TerraNova Dressage II Kicks Off with Exciting CDI 4* and CDI-W Grand Prix Action Under the Lights
Lehua Custer and F.J. Ramzesi. Photo by susanjsticklephotography.com
Myakka City, Fla.– Oct.21, 2022 – TerraNova Dressage II capped off Day I of the CDI4*/CDI-W with Lehua Custer and F.J. Ramzes claiming first place in the FEI Dressage CDI4* Grand Prix and Sarah Tubman and First Apple capturing the win in the World Cup Grand Prix on Friday, Oct. 21.
Custer and F.J. Ramzes, a 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Juventus-J. Rambiance, Rampal) owned by Wendy Sasser, earned a 68.69% at the Friday evening event hosted by the TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City, Florida. According to Custer, Ramzes has some Thoroughbred mixed into his pedigree, making him a bit of a hot horse. Purchased by his adult amateur owner for her personal use, she and Custer realized they had something special in the gelding and the trainer took over the ride.
“When he was young, there would be some days where I would just kind of get on and trot around and call his owner Wendy and say, ‘Today wasn't the day. I'm going to come back and try again tomorrow,’” Custer laughed. “And that patience really paid off. I make sure I never pushed him to the point where he was uncomfortable or stressed out. He is a real tryer and always says yes. Most of the time I ride him in a snaffle. Even though he's huge, I almost never use a whip and little spurs and he just wants to go. He learned how to piaffe in a day.
“My favorite part about the test today is now I'm starting to have the feeling that my horse is more and more reliable no matter what the outside circumstances,” she said. The atmosphere was electric with spectators enjoying the show and a BBQ dinner complete with a live band for entertainment.
Custer lives in Wellington, Florida, and trains with Olympic dressage rider Allison Brock.
Patricia Ferrando and Honnaisseur SJ. Photo by susanjsticklephotography.com
Patricia Ferrado and Honnaisseur SJ, a 2010 KWPN gelding (Connaisseur-Arilen, Jazz) owned by Ferrado and Patricia Zilio, placed second in the CDI4* Grand Prix with a 66.435% from judges Evi Eisenhardt, Cesar Torrente, Sandra Hotz, William Warren and Christof Umbach. Ferrado also rode Elvis, her own 2009 KWPN gelding (Rousseau-Wisperer, Osmium), to place third in the class.
It was only the second CDI Grand Prix for Honnaisseur and his first time under the lights at an evening competition. “It was a crazy atmosphere here tonight for him, but I think he needs to get used to it,” Ferrado said.
The rider competes for Venezuela and she plans to use the Wellington 2023 show season to qualify for the Central American and Caribbean Games set for the summer in El Salvador, as well as the 2023 Pan American Games slated for October in Santiago, Chile.
She lives in Wellington and trains with Lars Petersen. “I'm very happy with both [her horses],” she said. “I think we're doing magnificent work with Lars, so I keep going!”
Sarah Tubman and First Apple. Photo by susanjsticklephotography.com
In the Grand Prix World Cup qualifying class, Tubman and First Apple, Summit Farm’s 2010 KWPN stallion (Vivaldi-Oogappel, T.C.N. Partout) bested the rest with a 71.065%.
The pair completed their first European tour in the summer of 2022 where they claimed three top-three finishes in Achleiten, Austria and Kronberg, Germany, and earned a sixth-place spot in the Grand Prix Freestyle in Aachen, Germany. Tubman trains with her husband Lee Tubman and they live in Wellington and California.
Tubman said that she is fine-tuning First Apple as they continue in their quest to compete in the 2023 FEI Dressage World Cup to be held in Omaha, Nebraska, in early April. “It's just a matter of the fact that] he's changing and developing and becoming more and more reliable. Then I have to gently change my strategy in the test.”
As a former eventer at the Advanced level, Tubman enjoyed watching the TerraNova eventing show running concurrently with the dressage show and seeing old friends. "I think it's super fun and I like that they have built this facility as a multi-discipline event,” she said. “I love that they have the other discipline going on at the same time!”
Codi Harrison and her own Katholt’s Bossco, a 2007 Danish Warmblood gelding (Blu Horse Don Schufro-Katholt’s Farceur, Michellino), placed second in the CDI-W Grand Prix with a 70.174%. Harrison brought her horse up from Young Riders to the Under 25 to the CDI-W Grand Prix. She trains with Lars Petersen and lives in Wellington.
She said her gelding is 15 and when he comes down centerline and gives her even more than the previous year, she’s thrilled. “He's just a horse of a lifetime for me and I’m really excited about it so far. I'm just so excited that I got to take him from Young Riders to U25 and now the open Grand Prix and he's proven that he gets to be here and I get to do it with him!”
She said her horse was a bit tired but stayed with her throughout the test. “When I said more, he said 'Yes ma’am,'” she explained, adding that when they came down the last centerline he revved up for the piaffe which he loves. “And then, after the piaffe, he goes, ‘Well, maybe we can halt now, but you know, we could go on!’”
Heidi Degele and Ibistrona. Photo by susanjsticklephotography.com
Heidi Degele and Ibistrona, a 2013 KWPN mare (Don Tango B-Biastrona, Sunny Boy), owned by Equine Holdings LLC, took the blue ribbon in the CDI1* Prix St. Georges with a 65.784%.
Degele said the mare shone in her canter work and nailed her tempi changes during the test. She’s had the ride on Ibistona for three years. “She has a lot of personality in a good way. She’s a very sensitive mare. She thinks she's a queen bee in the barn,” Degele laughed. "So she has to have attention right away when I walk in the barn. Our little mini got loose the other day and went into her stall and I thought she was going to kill him, but she didn't. She was like, ‘Fine, you can eat my hay. It's OK.’"
Ibistrona’s owner has been doing embryo transfers with her and the mare has foals on the ground.
Degele plans to bump Ibistona up to the CDI3* level in the coming show season and add in a freestyle. Degele lives in Loxahatchee, Florida, and trains with Lars Petersen and Melissa Taylor. “They've done a fabulous job helping me bring her along and I'm learning that each time I go to these CDIs I learn more and more and more,” Degele said.
Top dressage action continues with national and CDI classes through Sunday, Oct. 23 at the TerraNova Equestrian Center. Saturday night features the crowd favorite Grand Prix Freestyle with a gala and dinner for VIP ticket holders.
Sarah Tubman shares thoughts about her recent European campaign and her first experience competing at TerraNova Equestrian Center.
