From Dana:
Paul Maye and Markus executing one of the four required "one-handed" circles. Photo by Pics of You.
While eventers were enduring sucky less than ideal conditions at Pinetop last weekend, combined drivers enjoyed gorgeously sunny weather with pleasant temps in Dade City, Florida. Bob and Sharon Blanchard’s fabulous facility, Little Everglades Ranch, hosted the 2013 Little Everglades International CAI-B Combined Driving Event.
FEI Advanced Dressage took place on Thursday, with President of the Ground Jury Bert Jambon (Belgium) at C, Anne Marie Turbe (France) at E and John Greenall (USA) at B. This year marks the World Pairs Championships in late August and the World Pony Championships in November. Hopefuls were coached, encouraged and corrected by driving Chef d’equip Micheal Freund, and after the dust settled (figuratively) standouts included Paul Maye and his German Riding Pony stallion Markus, who jumped out to a commanding lead in the FEI Advanced Single Pony division. Misdee Wrigley Miller, Pair Horses, posted the lowest dressage score of the competition, 36.9, and perennial powerhouse Chester Weber set the mark to beat in the FEI Four in Hand class with a 37.87.
The dressage competition continued on Friday in the regular divisions of Intermediate and Preliminary. .
Weather played a role as Saturday was quite warm and sunny. Event officials made the decision Friday evening to shorten Phase A approximately one kilometer for all levels and to remove Obstacle Three in the intermediate and FEI Advanced divisions. The Richard Nicholl designed obstacles provided lots of options, challenged all and rewarded the bold.
Drivers like to tell say you can’t win it in cones, but you certainly can lose it. Sunday’s cones course, with cool and intermittent rain, proved to be influential in shaking up many of the placings. It demanded precision driving, and with a tightly wheeled course, time was difficult to make. Leslie Brendl, team member from last summer’s Singles Horse World Championships posted the only double clear round in her division, and put on a master class on how to drive cones quickly and accurately.
FEI Division Winners:
Advanced Single Pony: Paul Maye
Advanced Single Horse: Leslie Brendl
Advanced Pair Horse: Misdee Wrigley Miller
Advanced Pair Pony: Wendy O’Brien
Advanced Horse Team: Chester Weber
Advanced Pony Team: Lisa Stroud
For complete results go to Driving News USA at www.drivingnews.us
Up next: Live Oak International CAI-B from Ocala, Florida, March 22-23
Red on the right, white on the left and a different kind of insanity on the middle!
Go Combined Driving!
Leslie Brendl with Uminco at the Palm Tree Plaza. Photo by Pics of You.
