USA’s Codi Harrison and Katholt’s Bossco took the win in Wednesday’s Grand Prix at the 2023 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. “I was thrilled. He went in there and felt better than ever,” said Harrison. She and the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding were the only duo to break the 70% barrier, claiming the win with a score of 72.477%.

That score provided a nearly 3-point margin between them and second place finishers Emily Miles (USA) and Java Dulce. Miles and the 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding earned a 69.637%. And close behind that pair was USA’s Lehua Custer and F.J. Ramzes, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding, who rounded out the top three with a score of 69.434%.

Then and Now

Harrison and “Bossco” are no strangers to the HITS Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, but they have certainly come a long way since their last visit to the showgrounds. In 2018, the duo won the USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship. “I haven’t been back since,” admitted Harrison, but, “I think I like this show. It seems to be a good one for us,” she laughed.

When Harrison found Bossco in Denmark in 2015, she worked for Olympian Lars Petersen for 5 years, during which time she trained Bossco. “Together, he helped me teach Bossco the Grand Prix. We went from Young Riders to U25 and now we’re here in the senior Grand Prix.” Now, 5 years since their Brentina Cup win, Harrison and Bossco claimed victory at the top level.

Piaffe for the Win

Harrison and Boscco’s standout movement of their test was the piaffe, which she acknowledged felt super. “His piaffe felt great today,” she praised. It wasn’t always that way, though, Harrison admitted. “When we did the Young Riders, he really wasn’t the best Small Tour Young Rider horse because he doesn’t have a big flashy shoulder or the big flashy movement.”

But during her time training with Petersen, he helped teach both Harrison and Bossco the piaffe and passage. “He really started to learn to bend in his rotator and lift up front, and that created a whole new horse for me.” She added that Bossco has been a better Grand Prix horse than he ever was a Small Tour horse.

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Thanks to Cosequin for our coverage of the 2023 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!⁣