where the future goes, it has been an amazing ride and
unlike anything else I’ve had.” Ball can only think of one
other ride she’s had that comes close to Selten
HW and that was Bolshoj. “Consistency” is clearly a word
that describes Selten. “He goes out and does his job every
time,” Ball said. What adds to Selten’s HW success is the
extraordinary way that he can move his body “and it helps that
he’s tall, dark and handsome. He’s very elegant.”
July
26th, 2010:
Lamplight, Illinois, Young Horse Championships 2010
Irene Höflich-Wiederhold
received the award for the highest placed US bred horse AGAIN, this is
the 3rd time in a row, thanks to Selten HW and Elizabeth Ball (and
others).
What a great feeling to be allowed to be part of the team and to
have bred such a wonderful horse.
A
huge thank you goes also out to the super nice crowd a the show grounds,
too many to name them all, but it was quite an exciting and entertaining
weekend.
Elizabeth Ball & Selten HW Take US 6YO Champs &
Historic Triple Crown of YH Titles
Illinois, July 25–Elizabeth Ball rode Selten
HW, the American-bred Sandro
Hit black stallion, to win the U.S. 6-year-old championships Sunday
and complete an historic first for a horse to hold all three national
young horse titles from four to six years old. Elizabeth of Carlsbad,
California, had passed up the chance to compete Selten
HW at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany next
month to attempt capping the sweep of the four, five and six-year-old
championships. Selten
HW, bred by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold of Cape Coral, Florida, scored
8.66 in the championship test that combined with a preliminary score of
8.74 for a final result of 8.692. Stacy Parvey-Larsson of Reddick,
Florida, on Benidetto was reserve champion with a score of 8.208 while
fellow Reddick resident Alex Robertson on Zefier were third with 8.00. Selten
HW won the four-year-old title while training with Hilltop
Farm in Colora, Maryland, but Elizabeth took over the ride just over
a year ago and won the five-year-old championship at this same Lamplight
Equestrian Center in suburban Chicago. The stress of flooding of the
stables during heavy rainstorms last Thursday and a large tree falling
on the stabling Saturday night–no horses were hurt–did not appear to
affect the horses in Sunday’s championships. The panel of three judges
gave Selten HW
9s for the canter and general impression for “a talented, young and
beautiful horse” and a “wonderful” combination. Other elements
received from 8 to 8.8.
Selten, Elizabeth said, “felt much more self-motivated and in
balance” in the championship class. She said she did not ride the
horse Saturday between the preliminary and championship classes –”he’s
trained”– and at his age and stage of development he needs to be
properly managed. To have the first winner of the triple crown
of young horse classes, she said, is exciting.
Illinois, July 23– Selten
HW, the U.S.-bred Sandro
Hit gelding that has been a star since being acquired by Elizabeth
Ball three years ago, lived up to his billing to win the preliminary
test in the U.S. six-year-old championship Friday. Elizabeth qualified
but turned down the chance to go to the World Dressage Young Horse
Championships in Verden, Germany next month so as to compete at these
championships. The black, 17.2-hand (178cm), Hanoverian won as a
four-year-old ridden by Michael Bragdell of Hilltop
Farm in Colora, Maryland, then as a five-year-old when Elizabeth
took over the ride just over a year ago.
Elizabeth, 46, of Carlsbad, California, and Selten
HW received a score of 87.40 per cent from the three-judge panel
made up of U.S. “O” judge Axel Steiner, Jane Ayers and Jane
Weatherwax, both “S” judges.
June 20th, 2010:
2010 USEF National Young Horse Ranking List,
SIX-YEAR-OLD Division, Selten HW and Elisabeth Ball lead the country and
got an ***Automatic invitation to championships due to selection trial
score***
They sure are special, huge congratulations Beth and
Selten HW!!!
June 19th, 2010:
The CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE prints the following
article: Selten HW and Elizabeth Ball are headed to their third
Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship after topping the Western
trials. We are so proud of this team, that our EM
Donatella HW will go into training with Elizabeth Ball as well. See
her in California, training and competing with Beth in the future and
yes, she is FOR SALE and already successfully winning with up to 70% at
PSG! See you all at the Championships, please stop by and say hello!
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK Elizabeth Ball plans to compete
Selten HW at the U.S. six-year-old championships in July in hopes the
U.S.-bred Sandro
Hit gelding can sweep the three age levels of young horse titles,
rather than go to the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses
at Verden, Germany. Selten HW was ridden by Elizabeth to victory in the
Markel/USEF Six-Year-Old Young Horse Dressage Western Selection Trials
at La Canada Flintridge in California. The horse won the four- and five
year-old U.S. National Young Horse Dressage Championships. Elizabeth,
46, of Carlsbad, California, who owns the black Hanoverian, told
dressage-news.com: “After much consideration I’ve decided to return
to Lamplight rather than making the trip to Verden. We would be very
proud for Selten HW to win three years in a row–in the U.S. on our
U.S.-bred horse.” In the regional finals, Elizabeth and Selten HW
received a total score of 85.640 per cent, from scores of 86.20 per cent
in the final test that counted for 60 per cent and 84.80 per cent in the
preliminary that counted for 40 per cent. Their score easily surpassed
the minimum qualifying requirement of 8.2 points for Verden Aug. 5-8. In
second place was Willy Arts, of DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, California, on
Zalon DG, an Olympic Ferro mare, with a total of 77.360 per cent and in
third place Lars Holmberg of Lake View Terrace, California, on Pikko Del
Rio HU, a gelding by Pik L out of a Rhodiamant mare, with 68.840 per
cent. Selten is by Sandro Hit out of a Hohenstein mare, and was bred by Irene
Hoeflich-Wiederhold of Cape Coral, Florida. The horse’s actual
birthday was May 19. The second and third placed horses were also bred
in the United States, Zalona at DG Bar Ranch and Pikko Del Rio HU by
Horses Unlimited of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Elizabeth said that she is
pleased at how Selten HW is developing even more expression and power,
“it is such an amazing feeling to ride him.” “I was especially
happy to have out 8.9 walk score,” she said. “His other scores have
always been really high but until this season, the walk was high 7s to
low 8s.” Gary Rockwell, a USA “O” judge, Jane Weatherwax and
Jeanne McDonald judged the Western Finals. Dressage at Flintridge
completed two of the three regional finals–Kassandra Barteau and GP
Super Crusader won the Midwest Finals earlier this month with 76.00 per
cent, and the Eastern Finals will be held in Leesburg, Virginia, next
weekend. Selten was the U.S. four-year-old champion ridden by Michael
Bragdell of Hilltop Farm in Colora, Maryland, but Elizabeth took over
the ride early last year and won the U.S. five-year-old title at
Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She
works with U.S. Olympic medalist Guenter Seidel. The Freestyle Test of
Choice was won by Jan Ebeling of Moorpark, California, riding Rafalca at
Grand Prix with 71.917 per cent. Jan also won the Grand Prix Special on
Sandrina with 68.333 per cent. Both horses are qualified for the U.S.
