Courtney King Claims Open
by Mary Hilton, Special Report provided by PhelpsSports.com

BEDFORD, NY – July 25, 2006 – Courtney King won eight of the nine classes she competed in and earned both the Open High Score and the FEI High Score at the Windy Hollow Hunt Summer II Dressage show, held July 22-23 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey. The show was the second part of the Sussex Dressage Weekend and featured 194 horses competing in 451 rides.

King achieved the Open High Score riding Noah (Tsjerk x Dietske V.D. Hofstad) to a score of 77.222% in First Level Test 4. Noah is a six-year-old Friesian gelding owned by Sandra Holden. King accomplished the FEI High Score aboard Rendezvous 3 (Rio Negro x Chimera), scoring 72.000% at Intermediaire I. Rendezvous is a 10-year-old Austrian-bred warmblood mare owned by Francine Walker.

King’s other winning mounts for the weekend included Jubilant, Timber, and Tsunami.

King took the opportunity at this show to move her newest mount, Jubilant, up to Fourth Level. Jubilant (“Eubie”) is a seven-year-old stallion by Don Schufro owned by Anne H. Wood and Virginia Easley that King has been riding since April. Jubilant proved to be ready for the new competition level and won both his classes. On Saturday, King and Jubilant scored 66.279% in Fourth Level Test 1, and on Sunday the duo topped the Fourth Level Test 1 class with a score of 72.093%.

“Eubie did really well,” King acknowledged. “I've been schooling a lot of collection at home, and he was a little tired on the first day, so I didn't feel he had his usual gusto, particularly in the extensions, but he was really honest and clean. On Sunday he came out with a bit more pep and won with a much higher score.”

King also rode Timber (Anton x Kira) to victory in both of his classes. Timber is a six-year-old Friesian gelding owned by Constance Sisler. On Saturday, King and Timber won Second Level Test 4 earning 65.882% and on Sunday the duo bested the field again in Second Level Test 4 with a score of 70.00%. On Saturday, the show grounds were besieged by torrential rain during King’s test, but the brave gelding performed brilliantly despite conditions.

“It was pouring so hard I could barely see. Timber was really struggling through the mud,” King shared. “On Sunday he was so soft and with me. I think the difficult circumstances the day before made everything feel very easy on Sunday!”

King advanced another one of her mounts up a notch at this show, Tsunami, a six-year-old Arabian/Dutch warmblood gelding by Idocus owned by Wendy Luscombe. Tsunami made his Second Level Test 4 debut on Saturday and scored 63.992% for third place (King won the class with Timber).

“I was very happy with him and was actually surprised at that score,” King noted. “I felt he was very good. He can be such an explosive horse, but he was so calm in that test. He was with me right up until the end and then he did a tiny spook and hit the arena chain, which caused a major spook, but that was the only issue.”

Tsunami won his next class, Second Level Test 1, scoring 71.316%. On Sunday, Tsunami earned second place in Second Level Test 4 with a score of 67.451% (King earned first place with Timber). “I was happy with that. He was a little bit less calm, but he still did his job, which is very important for him to do,” King said.

With Francine Walker's mare Rendezvous, King earned 68.250% for second place in the Prix St. Georges on Saturday and then came back on Sunday to claim victory in the Intermediaire I with a score of 72.00%, which also proved to be the show’s FEI High Score.

“I am having so much fun getting to know her and figuring out how to ride her,” King enthused. “Each show I take her to, I learn an immense amount. Before I went to this show, her owner said that the last show was very, very nice, but to amp her up more to really show off.” King said the big mare, who stands 17.2-hands, likes secure aids and much more consistent leg and hand pressure than King normally uses with her horses. King noted that she earned the higher score on Sunday by using the secure aids the mare likes but also by allowing her neck to be more up and out.

“Riding her in this way helped so much. I was able to get 8s on two of the pirouettes and a 9 in the walk pirouette,” King noted. “Overall, she felt so much more confident. Unlike many of my other horses that prefer that I relax and let them do the movement once they are in it, I learned this weekend from her that she needs me there just a little bit all the time.”

King tallied up two more victories at the show, winning both classes she entered with Sandra Holden's beautiful Friesian gelding Noah. On Saturday, in First Level Test 4, Noah earned 77.222%, which proved to be the Open High Score of the show. On Sunday, King and Noah won Training Level Test 4 with a score of 73.846%. “He was a super star once again,” King beamed. “He was very workmanlike this show. He’s so relaxed, he napped a lot, seemingly in preparation for his big tests!”

Officiating at the Windy Hollow Hunt Summer II Dressage show were judges Louise Koch (S), California; Sandra Hotz (S), Colorado; Debby Savage (R), New Jersey; Melissa Van de Wal (r), New Jersey; Cindy Canace (R), New Jersey; and Merrilyn Griffin (r), New Jersey.

PHOTO CAPTION: Courtney King and Noah, a six-year-old Friesian owned by Sandra Holden, claimed the Open High Score at Windy Hollow Hunt Summer II Dressage

PHOTO CREDIT: SusanJStickle.com

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