Laurels At Landhope International CDE - Sunday
Equestrian News Release
Lisa Singer won her eighth National Pairs Championship Sunday at The Laurels at Landhope. Singer had the lead after dressage, but was passed by Keady Cadwell who turned in a collection of fast times in the hazards on a rained soaked Saturday.
With less than two points between Singer and Cadwell, Singer had a good drive on the challenging cones course, knocking down two cones and going over the time allowed for 4.27 time penalties and a total score of 145.96.
Singer liked the cones course even though it was not the best layout for her horses, "There was nowhere to really run - I like to run. I didn't mind going up over the bridge," Singer said.
Cadwell could not capitalize on the opportunity, taking down five cones plus time penalties, which dropped her back to second place with a score of 151.32. Cadwell had elected to put a young horse into the pair for the final day. "I took my five year old because he needs experience and this was terrific for him," she said. "It was hard because he doesn't quite know how to canter yet."
Getting the experience for her horses was more important to Cadwwell at this stage in their training than winning a trophy. "This isn't our end goal. Our end goal is the next world championships."
Larry Poulin, who had been very close to Singer after dressage, finished out the cones course even though he had been eliminated on the marathon for taking one of the hazards out of order. "It was a combination of everything - between the weather and the course was very confusing," Poulin said.
Poulin was the 2007 National Pair Horse Champion, and had hoped to repeat that title this year, as a match for the region 8 dressage championship where the horses are qualified. "I was hoping to combine (the championship) but this won't happen now, at least not this year," he said.
The Laurels at Landhope was also the site for all of this year's National Pony Championships.
Tracy Morgan won the Pair Pony title uncontested, while Lisa Stroud defeated Elizabeth Keathley to repeat her title as National Pony Four in Hand Champion. "It means a great deal to me. I think it's pretty important that we have our National Championship. The sport as a whole needs a national championship," Stroud said.
Stroud would like to see more people tackle the pony team's events at the advanced level, and is sad to see that Boots Wright has decided to leave the four in hand ranks in favor of pairs competition. "I'm very upset that Boots has moved back to a pair. She’s been my terrific co-rival in the sport, ... Hopefully Elizabeth will give me a good run for my money."
Stroud is aiming for the next Pony Worlds, and believes that America has a good chance to assemble a winning pony team. "I'm really hopeful we'll make it to Germany. I think we're really in a medal position this year."
The largest field in competition for a championship was the Advanced Single Ponies, where there were ten solid entries Suzy Stafford took a ten-point lead after dressage, and hung on to it through the marathon.
Miranda Cadwell was within striking distance, just six points back going into cones, but she had two balls down and time penalties giving Stafford a cushion when she came onto the course.
“I felt a double clear. I guess I was wrong,” Stafford said after completing the course in time with just one knockdown to win the championship. “She was really good, forward and listening. I always want a double clear.”
Stafford made it through the marathon well in spite of the rough weather. “I let her take it easy. I didn’t push,” she said. “It was hard. The carriage weighed nearly twice what it did by the end.”
This is the second time Stafford has won the championship with “Courage to Lead”. The first victory came in 2004 before the Morgan mare suffered a hip muscle injury, followed by a chipped splint bone. From here Stafford plans to do Lexington. “Then we’ll try out for the World Championships,” she said.
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