selection trials for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky
later this year.
EURODRESSAGE reports the following – it’s just
amazing: Selten HW and Wakeup Obtain American WCYH Qualfication Score.
Last year there were no American young dressage horses which were able
to achieve the 8.2. U.S. qualification standard to compete at the World
Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, Germany. This year
change seem to have come as the 5-year old Wakeup and the 6-year old
Selten HW scored above 8.2 at the Central and West Coast Young Horse
Selection trials.
The DRESSAGE-NEWS.COM
just prints the following article about Selten HW’s new victories. I
love especially this comment: Elizabeth and Selten easily surpassed the
minimum qualifying requirement of 8.2 points for the FEI World Breeding
Championships for Young Horses in Dressage in Verden, Germany, Aug. 5-8.
6-Year-Old Selten HW Wins USA Young
Dressage Horse Western Selection Trials
Braddick/dressage-news.com LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE,
California, May 30–Selten HW, the Sandro
Hit gelding that won the four- and five year-old U.S. National Young
Horse Dressage Championships, was ridden by Elizabeth Ball to victory in
the Markel/USEF Six-Year-Old Young Horse Dressage Western Selection
Trials Sunday. Elizabeth, 46, of Carlsbad, California, who owns the
black Hanoverian, received a total score of 85.640 per cent, from scores
of 86.20 per cent in the final test that counted for 60 per cent and
84.80 per cent in the preliminary that counted for 40 per cent. In
second place was Willy Arts, of DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, California, on
Zalon DG, an Olympic Ferro mare, with a total of 77.360 per cent and in
third place Lars Holmberg of Lake View Terrace, California, on Pikko Del
Rio HU, a gelding by Pik L out of a Rhodiamant mare, with 68.840 per
cent. Selten is by Sandro Hit out of a Hohenstein mare, and was bred by
Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold of Cape Coral, Florida. The horse’s actual
birthday was May 19. The second and third placed horses were also bred
in the United States, Zalona at DG Bar Ranch and Pikko Del Rio HU by
Horses Unlimited of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dressage at Flintridge
completes two of the three regional finals–Kassandra Barteau and GP
Super Crusader won the Midwest Finals earlier this month with 76.00 per
cent, and the Eastern Finals will be held in Leesburg, Virginia, next
weekend. Elizabeth and Selten easily surpassed the minimum qualifying
requirement of 8.2 points for the FEI World Breeding Championships for
Young Horses in Dressage in Verden, Germany, Aug. 5-8. Gary Rockwell, a
USA “O” judge, Jane Weatherwax and Jeanne McDonald judged the
Western Finals. Selten was the U.S. four-year-old champion ridden by
Michael Bragdell of Hilltop Farm in Colora, Maryland, but Elizabeth took
over the ride early last year and won the U.S. five-year-old title. She
works with U.S. Olympic medalist Guenter Seidel. The Freestyle Test of
Choice was won by Jan Ebeling of Moorpark, California, riding Rafalca at
Grand Prix with 71.917 per cent. Jan also won the Grand Prix Special on
Sandrina with 68.333 per cent. Both horses are qualified for the U.S.
selection trials for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky
later this year.
May 30th, 2010:
Dressage at Flintridge, Final Selection Trials. Oh
boy, oh boy, they just keep it coming. Again, breathtaking scores,
Selten HW is definitely the leader in the nation, winning with 84.8% and
86.2%.
Beth, we are so super proud of you and so thankful
that you and Selten HW are such a great team. Huge congratulations to
all your success and all the best wishes for the future!!!
May
28th, 2010:
Now on the website of the AMERICAN HANOVERIAN SOCIETY:
FEI FIVE-YEAR-OLD DIVISION
CHAMPION:
Selten HW
(Sandro Hit-SPS High Princess/Hohenstein)
Median score: 8.0
Owner: Elizabeth Ball
Breeder: Irene
Hoeflich-Wiederhold, Fla.
RESERVE
CHAMPION:
Hyperion SF
(His Highness-Wonderlady/Wonderful)
Median score: 7.7
Owner: Somerset Farms
Breeder: Stefan Blanken, Ger.
HONORABLE
MENTION:
Cosmopolitan
(Connery-Wonderful Dream/Weltrum)
Median score: 7.5
Owner: Faye Dunn
Breeder: Juergen Koetter, Ger.
Pikko Del Rio HU
(Pik L-Rohweena/Rohdiamant)
Median score: 7.5
Owner/Breeder: Horses Unlimited
Rorick
(Rienzi-EM Daalny/Donnerhall)
Median score: 7.3
Owner/Breeder: Marefield Meadows
Donzi
(Don Frederico- SPS Wiebke/Weltmeyer)
Median score: 7.3
Owner: Charlotte Bayley-Schindelholz
Breeder:Walter Wilhaus, Ger.
