Sept. 30—Devon, Pa.
Blowing rain, chilly temperatures, people lining the fence and puddles in the ring might be the undoing of some dressage horses, but Canada’s Tina Irwin has been training Laurencio for that situation all year, and it showed as they topped today’s Prix St. Georges CDI at Dressage At Devon.
The pair scored a 71.00 percent to best Guatemalan rider Esther Mortimer, who was second with Adajio (69.21%) and Irwin’s husband Jaimey, who was third on Donegal V (68.81%).
Laurencio, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Laurentio—Pasadena, Donnerhall), started life as a jumper in Germany, but when the Irwins saw his potential for dressage, they imported him as a 4-year-old.
“Teddy,” nicknamed because he’s like a teddy bear in the barn, is the first horse Tina has owned for herself.
This is his first year on the CDI scene, and he’s coming to Devon off of six straight Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I CDI wins in Canada this summer.
“He was really green in Wellington,” said Tina. “We did our very first Intermediare I in Florida nationally then we started competing in CDIs. I think he’s just been getting stronger and better and more confirmed in his work, which takes time. Now that’s starting to show.”
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Tina, 35, brought Teddy to Devon to experience the atmosphere, and she felt he rose to the occasion today.
“He’s a really amazing horse because he has such a great temperament. He’s very relaxed, he’s solid in his mind, yet he’s sensitive to ride,” she said. “When I was in the warm up today, I said, ‘Wow he feels really relaxed,’ then I went into the main ring, and he perked up a little bit, but just enough to give me the pizzazz I needed for the ring. He’s very steady, he’s consistent, he’s reliable.
“Devon is a great show with a lot of atmosphere, and that’s the next step in our training and show career with him—to expose him to more,” she added. “I love the show. It’s 10 hours for us from Toronto, so it’s a hike, but it’s always a fun show, good atmosphere. We just really love the environment here.”
Tina added she’s been neck and neck with her husband this season, but he had a small mistake that lost him some marks.
“His horse is a year younger than mine, so he’s still greener, but today he had a spook at a cameraman which was an unfortunate mistake, but that’s why we’re here, to expose them. It’s pretty cool to have him right up there with me,” she said.
Full results can be found here.
Want more from Devon? We’ll have much more in our Oct. 17 print issue!
