August 26, 2024 – Ocala, FL – World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) hosted back-to-back US Equestrian (USEF)/U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF)-rated dressage shows presented by Hampton Green Farms and Discover Dressage on August 23-25, 2024, giving dressage riders from Training Level to FEI Grand Prix extra qualifying opportunities for the 2024 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championships, which take place for Region 3 at WEC – Ocala on September 18-22.
Kassandra Barteau, who is based in Newberry, less than an hour from the Florida venue, rode 14 tests over the three days on five different horses, from Training Level up to Fourth Level. Her top scores came aboard Rebecca Mouras’s 12-year-old Hanoverian Fiorenzo MLW. The Fidertanz x Wolkentanz gelding led the Third Level test on Friday with 75.658%, a full 21 percentage points above the runner-up in the Open section. Fiorenzo MLW won three of the four classes he contested, all with over 70%, including an impressive 75% at Fourth Level.
Barteau, who has had the ride on him for just three months, said, “He’s a solid citizen and loves his work. I’m really excited to have qualified for regionals at Third, Fourth and Freestyle. Our goal is to go into the CDI ring next year if all goes well. I took over the ride from Rebecca to help him step up to the upper levels. She was showing amateur Third Level, but she realized he had professional quality and she’s letting me enjoy him while I help him gain confidence.
“We just got eight scores at Third and Fourth Levels, so we’re hoping to get nationally ranked,” she added. “He’s always willing, and his extensions are a true power point. He’s confident and happy, so I can turn the corner and show them what he has. His overall steadiness with enthusiasm has been very consistent, and the judges have appreciated his boldness.”
Mouras attended the show not only as an owner but stepped into the irons herself to ride her new horse Jedulon, a 13-year-old Andalusian by Habilidoso RAM. They won twice at Fourth Level with scores in the 60s.
Barteau’s Training Level mount Douglas Van Klein Statum Z, a Belgian warmblood who was formerly a jumper and is another new ride, added to the blue-ribbon haul, winning one of his three starts.
“He’s been with me about six months,” said Barteau of Elizabeth Leete’s eight-year-old gelding. “At WEC I loved his consistency, and he always has a happy attitude. He’s a big powerful mover and gaining strength and balance.”
Barteau’s own horse, the 10-year-old Follow Me x Glock’s Johnson TN gelding Blue Skies, stepped out at Third and Fourth levels. She has had him since 2020 when he was given to Barteau’s mother, Yvonne’s, rescue and training center, Horses Without Humans. She saw the potential in him and has brought him on, though it has not been without its challenges as he used to spin and bolt.
“He was surrendered by his owner from an unsuitable situation,” explained Barteau, who named her business Blue Skies Dressage after him. “He’s a very expressive horse but with anxiety and insecurities. We’ve had our ups and downs, but that makes it that much sweeter when it goes well.
“We’re plugging along, and home life is beautiful — we’re schooling a lot of the grand prix — but Blue Skies has forced patience upon me,” she continued. “He’s scored 70% at Prix St. Georges, and he’s qualified for regionals. It’s hit and miss, but we’re going as far as he’ll let us. He’s not going to be sold, so I bring him along to keep gaining confidence and experience. He’s a really forward type with an engine of his own, which is nice in the Florida heat.”
Barteau also showed Nicole D’Auriol’s 16-year-old 18-hand KWPN gelding Dundee at Fourth Level and Taralyn McCarrel’s eight-year-old Dazzleberry at First Level. She will return to WEC – Ocala in a month for Regionals with a truck of 11 horses to compete, plus clients to help.
“We pride ourselves on being supportive of each other,” said Barteau. “Kathy Morelli has been my coach for 20 years. She’s 80 now, but she comes and coaches me at least three times a week. She’s a big part of everything.
“We love WEC. It’s great to have the Disney of the horse world in our back yard. I love that as a facility it has golf carts and the hotels — there is so much going on. I can be competing, and my husband and family can go to the pool or watch the jumpers. Or I can have my daughter in the leadline class, and we can be part of a big scene. Not many places offer that family appeal with all that multi-discipline stuff going on at the same time. It’s a genuine world-class facility,” concluded Barteau.
Amateurs Impress
Adult amateur Erin Walker covered the full range of classes, picking up wins at both Intro Level and Grand Prix. She rode seven tests on three different horses owned by Craig McCallum, clocking her top scores of 76% and 71.563% on the four-year-old gelding Toto Plus (by Glock’s Toto Jnr x Sandro Hit). At the other end of the spectrum, she piloted the 18.2-hand, 17-year-old Hotspot 7 (by Hotline x Donnerhall) to a 67.5% big tour victory. Not to be outdone, One Night Only EW, a five-year-old by Sandro Hit x Blue Hors Romanov, also scooped a blue ribbon at Third Level.
Fellow adult amateur Bonnie Canter took two horses to WEC – Ocala, coming away with three wins from four classes on her pair of pocket-sized 15.2-hand horses. She was unbeaten on her own five-year-old gelding Vitalissohn, racking up 75.833% and 72.738% at Second Level with the son of Vitalis. With her small tour horse Vitali she contested two Intermediate I Freestyle tests, clocking up a 68.1% win and a 70.25% second place on the eight-year-old by Vilancio, just beaten to the win by Dutch rider Jaron Verheij on Sixtus MK (74.013%).
The Dutch contingent was on good form, with Open rider Ivo Juhrend — a regular at the venue — posting two wins at Grand Prix level with Karen Young’s 15-year-old Dreamcatcher gelding, Eyecatcher. Their top score of 65.798% came in Saturday’s Grand Prix Special. Juhrend competed in the pick-your-own freestyle, riding a grand prix test on Black Diamond, Savannah Show Stables LLC’s 10-year-old Hungarian warmblood gelding. They finished second with 67.075%.
The 2024 dressage schedule at World Equestrian Center – Ocala continues with the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 3 Dressage Championships, September 18-22. International dressage returns to the venue with a CDI3* on November 14-17. For full horse show results for all WEC – Ocala dressage shows, visit www.foxvillage.com. Click here for the 2025 dressage schedule, which includes 11 shows — seven of which have internationally rated CDI competition.
About World Equestrian Center
Named one of TIME’s 2024 World’s Greatest Places, World Equestrian Center features two premier equestrian and multidisciplinary venues in Ocala, Florida, and Wilmington, Ohio.
These exclusive facilities comprise state-of-the-art arenas, expansive stadiums, versatile outdoor space, sporting fields and well-appointed exposition centers. An abundance of lodging options and luxury accommodations are conveniently located on-site, along with shopping and dining throughout each property.
Dedicated to offering great sport and good fun in a family-friendly environment, World Equestrian Center promises an unparalleled experience for exhibitors, spectators, vendors, sponsors and retailers built on three core values: Quality. Class. Distinction.
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Media Contact:
Leah Tong
leah.tong@wec.net