Laika
(Londonderry—SPS Wildrose II/Weltmeyer)
Median score: 7.3
Owner: Emily Wagner
Breeder: Hermann Meyer
Selten HW does it again!!! After being the 4 and 5
year old champion, he now leads the 6 year old group! In the 2010 USEF
National Young Horse Ranking List, SIX-YEAR-OLD DIVISION for the 2010
National Championships, Selten HW ranks at 1st Place with scores of 8.04
and 8.6, overall average 8.32 right now. What a great team Beth and
Selten are, congratulations, this is awesome!
May 22nd, 2010:
THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN prints the following info
about Selten HW in their Spring 2010 edition. EQUIQUEST FEI TEST AWARDS!
Selten HW is the FEI FIVE-YEAR-OLD WINNER with an 8.0. Breeder Irene
Höflich-Wiederhold, owner Elizabeth Ball.
May 3rd,
2010:
The USDF Connection displays a picture of Selten HW with Michael
Bragdell in their magazine. It’s always amazing to see the boy in the
news.
March 15th, 2010:
Hi Irene, Just thought you'd be so proud to hear that
Selten HW won his first 6 yr. old qualifier with an 80.4%, at the
Dressage Affaire CD!!! He's still figuring out how to organize himself
for the flying changes, but has a great start with them. He's such a
magnificent boy!
Hope you're well, Beth
January 2010:
Markel has printed their new advertising in DRESSAGE
TODAY, showcasing
National Young Horse Champions like Selten HW, called "in the
Circle of
Winners":
January 2010:
DRESSAGE TODAY prints the following article,
AMERICAN-BRED SPORT HORSES are RISING TO THE TOP. Read stories from the
breeders, riders and owners of the four best young horses in the nation.
One of them is Selten HW, bred by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold, ridden by
Elizabeth Ball, as we always say:
The most valuable asset for successful breeding is the
best mare available (SPS
High Princess)!
December 10th, 2009:
Dressage Getaway, Thermal C, Judges Hilda Gurney and Carolyn Doran.
Elizabeth Ball and Selten HW had their first outing at 2nd Level Test 3
Open and won their class with a whopping 80%. Congratulations Beth and
Selten HW – you rock!!!
November 19th, 2009:
THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN prints the following article:
October 30th, 2009:
The USDF Connection printed the following in their
November 2009 issue:
October 15th, 2009:
The American Hanoverian Society Official Page's Photos - Wall Photos
From the album:
"Wall Photos" by The American Hanoverian Society Official Page
Special thanks to AHS member and photographer Silvio
Busch, Nicholasville, Ky., who recently presented the society with large
canvas portraits of both Cabana Boy and Selten HW, respectively the
six-year-old and five-year-old 2008 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage
Champions. They now grace the walls of the central office.
The portrait of Cabana Boy (Contucci-Britania/Bordeaux),
entitled “Gone With the Wind” shows the horse and rider Christopher
Hickey without his riding hat as a consequence of the hurricane strength
winds that blew through the Kentucky Horse Park while the pair were in
the ring. The second portrait, “Pride and Glory,” shows a delighted
Michael Bragdell and Selten HW
(Sandro
Hit-SPS
High Princess/Hohenstein),
after completion of their ride. These two AHS-registered and -branded
geldings represent the type of riding horse that the AHS breeding
program strives to produce. On behalf of the membership we’d like to
thank Silvio for his generous gift to the AHS.
Welcome
to DressageClinic.com Welcome
to the Equestrian World's Premier Educational Online Website for the
Development of Dressage Horses and Riders. From all the Regularly
Featured Trainers of DressageClinic.com to All Our Members and Visitors,
We Wish Your Riding Dreams Come True.
DressageClinic.com
Presents
Elizabeth Ball
Riding & Lecturing on
Selten HW
Elizabeth
Ball Lecturing Selten HW by Sandro Hit
5 yrs old Hanoverian Gelding
Training: FEI 5 yrs. Olds Sept. 2009
Training Video: 40 minutes
Click Above to watch Sample Video
Find
out more about membership
to DressageClinic.com
“It
starts with getting a clear understanding of the tiniest softest little
details”, -Elizabeth Ball
Elizabeth Ball is presently one of the most talked about dressage riders
in North America as well as Europe as she is presently training what
is considered the best young 5 yr. old in he nation and one of the most
talented youngster in the world. Elizabeth Ball’s 2009
accomplishments include a berth in the nation’s top twelve for
the Developing Horse Championships with Soubirous, competing Eckstein
Farm’s Orion in several Intermediare 2 classes with scores over 70%
and riding Orion in a very well received Grand Prix Pas de Deux with
Gunter Seidel at the 2009 World Cup in Las Vegas.
Selten HW's overall score for the Five Year
Old Final Championship test was 86.800%. Trot score: 9.2 Canter
score: 9.0 Walk score: 7.5 Submission score:8.9 General Impression
score:8.8 This incredible youngster, "won" the 2009 USEF/Markel
National Young Horse Championships in Illinois last month with Elizabeth
holding the reins, and last year Selten HW won the four year old
National Championship class at Dressage at Devon 2008.
California’s mountainous landscape is
the backdrop for Elizabeth Balls latest video. As she warms up
Selten HW at the walk, she fills us in on how this young horse
became hers and Selten’s HW infant training by Michael
Bragdell at Hilltop Farm.
In Part 1, When we filmed this video, Elizabeth's contant
thoughts were that the following week they were both off to Ilinois
to compete for the Young Horse Championships for the FEI 5
year old test, which includes, counter canter, simple changes, forward
trots and canters. “Especially with the young horses”, Elizabeth
explains, “when you are correcting them or showing them new things,
it’s got to be that it feels fun for them. Even when the hard
things are a bit challenging, there has to be a reward, and that walk
break off and on within the work to tell them that “hey you are on the
right track. It’s OK”.
