Lauren Sammis has made a big impression aboard this talented gelding in his first Grand Prix season.

Sagacious HF has looked more impressive each time he’s stepped out this year at Grand Prix, and his winning performances at the Raleigh CDI-W were no exception.

Lauren Sammis and Sagacious topped the Grand Prix (69.19%) and the Grand Prix freestyle (74.25%) at the Raleigh CDI-W/Y/J and Capital Dressage Classic, held May 29-31 in Raleigh, N.C.

Headed to the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Cham-pionships, June 18-21 in Gladstone, N.J., Sagacious and Sammis sit fourth in the national standings after showing just twice this year.

Sagacious, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Welt Hit II—Judith), announced his Grand Prix prowess by winning the Grand Prix Special in the CDI at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby (Fla.) in February. And he’s gotten better.

“I think in the last three months he’s becoming stronger, which is resulting in him being more confident,” Sammis said. “A lot of times the jump to Grand Prix is hard, and horses get tired. In their fatigue they get a little nervous. I think he’s getting to a point now where he’s comfortable with the level. When we left Raleigh, he was in a better, more confident place than when we went, which is the goal.”
Sammis, 38, chose not to show Sagacious in between Palm Beach and Raleigh. “I rode through the Grand Prix test a couple of times for people to get feedback, but he didn’t show at all,” she said.

At Raleigh, Sammis debuted Sagacious’ Grand Prix freestyle, riding it in public for the first time. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s the first time I’ve had people start to clap and cheer in the middle of my ride, which was neat,” she said.

“This is a bit of a makeover of my Intermediaire I freestyle. We kept the same Billy Joel tunes and added the Grand Prix movements. I didn’t want to make it too hard for this horse, since it is his first year at Grand Prix, but I think he enjoys it because it’s a playful freestyle.”

Just Enjoying Every Day

After she and Sagacious earned team gold and individual silver at the 2007 Pan American Games (Brazil), Sammis decided to pause her competitive career for pregnancy. She delivered twin boys in July 2008 and got to know a different side of Sagacious.

“It was amazing to watch him when I was pregnant. He totally babysat me, on the ground and under saddle, while I was still riding him,” she said. “He transformed into a quiet, safe horse. When I started to ride again after the babies came, he was the same. He offered little challenges, but he took care of me. It was interesting to watch his different personalities come through. He went from an electric show horse to being a babysitter. And then as I got stronger, his show horse personality came back. He told me, ‘You can hold on now!’ ”

Given their recent achievements, thoughts of selection trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games might be flitting through Sammis’ mind, but she doesn’t let it affect her day-to-day enjoyment of Sagacious.

“Every day I get to go ride this horse, and every day he makes me smile. If we end up being able to do things like the Olympic Games or World Championships, that’s great. But that’s just one week of his life. I get to ride him every day, and I have such a great time doing it. That’s what’s important to me,” she said.

Sammis, based for the summer in Bedminster, N.J., was quick to credit Sagacious’ owner, Al Guden, for his dedication to her partnership with Sagacious. “He’s the horse of my lifetime, and I’m lucky to have an owner as generous and supportive as Al. I’m very fortunate, and I realize it,” she said.

Sammis is flirting with the idea of traveling to England in July to compete at the Hickstead CDI. “We want to just get ready for next year in Florida. I want him to get in the ring, get stronger and more confident and not push him too hard,” she said.

A Proud American

No U.S. rider hears “The Star-Spangled Banner” play without feeling some emotion, but for Cesar Parra, the moment meant much more.

Parra, originally from Colombia, competed at Raleigh as a U.S. rider for the first time after changing his citizenship, and he heard the national anthem played twice in his honor after he and Olympia topped the CDI Prix St. Georges (69.38%) and Intermediaire I (68.68%).

“I was pretty emotional,” said Parra.“I was concentrating on the competition while I was riding, but when I heard my name announced as competing for the United States, I felt very proud.

“Then, I heard my scores. I was happy he did well, and then we won! In the awards ceremony, a bunch of my students waved American flags in the stands and were yelling and screaming. That made it very special for me,” he added.

