Harding tops when it comes to dressage
1/19/2008 11:47 PM
By BEN BAUGH
Staff writer
A strong start in 2008 for Shawna Harding has enabled her to build on the momentum she has established over the past two years in Aiken, clearly defining her as one of the nation's premier dressage riders.
Harding and her Danish Warmblood gelding Come On III, who was the 2007 United States Dressage Federation Developing Horse Championship Reserve Champion, established themselves as a tandem to watch, placing third in the USDF Dressage Horse of the Year standings at the Prix St. Georges level. A winner of multiple CDI's (Concours de Dressage International), Come On III was recognized by subscribers of PhelpsSports.com as the Developing Horse of the Year, for 7- to 9-year-olds competing in the Dressage category at the Prix St. Georges level, during their year end awards.
"His selection (Come On III) was user based, and I thought that was nice," said Harding. "Come On III had some very good scores. I was very happy."
Harding and Come On III were incredibly focused and captured the Prix St. Georges Class at the Wellington Classic Dressage I last Saturday with a score of 73.750, outdistancing the next competitor by more than 3 percentage points, in a class that included more than 30 entries. Come On III was just as brilliant last Sunday, winning the Intermediaire I, with a score of 71.000 percent. Harding and Come On III established a new personal best this past summer in the Intermediaire I Freestyle Class with a score of 80 percent at the Summer Highland Fling Dressage Show at the FENCE in Tryon, N.C.
During the Region 3 Championships at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Fla., in October, Harding won the Intermediaire I Championship with Come On III; the Fourth Level Championship with Beth Daniels' Mozart; the First Level Championship on Tonya Rowe's Rigo and the Third Level Championship on Mozart.
In addition to her success with Come On III, Harding also has had remarkable success with Tonya Rowe's Rigo. The tandem continues its strong showing after winning the USDF Region 3 Championship at first level. Harding and Rigo failed to disappoint capturing the second level test last Saturday with a score of 67.209.
Rigo and Harding overcame the elements to post a victory in the Second Level test 4 last Sunday. It was Rigo's first qualifying ride for the Second Level Championships, said Harding.
"Both horses are great (Come On III and Rigo), and went very well," said Harding.
Harding's horse Contreau, a 2003 bay Danish Warmblood gelding, who is 16.3 hands, is by Kanudos XX, out of the May Sherif broodmare, Tarifa.
"Contreau was a young horse I purchased in Denmark," said Harding, who went to Europe in November and December. "He's 4, coming 5-years-old. He's a wonderful and nice moving horse. He was three weeks under saddle when we found him, and now he's almost three months under saddle."
One of Harding's clients has purchased a Danish Warmblood stallion, named Richman, who spent his time in quarantine at Rigby Farm, and who has been sent to Hilltop Farm to be collected. Richman will join Harding in Wellington in late January, she said.
"He'll be doing the FEI Prix St. Georges Small Horse Tour," said Harding.
And with her success on Come On III at the Prix St. Georges level, Harding is the only rider eligible to win the $5,000 cash prize, in the event she wins all three Prix St. Georges tests during the Wellington Classic Winter Series.
Harding was also selected to be one of six demonstration riders for the Succeed/Federation Equestre Internationale conference this weekend at High Meadow Farm in Loxahatchee, Fla. with renowned dressage rider/instructor Jan Brink. The conference provides continuing education for dressage riders and instructors, according to the USDF.
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