Selten HW is given a comfortable
contact with a gentle rein as he begins his trot warm up. “It is easy
with a big mover like this", Beth explains, "for my legs to
flop around a little and my feet to move more than I would like. This
is not as pretty, and it gives him the message that I am always
pushing. I need to train him to go without my pushing all the
time", Beth continues, "I am going to try to do a good
job about not “overdriving” and at the same time, I can’t just
grip my legs to hold them still, otherwise I am not going to be
comfortable for him. He has a lot of motion so there is that
movement that happens in my body. It’s about finding a balance between
keeping track of my excess movement and doing my best to go with him,
with out tensing up”.
In Part 2, as Beth continues working him, they
begin their canter work.
Selten's HW big canter improves as she influences him forward,
working on straightness , lateral bending, keeping him in front of her
leg, and turning. “I have to give the aid a little early",
Beth says, "because by the time he processes the information of
aid, he is already a stride or two late and sometimes he gets a little
too close to the fence.”
In Part 3, now that they have done the walk,
trot and canter, Elizabeth rides the trot a little bit more collected
to teach him what that is about. The test calls for sitting trot,
so Beth sits the trot as they work on shoulder in, shoulderfor, and leg
yield. As Selten HW gets warmed up mentally and physically he gets
going forward on his own begining to carry her. Selten HW is really just
a “baby” he get’s distracted momentarily by another horse.
Elizabeth teaches him that no matter what is going on, he has to always
be ready to go forward. If she puts her leg on, he must move
forward and at this point explain a few of her theories about teaching
forwardness to a young horse.
In Part 4, Beth canters Selten in smaller
circles to balance his large canter strides. They work on the counter
canter that has to be performed in the test.
"It is a good strengthening exercise as well. I maintain the
same bend through the whole body to the left as I had on the true
lead.” Beth explains in her calm soothing voice even after 30 minutes
of working the horse. They work together on the simple change as
Selten HW stays responsive truly giving his all.
“At this phase in his training and strength,
I have to be so patient, because I know that he could move so much
bigger and do all these grand things, but he’s only five years old and
he has only been ridden in the last year and a half. Just being in here
with him, being happy and willing and trying is already so
much.” Beth explains as she comes to the end of this training
session.
This video is an important video to watch because
Elizabeth Ball has such a great teaching style. Ask any of her lucky
students and they will tell you. She shows us in her expert, yet gentle
way, how to train a young horse, where it can be fun and
beneficial for both horse and rider.
We will continue to follow Elizabeth Ball and
the training of her magnificent horse Selten HW, and bring her training
videos to you, right on your desktop. We strongly suggest you
watch this training session. It is part of your development and
education as a dedicated dressage rider.
Team DC.com
At the end of August, a few of Maryland’s top young
dressage horses traveled to Wayne, Illinois for the 2009 Markel/United
States Equestrian Federation National Dressage Young Horse Championships
held at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Three of these horses came home
with top honors.
Cabana Boy continued to impress. The 7-year-old
Hanoverian gelding, who was bred by Douglass and Shannon Langer of
Wisconsin and owned by Hilltop Farm in Colora, earned his third straight
championship title (he was the 2007 Five-Year-Old champion and the 2008
Six-Year-Old champion, all under the guidance of rider/trainer
Christopher Hickey). This year, after scoring a 72.895% on the first day
and a 73.440% on the second day, he added the title of United States
Equestrian Federation National Developing Horse Dressage champion to his
resume.
A Maryland horse placed well in the Six-Year-Old
division with Jessica Jo Tate of Chesapeake City in the irons. Tate, who
trains out of Hassler Dressage in Chesapeake City, rode Faberge, an
imported Westfalen gelding owned by Elizabeth Guarisco of Virginia, to
the reserve championship spot after placing fifth on the first day and
second on the second day.
Selten
HW, a Hanoverian bred by Irene
Hoeflich-Wiederhold of Florida and owned by Elizabeth Ball of
California, earned his second straight championship title. In 2008, this
gelding was ridden by Michael Bragdell and trained at Hilltop Farm. The
pair won the 2008 Four-Year-Old Championship. This past June, Ball took
over the ride and together she and Selten HW won the Five-Year-Old
Championship class with a score of 8.52 (out of a possible 10).
WAYNE, Illinois, Aug. 22–Selten HW, a Sandro Hit
gelding that Elizabeth Ball has been riding for only two months, won the
US National Dressage Championships for five-year-olds Saturday. The horse
won the four-year-old 2008 championships for four-year-old horses, but
ridden by a trainer she left it with to develop.
Selten beat San Shivago, a Sandro Hit gelding owned and
ridden by Elizabeth’s friend Louise Koch, for the Markel/USEF
championship by 85.200 per cent to 82.840 per cent by combining the scores
from Saturday’s championship and Friday’s preliminary class.
Selten also won the award for the highest finishing
American-bred horse.
San Shivago received an unexpected setback as he was
walking from the warmup ring to the adjoining competition arena when a
woman spectator ran in front of the pair, was frightened by the oncoming
horse and threw her hand back into the nose of San Shivago causing an open
wound.
Louise had no complaints about the incident that she
said caused her horse to “back off” throughout the ride, saying that
Beth was a “great competitor” on a fabulous horse.
The judges either did not notice the wound or overlooked
it as the cause was clearly beyond the control of the rider.
Selten is by Sandro Hit out of a Hohenstein mare, and is
owned by Elizabeth, of Carlsbad, California.
San Shivago, also by Sandro Hit and out of a Donnerhall
mare, is owned by Louise while the third placed combination, Zatino H, by
Sir Sinclair out of an Equador mare, that scored 80.160 per cent is ridden
and owned by Emily Gershberg of Hudson, New York.