Parra has lived in the United States for nine years and is based in Jupiter, Fla., and Whitehouse Station, N.J. He represented Colombia in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2006 and 2002 World Equestrian Games. But Parra feels a deep attachment to the United States.

“My children love this country, and they’re more American than Colombian. Everything I have right now, I owe to this country,” he said. “I love being here, so I wanted to belong. It was my dream to come and live here and become American. And God willing, perhaps someday I’ll be able to represent America internationally.”

Parra, 46, had to take two years off from showing in international CDI classes during his change of citizenship. He got special permission from the Fédération Equestre Internationale to show in the small tour classes at Raleigh—his first CDI appearance in more than a year. In September, his period of restriction will be over.

“I was just happy to be able to go back to the ring and show,” he said.

His wins came on Lori Washton’s Olympia, who went to Parra’s barn in March as a sales prospect. A working student rode the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Jazz—Zeester) for two months to get him fit, and then Parra took over in the middle of April.

“He wants to please, and he’s very comfortable to ride,” said Parra. “Two weeks after I started riding him, I took him to a show in Centerline Events at Westbrook [Conn., in early May], and he won national Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I classes. I said, ‘Well, let’s go to Raleigh.’ ”

Young Horses With Bright Futures

Heather Mason originally bought Warsteiner as a resale prospect, but she’s definitely changed her mind. She and the flashy chestnut gelding topped the 6-year-old division of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Eastern Selection Trials with a score of 8.00.

Warsteiner, a Dutch Warmblood (Riverman ISF—Welona, Roemer) bred in the Netherlands by H. Davelaar, was an unbroken not-quite-3-year-old when Mason first saw him in the Netherlands. But she liked his type.

“I liked that he’s not huge—he’s just under 16.1 hands now, and he was a lot smaller when I got him. He’s compact, uphill and very well engaged,” she said.

After she got Warsteiner home, broke him and took him to his first shows, selling him didn’t seem to be a possibility anymore.

In 2008, Warsteiner won the USDF Horse of the Year at first level, first level freestyle and second level freestyle. “He had a great year last year. I didn’t think he was mature enough to do the 5-year-old classes, so I waited, and he’s definitely mature enough now at 6,” Mason said.

“Last year, he was much more playful, and he got a little nervous in the ring. He was just a bit inattentive. This year, he’s more confident. His lateral work is quite easy, but it always has been. I decided to just keep him in the regular levels instead of the young horse classes last year, but this year I decided to give it a shot, and he’s done very well,” she continued.

Warsteiner surprised Mason a bit in Raleigh.

“I thought he was going to be a little strong and have a lot of energy, and if anything, he was a bit tired,” she said. “I had him entered in two classes each day, but the second day I scratched the morning class so he could be fresher for the 6-year-old test. It was the first time he’d trailered more than two hours to a horse show, and I think it took more out of him than I expected.”

Mason, 40, Tewksbury, N.J., said Warsteiner is the friendliest horse in the barn. “He has a Dutch door, and everyone has to pet him when they walk by. He’s got lots of personality,” she said.

Personality is also a big plus for Helene, the mare Teresa Butta, 34, rode to the top of the 5-year-old division.

“She’s a lovely mare. She’s got a super disposition, and she’s so easy to work with. I’ve ridden a lot of young horses—that’s kind of what I do—and I think she’s one of the best young horses I’ve ridden in my life,” Butta said.

Helene (Hohenstein—Wallenta, Weltruhm) was bred in Germany by Dr. and Mrs. Hans H. Hoppe, but current owner Jim Bond bought her last year.

She won the 4 and older mares under saddle class at Dressage At Devon (Pa.) last fall and showed lightly at training level early this year. Bond sent her to Butta, Westminster, Md., in April.

“She’s got a great mind. She tries so hard every day, and she’s quite calm. She’s an honest mare,” Butta said. “The elasticity that she has in her body is amazing. It’s just like riding liquid. It’s very cool. All she needs is to develop the right way.

“The perfect description for her is ladylike. The stands and the commotion didn’t bother her at all,” continued Butta.