Dressage Event An Enormous Success Despite some frigid weather and blustery winds at the Carolina Horse Park this past weekend, the Dressage at the Park Fall schooling show turned out to be an enormous success. Kay Meredith from Raleigh was on hand Saturday and Sunday to critique the 97 dressage rides. Kay is an “S” judge, and well respected in the Dressage community. All of the competitors thought her marks were fair and her comments very helpful. Saturday started out with heavy clouds and strong winds, but the weather did not stop the dressage enthusiasts from coming out and strutting their stuff under less-than-ideal conditions. Several of the younger horses had a difficult time keeping a cap on their enthusiasm, but it was a good learning experience for all. The competition was intense at all of the levels, however Roisin de Pasquale won the blue ribbon in Training Level 2 with a 64% and Courtney Grey won the Training Level 4 class with a 65.4%, (which also proved to be the best score of the day!) As the day progressed, the weather slowly improved, as did the level of difficulty in the ring. Local rider Bobbie Mudge proved she's turning into a true "DQ" performing two solid fourth level tests on Bromont’s Candidate and Hawker’s Hurricane. Debbie Fulks and Mein Prinz appeared to dance around the arena during their lovely Prix St. George test. Sunday brought plenty of sun and a little less wind, and the better weather also brought better scores. Valerie Calicott-Stevens and James, earning a 70% in their Training Level 4 test, produced the top score of the weekend. CHP neighbor Heather Hamilton also had a successful morning winning three 1st place ribbons and two 2nd place ribbons out of her six rides. The afternoon riders put on a good show as the level of difficulty again increased. Carolina Dowd of Southern Pines was thrilled with her horse Raw Deal as she earned a "fun to judge" comment from Kay Meredith as she put in two lovely Advanced Horse Trial tests. Nina Hatcher won the most improved from Saturday to Sunday with her gorgeous horse Limerick, winning first and second in the Fourth Level 1 class with a 64.9%. Debbie Fulks again put in an impressive Prix St. George test to improve on her score from the day before. Pics Of You photographers, John Robinson and Jason Moore captured digital highlights of the weekend. Several pictures of each of the riders were taken and developed within 30 minutes. By the time our competitors had left the ring and untacked their horses, they could pick out their favorite photos, have them printed and framed within minutes. Pics Of You was a welcome addition to the weekend and we look forward to having them back at future events at the Park. Visit their website at www.picsofyou.com for more pictures and ordering information. Ronnie Meltzer and Prancing Horse Center for Therapeutic Riding once again provided delicious refreshments for our competitors and volunteers. Her menu included homemade chicken rice soup and a melted club sandwich, a perfect way to warm up all of our cold bodies. Thank you to everyone who braved the weather this past weekend. Be sure to watch our website for information about the schooling shows and clinics that are being planned in January, February and March 2005.
Photos | Saturday's Results | Sunday's Results *** Don’t forget… the 54th Stoneybrook Steeplechase April 9, 2005*** Call 910-246-9808 for more information and to reserve your tailgate space! | 