Elizabeth Ball, 45, said that she had been riding Selten
for only two months–”a short but exhilirating time–since she took
over the ride from a trainer at Hilltop Farm in Coloran, Maryland, with
whom she had left the horse for development, whom she praised highly.
During the time Selten had been in training at Hilltop,
she said, she had only ridden the horse twice. She now is training with
Olympic medalist Guenter Seidel.
Elizabeth said the difference between the championship
and preliminary class in which she finished second to San Shivago was that
she changed her warmup routine so as not to tire the horse and that made
the difference.
Louise Koch, who is aged 62 but says that San Shivago
has given her a new start in her riding career, said the warmup was
“excellent” and “we got THE trot” she the horse could deliver.
But after the incident in which San Shivago was smacked
in the head by the spectator “we did not get it in the ring.”
Louise and Elizabeth are such good friends that Ball
credited Koch’s judging with putting her on the right track for these
championships.
“We are very lucky girls,” Elizabeth said, and
Louise joked that maybe they could become like Isabell Werth and Anky van
Grunsven trade titles as they competed against each other.
The Second year in a row for Selten
HW to be the Young Horse Champion in the US, he won it as a 4 and
now as a 5 year old! Elizabeth Ball has taken Selten
HW to the Win in the Five-Year-Old Championships at USEF/Markel
National Young Horse Championships 2009!
Unbelievable, what an experience to follow the story of Selten HW.
It is really exciting to see him grow up, collect many titles and to
see him compete year after year. In 2008 he was the National Young Horse
Champion for FOUR-YEAR-OLDS with Michael Bragdell and now he won again
in 2009, with Pan Am rider Elizabeth Ball in the saddle.
Selten HW
was bred by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold of HW FARM, in Florida and also
received an American-bred award during the Championships.
Elizabeth Ball, whose Cadence, LLC of Carlsbad, California owns Selten
HW, called it "an honor for our country to breed the top horse
for this year."
Selten HW scored the highest marks: 9.2 in trot, 7.5 walk, 9.0
canter, 8.9 submission and 8.8 general impression!
We are thankful to all whom made it possible, Hilltop Farms, Scott
Hassler whom always believed in Selten
HW , Michael Bragdell with his outstanding horsemanship and riding
at home and during all the competitions, Beth Clark for establishing the
connection to Elizabeth Ball, Selten’s
HW owner, trainer and rider and the best mom we could have wished
for him, thanks go everybody named and not named but helped.
Wayne,
Illinois – Elizabeth Ball and Selten HW took the win in
Saturday's Five-Year-Old Championship Test during the USEF/Markel
National Young Horse Championships being held at Lamplight
Equestrian Center. And they did it with only two months
preparation. Ball and Selten scored 86.80 to take the win. Coming
in second were Louise Koch and the Westfalen stallion San Shivago
with a score of 82.2. Third was Emily Gershberg, of Hudson, New
York, with her KWPN gelding Zatino H with a score of 81.20.
Because she didn't have the right kind of set up for a
stallion, Ball sent Selten off to Michael Bragdell at Hilltop Farm
as a three-year-old. Bragdell and Selten, a Hanoverian gelding by
Sandro Hit out of High Princess, were a successful team, becoming
last year's national champions in the Four-Year-Old division.
Selten was scheduled to return to California this year to rejoin
Ball, but the timing was such that she wouldn't get him back early
enough to compete him in qualifying classes out West.
Hence, Ball had Bragdell compete him in Five-Year-Old
competition. So, Bragdell got Selten qualified for the national
championships and Ball took over the ride just two months ago when
Selten returned to California. "It says much about how good
Michael's training was that I was able to come out here today and
win," Ball said.
Although
a successful FEI rider and trainer, Ball, who is based in the San
Diego area and trains with Guenter Seidel, admits to having little
experience with the young horse classes. And so, she turned to
someone with more experience for guidance – Louise Koch, who won
Friday's Five-Year-Old Preliminary Test with San Shivago and
finished second on Saturday. Koch happily shared her experience
and in doing so, might just have given Ball the help she needed to
place ahead of Koch in the championship class.
"My horse is magnificent, but I knew we had to work hard
to ride above Louise and her incredible horse today. So, we really
went for it," Ball said. "Louise is really a dear woman
to have helped me. She's a judge and we see each other at horse
shows. I knew that she had experience with the five-year-old tests
both from the view of a judge and a rider and trainer. So, I
called her and picked her brain about these tests because I knew
that she knew them well. I had never ridden the preliminary or
final test for the Five-Year-Olds. I was just reading them and
trying to get ready. Louise was very helpful."
Selten HW was bred by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold in Florida and
also received an American-bred award during the championships.
Ball, whose Cadence, LLC of Carlsbad, California owns Selten,
called it "an honor for our country to bred the top horse for
this year." Ball describes her life as "fortunate and
blessed." And not just because she has a promising young star
in Selten, but also because she recently relocated to a phenomenal
new facility owned by the Eckstein family, which also owns Ball's
Grand Prix partner Orion. "It's very private. It has a
beautiful, Tuscan-style, 10-stall barn and a ring with the most
incredible footing," Ball said.
Copy
fromwww.Doversworld.com(Robert
Dover’s website), we heard that “the one of the finest 5 year olds” was no
one less then our homebredSELTEN
HW!!!!
Day
3 In San Diego
Well,
I’m at the airport in San Diego awaiting the boarding of the redeye back to
West Palm Beach via Atlanta.
I can safely say I’m not looking forward to the long trip home, but it was a
great week out here in California and today was a wonderful day of Dressage.
Everyone rode well and the horses seemed to enjoy showing off what they had
learned.
