Ocala, FL – The final CDI class of the January Dressage CDI3*, presented by Hampton Green Farms, was the Intermediate II CDI2* on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). Emily Donaldson of Parkesburg, PA, rode her own Beaujolais 75, a 16-year-old American Hanoverian gelding, to victory.
The impressive 16.3-hand chestnut is by Bugatti Hilltop out of Conflora, by Contucci CWS, and was bred by Doug Beacham. Donaldson acquired “Bunny” as an unbroke three-year-old and started him under saddle. “My friend was selling him, and I thought he was cool and interesting, but I couldn’t afford to buy him,” recalled Donaldson. “She said she would give him to me. My now-husband, who is a veterinarian, said take him, and he would do a vetting after we got him. My friend and I backed him; he was super easy to start.”
The pair began showing in 2014. To nurture Bunny’s love of jumping and galloping, they competed in horse trials while continuing to develop in dressage. Bunny has qualified for both the United States Eventing Association’s American Eventing Championships and the US Dressage Finals. “We jumped with Jimmy Wofford and Boyd Martin, and he was the novice star,” laughed Donaldson. “We moved up to training level, and that’s when I realized we had hit our limit.”
Donaldson continued to train Bunny in dressage, and throughout the years they have continued to advance up the levels. The pair began competing in CDI classes in 2022 and moved up to the medium tour in 2024.
“I like doing CDIs because I like the consistency across the panel of judges,” said Donaldson. “I like putting myself in that type of pressure. Even if I come out and scores are low, it’s still learning, and I find that to be so valuable. He’s not a big, extravagant mover, but he still has so much to offer. It’s good for him too. Putting him in different venues and doing as much as I can with him is all positive.”
Donaldson acknowledged that Bunny’s conformation is something she has had to work with in the ring as it hasn’t always lent itself to upper level dressage. “He’s a strong horse in the neck and chest, and it’s been a bit of a challenge to develop,” she explained. “I did a symposium with Janet Foy and Sabine Schut-Kery. They zeroed in that he has a challenging neck to manage and acknowledged that he’s a capable horse with conformation that makes it tricky to ride. It’s all worth it though. He’s very smart and honest. That is the one thing that he has more than anything, is heart and desire to try.”
While Sunday’s score of 61.235% was not Donaldson’s goal and she felt frustrated immediately after her ride, she did find positive parts of the test after watching it back. “It’s been a process, but now he’s potentially a grand prix horse, and I never thought that would happen,” she said. “He has a talent for piaffe, but it doesn’t always come through in the ring. The one-tempis we are still trying to figure out. All the pieces are there, and I have continued to persevere with him. It’s a good experience for me because every time we go in the ring, I learn something.”
Dressage returns to WEC – Ocala on February 13-16 with CDI3* and USEF/USDF competition. The full 2025 dressage schedule, which includes six more CDI competitions, can be found HERE.