Michelle Gibson appeared to be closing in on a National Intermediaire I Championship with another win today, June 28, aboard Don Angelo in the Intermediaire I at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
The placings remained the same as the Prix St. Georges with Gibson in first (72.55%), Shawna Harding in second place on Come On III (71.00%) and Steffen Peters in third with Montango (70.70%).
“I just really rode what I felt was there,” said Gibson. “He felt a little bit tired in the warm-up. But he came into the ring and had a little more energy. I’m really happy with how he’s responding to the crowd. It’s giving him a little bit of lift.”
Gibson praised the big, uphill canter of the 8-year-old Oldenburg stallion. “I can always take a little risk in the canter,” she said. “His canter extensions, nine times out of 10, I’m going for it. He can make a big extension, really sit and then make a change. The changes—I don’t have to push them. They are what they are, and they’re beautiful.”
Gibson’s close friend, Harding, said she had a few surprising errors in her test. “In the change after the first canter pirouette, he changed in front first,” she explained. “In his three-tempis, we had a fluke and he changed late behind and put in a four. That normally never happens. He’s usually solid in his changes.
“I thought our trot work was ultra solid,” she continued. “Our canter pirouettes are improving every time we get in the arena. He’s getting a little more confident. The mistakes happen, and that’s why we compete.”
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Although the two women compete against each other, they also coach one another, and Harding was happy for Gibson.
“Whoever is better on that day is going to walk away with it,” she said. “That was Michelle today. She had a flawless ride today.”
Peters, who dealt with a tense Montango in the Prix St. Georges, was relieved that the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood settled down for the Intermediaire I.
“Today was much better. I was happy with Montango. He was much more relaxed,” said Peters. “I could ride him with more expression. He had more cadence in the trot. He was a lot more supple. It was a fun ride. Yesterday, there was a lot of negotiation and hard work. It was one of his best I1 tests so far. It’s as good as I can expect from this horse at this moment. You have to be so diplomatic with him. Just one movement where I push too hard, and you get a huge explosion. That’s not what we’re looking for.”
Melissa Taylor suffered a disappointing Intermediaire I when Dacardo came up lame midway through the test, and she had to retire. Elizabeth Ball didn’t start her second horse, De La Frontera, but she did place fourth aboard Orion (68.70%).