Guenter rode U2 through his 1st Grand Prix and I can tell you, objectively
speaking, it was well over 70%! They would have received a minimum of six or
seven ‘9’s’ and showed thrilling work!
I also saw perhaps one of thefinest
5 year oldsI’ve
ever in my life seen, ridden by Beth Ball who also has a wonderful 7 year old
and two other lovely Grand Prix horses.
So
now I am letting down after a nice dinner and thinking how pleased I am with the
standard of riding and horses out here on the west coast.
Still, I will be happy to get home to Robert, Simon, and my horses. I only hope
I can sleep on the plane!
Cheers!
RD
April 27th, 2009:
THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN prints the following:
Selten HW wins the „Rolling Stone Farm FEI Test Award”. Please see
Thumbnail for more info:
January 23rd, 2009:
Hilltop Farm Inc. has the following congratulations printed in their 2009
catalogue:
December
3rd, 2008:
The
“EQUESTRIAN” prints the following congratulations:
December
2008:
The magazine SIDELINES (credit to http://sidelinesnews.com/
) has published the following articles. The first was written by Cathy Cottrill,
what a wonderful author she is, a huge thank you to her!
The second one is an article with questions to Elizabeth Ball about her,
her horses and for sure about Selten HW, we attached that too for your
information, we are delighted that he has such a wonderful new mom. It's quite
funny that both articles were in the same issue, neither Beth nor Irene knew
that this would be printed at the same time, even better!
November 11th, 2008:
THE AMERICAN HANOVERIAN prints the following article of Selten HW:
October 2008
Copyright
and Newsletter, Hilltop Farm Inc: It's been a whirlwind here at Hilltop Farm
recently with excellent results at Dressage at Devon and USDF Regional
Championships. Thursday was the start of
the performance classes, where Selten
HW(Sandro
Hit -Hohenstein)
and Michael Bragdell, still on their victory streak from Young Horse Nationals,
commandingly won the USEF 4 Year-Old Test on Thursday and Friday with the
consistent score of 81%. In the FEI Dressage Test for Six Year-Olds, Cabana
Boy(Contucci
- Bordeaux) and Chris Hickey won with a top score of 83% on
both Thursday and Friday.
Additionally,
both Cabana Boy and Selten HW won the North American Breeders Futurity for their
respective age groups.
September26th, 2008:
HE DID IT AGAIN!!!!
DRESSAGE AT DEVON 2008:
Just about 2 weeks after being the
WINNER at the Young Horse Dressage Championships in Kentucky, Selten HW was able
to WOW the judges at Devon 2008! With super scores, this fancy black horse won
both of his USEF 4 yo classes. He was well behaved as usual, showed himself
willing and 100% rideable with a smiling Michael Bragdell in the saddle.
Congratulations to this super team and to Beth whom consistently supports the
boys.
September 15th,
2008:
2008 USEF YOUNG
HORSE AND DEVELOPING HORSE DRESSAGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
Huge
congratulations to Selten HW, he scored perfect 9’s for trot and canter, 8’s
for walk and submission and an 8.8 for general impression. All combined results
in the winning score of 8.56! He was the only horse in the competition of
nationals best 19 horses in the four year old class, scoring 9’s on trot and
canter. We are so proud to have bred this boy and thankful that he is in super
hands with Hilltop Farms Inc. and we’d like to thank them for the continued
support and phenomenal education this horse receives on a regular basis.
Selten HW
was bred and raised at HW Farm in Cape Coral. After his first year he got
included in the stallion herd at Hilltop from there on. Michael Bragdell broke
him and rides him since and it is amazing to see these two compete.
Selten HW is NATIONAL
YOUNG HORSE DRESSAGE CHAMPION and BEST US BRED FOUR YEAR OLD 2008!!!
From
Across the Nation America's Finest Young Horses Come to Kentucky
By Jeannie Blancq Putney for DressageDaily
The
nation’s top young horses from California to Massachusetts
have gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park home of the 2010
Alltech World Equestrian Games for the Markel/USEF National
Young Horse Championships and the USEF National Developing Horse
Dressage Championship. For some it was an arduous journey
but well worth the honor of being invited. One family left
their farm in Florida with Hurricane Ike bearing down on them.
One
made the cross-country trip from California and camped out along
the way. Some are first-timers. One is an Olympic
athlete. One of the interesting tidbits this year—the
fifth year of the Young Horse program—is the number of horses
that are U.S. bred. Another is the number of competitors
who have competed in this program multiple years, some with the
same horse, allowing them to see true progress in the
development of the nation’s strongest young equine talent.
Michael
Bragdell and Selten HW Win Markel/USEF National Dressage
Four-Year-Old Young Horse Championship By
Jeannie Blancq Putney for DressageDaily
On
a hot and sticky day that would have made it hard for any
youngster to keep their composure, 16 of the nation’s top
young horses showed us how it was done at the four-year-old
finale. Two of the first four riders of the day, Michael
Bragdell and Emily Gershberg walked away with the champion and
reserve champion titles respectively.
Emily
came into this championship ranked first and Michael, ranked
second. Both riders have ridden with Chris Hickey who
enjoyed a proud moment today. Michael’s mount, Selten
HW, is a Hanoverian stallion by Sandro Hit out of MS High
princess by Hohenstein, owned by Cadence, LLC and was bred in
the U.S. by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold. Michael’s winning
score of 8.56 was evident by the judge’s highly complimentary
feedback even before they gave their collective marks.
“He is just so long-legged,” they said. “It looks
like he has spider legs. He is so balanced and so much off
the ground. We are sitting here, and you make it look so
easy. He seems to have a workmanlike brain and a lot of
personality. Today that personality was for good and not
evil. We all know what stallions can be like.”
