Canadian Jacqueline Brooks, on Gran Gesto, won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix freeestyle, Sept. 19, at the New England Dressage Association’s CDI, in Halifax, Mass. She had to ride both tests in the same day due to the massive rescheduling that took place after remnants of Hurricane Ivan shut down all of Saturday’s competition.

Close to 4 inches of rain, 50 mile per hour winds and a temperature drop of more than 15 degrees, effectively negated anyone’s resolution to compete, and it was with great relief that show management awoke on Sunday to crystal blue skies.

Still, NEDA officials were left with the daunting task of now scheduling two days of Great American/USDF Region 8 Championships and CDI classes, plus the open show divisions into one day, which was rather like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. But with the cooperation of the judges, the competitors and the Herculean efforts of NEDA volunteers, the show went on.

Brooks said she was pleasantly surprised when her Oldenburg gelding spooked a little in the ring during her Grand Prix. She said the cold weather “gave him a little spark” and some positive energy, something the laid-back gelding could use at times. Brooks and Gran Gesto were part of the silver-medal 2003 Pan Am Canadian team, and this is Gran Gesto’s first year at Grand Prix.

“I’m no different than anyone with a young Grand Prix horse,” she said. “I’m always working on more engagement, more collection, trying to find that place where I can shorten without stopping. But the neat thing about this horse, is that every time I ride a Grand Prix test with him, I get a little more engagement, a little more collection; he gives me reason to believe that there’s a good Grand Prix horse in there.” Brooks won the Grand Prix with a 65.79 percent and the freestyle with a 68.57 percent.

Sharon McCusker, on Maestro, won the CDI Intermediaire I class with a 68.25 percent, after finishing second in Friday’s Prix St. Georges.