Trust Is Key For Sinfonie At U.S. Dressage Finals

Lexington, Ky.—Nov. 13

For 15 years, Lauren Lewis-Gladish saved for her dream horse.

PUBLISHED

November 13, 2016
1:49 pm

WORDS BY

Lisa Slade

Lexington, Ky.—Nov. 13

For 15 years, Lauren Lewis-Gladish saved for her dream horse.

In late 2014, she finally made a shopping trip to Germany with Anke Herbert, where she found Sinfonie. There was just one catch; the mare was already in foal.

“That kind of put us off track of what we were going to do,” said Lewis-Gladish. “We brought her back almost a year ago to this date.”

When Lewis-Gladish bought Sinfonie, the mare was just broke to saddle.

“I could not get her to canter,” she said. “She wouldn’t canter for me. I think of everything we’ve gone through together to get to this point, and it’s pretty amazing I’m sitting here, and we’ve accomplished all that in a short amount of time. It’s all her. She gets all the credit.”

Lauren Lewis-Gladish and Sinfonie. Photo by Lisa Slade.

This was the 6-year-old Sinfonie’s first year of showing, and she topped the adult amateur training level championship (72.12%) at U.S. Dressage Finals after finishing with the reserve title in yesterday’s adult amateur first level championship.

“There was a lot of bonding that had to happen quickly, and thankfully she’s just a sweet, lovable mare,” said Lewis-Gladish, who trains with Beth Gagliardi. “We just really worked very hard to have a very positive relationship with her and for her to always look towards me for security because she’s a baby, and she’s having a baby.”

This was Lewis-Gladish’s first trip to the U.S. Dressage Finals, and after driving from Indiana, she wasn’t even sure she’d get to compete this weekend.

“When we got here the other night, she slipped and fell on the cement,” she said of Sinfonie, whose foal is now 17 months old.

The mare quickly bounced back from that experience for her tests, but in yesterday’s ride, she was still acclimating to the very busy environment at the Kentucky Horse Park.

“She was a little bit scared and shied away a little when cars were driving by, but overall she was super good, and she really tried to please her mother,” said Lewis-Gladish, who works as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

Neither Havallo, ridden by Sara Davisson, nor Sinfonie, ridden by Lauren Lewis-Gladish, wanted to take a victory lap solo. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Today’s test boosted the pair to first over the reserve pair of Sara Davisson on Havallo by nearly 2 percentage points.

“I was looking her to seek me for the trust, and she really gave her all,” said Lewis-Gladish. “She listened to me.”

Lame No More

When Birgitt Dagge loaded up her three horses for the drive from Florida to Kentucky, all three were lame.

“I had a hot nail on one, and he was better by Monday,” she said. “Another one knocked herself and was OK by Tuesday. This one popped an abscess on Wednesday night. We shod this horse about 10 times on Wednesday, trying to figure out what to do. Today was the day. He’s super sound now, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken him in the ring.”

Birgitt Dagge and Laxwell. Photo by Lisa Slade.

That third horse, Laxwell, won the adult amateur third level freestyle with a score of 71.00 percent.

“He likes the atmosphere. He thinks he’s awesome, and I think so too,” said Dagge. “This was his fourth doing the third level freestyle, he’s a super good horse for being very young. I’m hiring him. He’s good at this job.”

Other champions today included:

Adult amateur first level freestyle: Malena Brisbois and Amadeus (70.72%)