Selten
HW received 9s for his walk and canter and 8.8 for his overall
impression. The two have been a pair for a year since
Michael started with him as a three-year-old. Michael’s
first year in the championship was last year when he competed in
the five-year-old class. Michael describes Selten as
easygoing and kind of like a big child and says he knew Selten
was special when he first sat his canter. “It’s truly
an incredible feeling.”
Originally
from Sweden, Michael is a Hilltop employee who started out as a
working student.
Michael
Bragdell and Selten HW Win the Four-Year-Old Division in the 2008 Markel/USEF
National Young Horse Dressage Championships presented by Collecting Gaits
Farm
Release: September 13 2008
Lexington, KY – In the second day of competition at
the 2008 Markel/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Young
Horse Dressage Championships presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, claiming
the title in the four-year-old division was Michael Bragdell and Selten
HW, besting 19 other horses to win with a score of 8.56.
Bragdell and Selten HW came into this competition in
first place after qualifying. Bragdell decided to ride in the optional
warm up class the day before the championship, which helped him and Selten
HW get a feel for the arena along with the overall show environment—
ultimately they placed first in the class.
“I was pretty confident that he would be okay with all
the stuff but you never know— it’s a four-year-old,” said Bragdell.
Selten HW (Sandro Hit x MS High Princess by Hohenstein)
is a black Hanoverian stallion owned by Cadence, LLC., and was bred in the
U.S. by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold. Selten HW has been at Hilltop Farm
since he was a yearling and Bragdell, who is a trainer at Hilltop, started
him when he was three years old. Though lightly shown, Selten HW’s
accomplishments have been big, including starting off his show career with
a Reserve Champion at the Devon Horse Show when he was only two years old.
“He’s such a super horse,” said Bragdell. “He
just goes in there, the winds blowing… I felt the wind gust kind of grab
a hold of me and he still is just clucking along like nothing. That’s
the part I love about him—the trainability. He just goes wherever I
point him.”
Bragdell described Selten HW’s personality as very
easy going and he knew the horse was special when he sat his first canter
on him.
“His canter is unbelievable,” said Bragdell. “I
guess it takes you away. It’s truly an incredible feeling.”
Bragdell hopes to build on Selten HW’s success and
return to the Young Horse Dressage Championship next year to compete in
the five-year-old division.
July
16th, 2008:
Selten
HW, in place 2 for the 2008 USEF National Young horse Ranking List for the 2008
National Championship sponsered by Markel Insurance. He has an overall average
of 8.48 as of now, first place is at 8,5, that’s really close!
June 25th, 2008, info from the Hilltop Farm
Newsletter:
Selten HW (Sandro
Hit - Hohenstein),
owned by Cadence LLC, is currently ranked 3rd in the Nation for Four Year
Olds with Michael Bragdell and just received an amazing 85% in his Training
Level Test 4 class this past weekend.
June 24th, 2008:
Hi Irene,
Guess what!!! Our boy (Selten HW) got an 85% at a show today with a couple
of 10's and multiple nines... Michael is doing such a great job with
Selten, who is nothing less than spectacular.
Hope you're well,
Beth
June 10th, 2008: Huge
congratulations to Beth, Hilltop Farms and Selten
HW!
Hi Irene, just got news of
Selten HW winning both his classes this past weekend - he's now qualified for
Kentucky! He got 9's on his trot and canter, and 8.7 on walk, etc.,
overall I think was around 8.6 or 8.7. I'm so pleased with Michael's
riding, and feel fortunate that Chris Hickey is looking after them as well.
I'll try to go to Ky. for the championships, to cheer them on!
I've been busy getting qualified
and ready for the Int. 1 champs... it turns out I get to take both my horses!
So, I'm putting together an other Kur, a little last minute! I'll ride it
for the first time this weekend, at a local show, then the following weekend is
the big finals... It's all really fun!
X Beth
Quote from Hilltop’s website:
Spring Dressage
at Morven Park
Trainer Michael Bragdell got Hilltop’s regular show season off to a
running start this weekend at VADA/ Nova’s Spring Dressage Competition
in Leesburg, Virginia. He came home with several wins, including two first
place finishes on Selten-HW, Cadence LLC’s young stallion, in the USEF
Four Year Old Test. Michael and Selten scored a 8.2 on Sunday and an
impressive 8.7 on Saturday, receiving comments such as “super horse”,
“active, expressive” and “impressively talented” from Judges Betsy
Berry, Lorraine MacDonald and Brenda Minor.
April
21st, 2008:
Huge
congratulations go out to our homebred Champion stallion “Selten
HW” and his new owner as well as his rider and the training barn
Hilltop. We could not be more happy and thrilled with their success,
great work and amazing accomplishments.
Selten
HW ranks officially in FIRST PLACE of the 2008 USEF National Young Horse
List, four–year–old–division with an overall score of 8.18!
There was quite a stir after Selten
HW’s huge success as a Champion stallion at the Oldenburg
Licensing.
A
phenomenal black stallion being so successful is what everybody wants to have in
the barn. It is with great proud and delight to announce that Selten
HW was sold to a Pan Am rider and will be prepared for an international
future with care and lot’s of love. We are sure we’ll hear a lot more about
him and we wish him and his new owner all the best for their plans to show him
up to the highest levels. He moved back to the place where he grew up and is at
Hilltop right now. Michael Bragdell and the Hilltop Team are glad to have him
back. It was quite a happy reunion. Selten
HW will spend his winter there and it is planned to move him to California
in spring or summer. He will then be in training with his new owner and with
knowledgeable people like Günter Seidel and Klaus Balkenhol (Coach USET
Dressage Team). Congratulations and good luck!
Our home bred Selten
HW is now (December 2007) officially added to the Oldenburg
Registry North America & International Sporthorse Registry Website.
Another milestone for HW
Farm and the breeding program managed by Irene Höflich-Wiederhold. Selten
HW and Sagenhaft HW are now
boarded at Hassler Dressage with their rider and trainer Brooke Doss.
