August 6, Gladstone, N.J. – Kassandra Barteau proved she could play with the big boys today in the first leg of the Intermediaire I Championship at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival Of Champions.

“I felt like I didn’t have anything to lose,” said the three-time national young rider champion who was competing in her first open championship. “I was just going out there to have fun. It’s one of the first times at a big competition that I’ve had that attitude.”

The 22-year-old from Maple Park, Ill., came out on top of the 16-horse field with a score of 70.00 percent aboard Kristin Cooper’s Toscano. Cesar Parra, who came into the competition on the top-ranked horse Olympia, placed second (69.73%) over Christopher Hickey on Cabana Boy (68.10%)

The Barteau family is busy this weekend, as Kassie also rode GP Delano into seventh place (65.89%), and her mother Yvonne rode Kassie’s former mount, GP Raymeister, into 10^th place (65.00%).

Kassie rode Raymeister, an 11-year-old Holsteiner (Rantares—Miss Nickel Annie), at the FEI Young Rider World Cup last December where she finished second in the “B” Final in Frankfurt, Germany. When she returned, she left him with Yvonne while she went to Florida to work with Cathy Morelli. And when she came home, Kassie discovered that “Ray” was going very well for Yvonne, so the riders switched, and Kassie took over on Toscano, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Jazz—Original).

Parra said that something (he wasn’t sure what) fired up his half-Thoroughbred Olympia (Jazz—Zeester) down in the indoor arena three minutes before his ride, and he struggled to get the 14-year-old gelding back under control for his test.

However, the Colombian dentist, who became a U.S. citizen last year, was just thrilled to ride in his first U.S. championship. “I’ve been coaching here for the past 10 years. My dream was to be able to ride,” he said.

Hickey had a rough start to his Prix St. Georges test when Cabana Boy backed up in his halt and then broke in the first extended trot.

Hickey explained that Cabana Boy, the 2009 National Developing Young Horse Champion, had gone through an incredibly busy spring, competing in Florida and then spending three months in Germany.

“When he came back, I let him down, let him do some hacking, let him relax. I have not given myself enough time for him to be peaking in the way I would like him to peak,” said Hickey. “When he entered today, he was a little flat. The halt wasn’t square and was out behind. When I trotted off he felt flat and on the forehand. I tried to get him uphill and more underneath, and I overrode the whole thing. That was an expensive mistake.”

Full results on Foxvillage.com.

Observations and Tidbits

–       One of the brightest moments of today’s competition was seeing Courtney King Dye arrive with her husband Jason Dye and her mentor Lendon Gray. Although King Dye is still pretty shaky on her feet and has limited movement in her right arm due to her traumatic head injury in February, her smile was as radiant as ever.

–       King Dye was able to watch her assistant trainer, Jennifer Marchand, ride Don Principe to a score of 64.78 percent for 11^th place in the Prix St. Georges. Marchand proudly donned a helmet and a green ribbon in honor of her coach.

–       One of the coolest things about Gladstone is that there is only one show arena, so at any time you will see all the big name riders hanging out ringside. The barns border the ring, and spectators are often shoulder-to-shoulder with the riders who will be representing the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

–       Toscano and Olympia, the top two horses today, are both by Dutch Warmblood stallion Jazz.

–       Lloyd Landkamer is managing his third major championship in three weeks. He managed the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship and the USEF Developing Horse Championship in Wayne, Ill., then traveled to Lexington, Ky., to work as the dressage discipline manager at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship before continuing east to Gladstone, N.J., for two weeks and five national championships at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival Of Champions.

–       Olympia carried his high spirits into the awards ceremony. Intrepid photographer Sara Lieser (that’s me) was standing down by K waiting to get an award-winning honor round photo when Olympia came barreling down the long side and almost ran over photographer, camera gear and all. I flattened myself against the wall of the arena, and Parra was able to pilot around me, but it was a close call!

Check out more stories from the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival Of Champions.