Lexington, Ky. – A total of 160 combinations have arrived at Lamplight Equestrian Center for a shot at earning national titles across the following 14 divisions at the 2019 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. The event will feature athletes from 31 states and Bermuda; 12 returning champions; and 43 U.S. bred horses as competition gets underway on Wednesday with the USEF Intermediaire I, USEF Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’, and USEF Young Rider divisions.
•USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship
•USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship
•USEF Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ Dressage National Championship
•USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship
•USEF Junior Dressage National Championship
•USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship
•USEF Children Dressage National Championship
•Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse Dressage National Championships for four-, five-, and six-year-olds, as well as Developing Grand Prix and Developing Prix St. Georges
•USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals for the 13 & Under and 14-18 divisions
While several new names will make their first appearance in these championships, the following athletes will return for an attempt at another national title: Michael Bragdell (Colora, Md.), a U.S. Dressage Development Program member; Anna Buffini (San Diego, Calif.); Kasey Denny (Hutto, Texas); Alyssa Doverspike (Wildomar, Calif.); Emily Miles (Paola, Kansas); Allison Nemeth (Flemington, N.J.); Endel Ots (Wellington, Fla.); Cesar Parra (White House Station, N.J.); Craig Stanley (Madera, Calif.); Alice Tarjan (Oldwick, N.J.), a U.S. Dressage Development Program member; Jenna Upchurch (Chesterfield, Mo.); and Miki Yang (Los Altos Hills, Calif.).
Bragdell and Ots will look for repeat title performances with their 2018 championship equine partners, Sensation HW, Carol McPhee’s six-year-old Westphalian gelding, and Lucky Strike, Max Ots’s nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding, respectively. Bragdell and Sensation HW, who won the 2018 Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old National Champions will advance to the six-year-old division.
Several 2018 reserve champion combinations will aim for blue ribbons: Rebecca Rigdon (Cardiff By The Sea, Calif.) and Jagger, Ad Astra Collective’s five-year-old KWPN gelding (2018 Markel/USEF Young Horse Four-Year-Old Reserve National Champions); Alice Tarjan and Fairouz, her six-year-old Oldenburg mare (2018 Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old Reserve National Champions); Tarjan and Candescent, her nine-year-old Hanoverian mare (2018 Markel/USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Reserve National Champions); Nick Wagman (San Diego, Calif.) and Don John, Beverly Gepfer’s 11-year-old KWPN gelding (2018 USEF Grand Prix Dressage Reserve National Champions); Miki Yang and Garden’s Sam (2018 USEF Children Dressage National Champions). Rigdon and Jagger and Tarjan and Fairouz will move on to the five- and six-year-old divisions, respectively, while Yang and Garden’s Sam, Four Winds Farm’s 12-year-old New Forest Pony Gelding, will compete in the Pony Rider division.