Barely one week after their arrival, Selten
HW was called the Champion stallion of the Oldenburg inspection with the
highest score of the day, a whopping 83%. With a 9 for canter, 8,5 for trot
etc……more info to follow.
Congratulations and 1000 times thank you to his rider
Brooke Doss and to Scott Hassler for presenting him and doing a wonderful job!
His dam SPS
High Princess (a special mare entered with the phenomenal score of 9 in the Hanoverian
mare book!) is a last time in foal to Sandro
Hit for spring 2008. We can’t wait to see the last full sibling to Selten
HW, Sagenhaft HW, Skywalker
HW and Soraya HW. The foal will
be for sale if it is a colt, if it is a filly, it will stay with us. If you are
interested to buy this quality foal in utero, don’t hesitate. If you are
interested in a high quality FEI prospect under saddle, Sagenhaft
HW will now become available for purchase.
Fair
hill breed show - Top Placings for Team Hilltop
The Fair Hill Breed Show, on August 11-12, is always a favorite show for
Hilltop Farm. Close to home, well-run, and a relaxed atmosphere make it a
perfect outing to gain some important mileage for the younger horses.
Selten
HW (Sandro Hit x Hohenstein), owned by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold, impressed
in his undersaddle debut. The young stallion's impressive movement created
a buzz at the show as he won the 3 year old Colts & Geldings Materiale class
and the judge specifically sought out Michael Bragdell after the class to tell
him personally what a "super" horse she felt Selten
HW was. He won the class with a huge distance to the second place
(another Sandro
Hit son) and he scored a 7,8 for walk, 8,3 for trot and an 8,5 for canter,
which is an overall score of 8,2. The show was rather scored low, which makes
these results even better! It was only his second show which he attended (at his
first show he was in hand, being Reserve Grand Champion at
Devon
and more) and Fair Hill was his first show under saddle ever. What a
outstanding boy, especially considering he was only 3 years and 3 months old at
the time of the show.....
Selten HW’s dam, SPS Princess, is entered with an overall 9 in the
Hanoverian marebook. High Princess' grand dam, SPS Batavia , has, among
other winners, produced the 1997 Bundeschampion (National Champion of Germany
for Dressage), DUVALIER by Davignon. Duvalier sold initially at Verden for
DM 240,000 and then for DM 1,000,000. Her full sister scored 10s on her
gaits at her inspection and is competing at I-1 right now. Their sire, the Elite
Trakehner Stallion Hohenstein (Caprimond/Matador) with a Dressage Index of
148.29 points, sired the 2001 Silver Medallist at the World Young Dressage Horse
Championships, Munchhausen, and the 2000 German Vice Federal Champion, Habitus.
Newsflash, September 26th, 2006 in Devon: Selten
HW (a Sandro
Hit son, bred and owned by HW Farm), just won his classes at
Devon
with a whopping 85.6%, this is what I am talking about.
Dressage at Devon 2006, Selten HW was his first time at a
show: He is the Reserve Grand Champion of Dressage at
Devon
!!! The American born Hanoverian colt is by Sandro Hit out of High Princess (by
Hohenstein/Donnerhall) and was handled by Marten Walters.
Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold's Selten HW is
Reserve Grand Champion of Dressage at
Devon
The USDF Breeders Champion for Colts and Geldings
Champion Winner of his class: 2 year old Colts and
Geldings
Best born in the
USA
and
he is
High Point
Hanoverian!
We are proud to present: “Selten HW”, by Sandro
Hit, out of SPS
High Princess. Born in May 2004, he has the color of black velvet and is a
very energetic young man. He keeps his mom in shape, moving around all day long
and he is a joy to watch and play with. He moves with a lot of air time and the
typical extra swing that we love so much in this type of horse. He is very
refined and will present the modern type Hanoverian. He was bred with frozen
semen and it worked out on the very first try. SPS
High Princess was imported in 2002, in foal at this time with “Sagenhaft
HW”, bred via cooled semen in
Germany
. Now we are happy to have two full brothers here from these phenomenal
bloodlines and we look forward to raise them together.
We are again so impressed with the quality of these foals,
that we’ll breed SPS
High Princess back to Sandro
Hit for another one. Here are some pictures, showing the baby at only 2 days
old, what a boy!!!
Wayne,
Illinois – Elizabeth Ball and Selten HW took the win in
Saturday's Five-Year-Old Championship Test during the USEF/Markel
National Young Horse Championships being held at Lamplight
Equestrian Center. And they did it with only two months
preparation. Ball and Selten scored 86.80 to take the win. Coming
in second were Louise Koch and the Westfalen stallion San Shivago
with a score of 82.2. Third was Emily Gershberg, of Hudson, New
York, with her KWPN gelding Zatino H with a score of 81.20.
Although
a successful FEI rider and trainer, Ball, who is based in the San
Diego area and trains with Guenter Seidel, admits to having little
experience with the young horse classes. And so, she turned to
someone with more experience for guidance – Louise Koch, who won
Friday's Five-Year-Old Preliminary Test with San Shivago and
finished second on Saturday. Koch happily shared her experience
and in doing so, might just have given Ball the help she needed to
place ahead of Koch in the championship class.
The
nation’s top young horses from California to Massachusetts
have gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park home of the 2010
Alltech World Equestrian Games for the Markel/USEF National
Young Horse Championships and the USEF National Developing Horse
Dressage Championship. For some it was an arduous journey
but well worth the honor of being invited. One family left
their farm in Florida with Hurricane Ike bearing down on them. 
On
a hot and sticky day that would have made it hard for any
youngster to keep their composure, 16 of the nation’s top
young horses showed us how it was done at the four-year-old
finale. Two of the first four riders of the day, Michael
Bragdell and Emily Gershberg walked away with the champion and
reserve champion titles respectively. 
