RANCHO MURIETA – Competition for the California Dressage Society Horse of the Year awards is always fierce, and competitors once again had to bring their best rides to the Murieta Equestrian Center on Sunday, Oct. 6-9.

The competition highlighted a big weekend at the 44th Annual CDS Championship Show held in conjunction with the CDS Young Horse Futurity (including the Cal-Bred Futurity), the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships and the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Breeders Championships West Coast Series Final.

Jaye Cherry must have smiled for the duration of her six-hour drive back to Burbank, as she took the Peter and Bonnie Lert Trophy for CDS Horse of the Year at Open Training Level with Marta Kauffman’s 4-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Santana (72.432%).

Following her Saturday evening freestyle victory, Whitney Harrington of Agoura Hills and Irmgard Friedberger’s Austrian gelding, Laredo 183, claimed the Rubinstein Memorial Trophy for the Adult Amateur Grand Prix class (70.51%). Brian Hafner of Templeton expertly rode his long-time partner, Lombardo LHF, to a score of 68.026% to win the Pelton Family Trophy for Intermediaire II.

Chermaine Hurtado of Moorpark repeated Thursday’s USDF championship successes by going two-for-two in CDS Horse of the Year divisions with Ardean Bennett’s Feiner Fritz and her own Hanoverian mare, Winter Nebel, in the First and Second Level Freestyle classes, scoring 68.167% and 71.667%, respectively, and the CDS and Dawn West Perpetual Trophies.

Adding to her previous day’s USDF championship in the FEI Junior division, 16-year-old Stephanie Early of Watsonville danced her way to a score of 69.167% and another victory in the CDS Third Level Freestyle (De Medici Perpetual Trophy) with her own Hanoverian mare, Panash.

The 5-year-old Westfalen gelding, Rudi Regali, claimed CDS titles in the Adult Amateur Training Level division (Melissa Creswick Trophy) and also at First Level (Full Cry Trophy) with scores of 74.357% and 70.342%, respectively for owner/rider Nancy Szakacs of Hollister.

Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 7 Championships also concluded, with titles awarded at First, Third, Fourth, and Intermediaire I levels, as well as for Young Riders. In a highly-competitive Open First Level Championship, the top three horse/rider combinations scored over 71 percent.

CDS Presdient Peggy Klump was pleased with the event.

“What struck me the most about this weekend is the impressive scope of these championships,” said Klump. “The atmosphere and camaraderie here was wonderful, reminiscent of the ‘old days’, and it was so great to see everyone celebrate coming together here as part of the CDS family.”

More results are available at www.california-dressage.org

GAIG/USDF REGION 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS
CDS 44th ANNUAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
Oct. 6-9, 2011 / Rancho Murieta, CA.

CDS HORSE OF THE YEAR CLASSES
$1000 Prix St. Georges CDS HOY- Open
Rebecca Rigdon/ Solei/ 70.395%

$1000 Prix St. Georges CDS HOY – Adult Amateur
Jill Thornton/ Souvenir/ 63.553%

$1000 Intermediaire I CDS HOY – Open
Rebecca Rigdon/ Solei/ 70.395%

$1000 Intermediaire I CDS HOY – Adult Amateur
Charlotte Jorst/ Tristan/ 69.605%

$1000 Intermediaire II CDS HOY
Brian Hafner/ Lombardo LHF/ 68.026%

$1000 Grand Prix CDS HOY
Leslie Webb/ Harmony’s Sandro/ 68.511%

CDS HOY Amateur Grand Prix
Whitney Harrington/ Laredo 183/ 70.851%

CDS First Level Freestyle
Chemaine Hurtado/ Feiner Fritz/ 68.167%

CDS Second Level Freestyle
Chemaine Hurtado/ Winter Nebel/ 71.667%

CDS Third Level Freestyle
Stephanie Early/ Panash/ 69.167%

CDS Fourth Level Freestyle
Kimberly Noon-Fishel/ Casino Royale/ 67.333%

$1000 CDS HOY Intermediaire Freestyle
Charlotte Jorst/ Tristan/ 71.000%

$1000 CDS HOY Grand Prix Freestyle
Whitney Harrington/ Laredo 183/ 68.625%

$1000 Training Level CDS HOY – Open
Jaye Cherry/ Santana

$1000 Training Level CDS HOY – Adult Amateur
Nancy Szakacs/ Rudi Regali

$1000 First Level CDS HOY – Open
Sandy Savage/ Stradivarius