DRESSAGE TODAY ARTICLE: Region 9: USDF Symposium – Through the Levels
Marta Renilla was featured at the Dressage Today article: Region 9: USDF Symposium – Through the Levels
marta renilla
Exciting Show Results by Woodlands Equestrian Club’s riders
Dear friends,
I wanted to share exciting news with all of you. Woodlands Equestrian Club team is proud to count with great Dressage competitors among their students and trainers, as they showed at their performance last weekend (April 26th – 28th) at the Houston Dressage Society Spring I & II and CDI3* USDF Region 9. Let me start with the lowest Dressage levels.
On the training levels of the recognized show, Katie Bortel, WEC’s Dressage Assistant obtained an outstanding 70,2% with the P.R.E. Stallion Lulapon at his first show ever! He is turning 5 this year and has a promising Dressage career. His future owner will be a lucky rider since Lulapon is available for purchase. His test here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-D9mNH3lbs
Marta Renilla, WEC’s Dressage Director also debuted a young prospect. WEC’s Rhustler, a 4 year old Hannoverian who obtained a 72% on Sunday, making the 2nd place on the Open division! Great job! Another young horse’s first time on the competitions arenas was Sheriff, owned and ridden by Anartz Chanca, Marta’s fiancé. They both debuted in a Dressage show, obtaining a 66% on his Friday test! Anartz has been training Sheriff since January under Marta’s instruction. Both rider and horse have a bright Dressage future ahead. Keep the good work! 16 year-old McKaela Hodge, student of WEC’s trainer Amy Jacobs did a very nice test and obtained the 3rd place on Sunday with her horse Shreck in the Amateur division. Well done!
Moving to the Second Level, Katie Bortel rode again. This time her own horse Stoli and placed 2nd in the Open Division. Very nice test!
Vincent & Aliado – 3rd Level
A newcomer to the US competitive arenas, but not to the Dressage championships in other countries, is Marta’s student Vincent Flores, originally from France. He debuted Aliado on 3rd Level, placing 2nd in the Amateur division with a 68,33%. Aliado is a 7 year old P.R.E. Stallion imported from Spain and has been owned by Vincent since December. The pair is planning to compete in 4th level later this year. They will succeed for sure!
A beautiful mover showed his gaits on the 4th level tests. Marta Renilla competed with the elegant Lusitano Stallion, Anastasio and placed first and second during the weekend with a nice 68%. Anastasio belongs to Jorge Canavati and is currently for sale. A truly treasure! His test here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w06OZAJ0MCw
The Prix St George happened early during the 3 day-show and with great results for Woodlands Equestrian Club.
Sandy Locke competed during the three days in the Amateur division with her dear Rocky, a 14 year old Dutch Warmblood gelding, placing first on Friday and Sunday and second on Saturday! Her Sunday result was an outstanding 66,447%. Congratulations! Sandy and Rocky rock!
Also in Prix St. George, Marta Renilla competed in the Open Division, WEC’s Mistico, a truly Grand Prix prospect. After debuting Prix St. George in Wellington last month, at 7 years old, this Andalusian Gelding that Marta has been training for 3 years, showed amazing movements and placed first on Sunday with a well deserved 71,84%. Marta is training him already in Intermediate I and believes he will be an outstanding Grand Prix horse very soon.
Marta & Presumido at the Awards Ceremony after their CDI 3*
There is no doubt that the highlight of the weekend, were the CDI 3* tests. Miss Renilla, International Grand Prix competitor, represented Spain with the 10 year-old P.R.E. Stallion Presumido in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle, being this last one the top event of Saturday night activities. Four International judges gave Marta and Presumido a 70.125; 72,750; 71,125; 71,5% and 64,125; obtaining an average of 69,925%. They both have been dancing together for 4 years, since he was only a 6 year-old with promising Dressage endeavors, and today, after four CDI 3* and many hours of training, they showed us the real beauty of the sport that we all love. Enjoy her performance in this video from last Saturday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbczorIx01
On a separate note, WEC’s Riding School students are also doing great at local schooling shows! This past Sunday they obtained 8 Blue ribbons in the Hunters/Jumpers Schooling Show at Snowdo nia Farms. Nicole Chambers, one of our youngest and most promising students was the ultimate champion with 3 Blue Ribbons! Jeremy Montemarano, Mariana Beltran, Nicole Brunel, Olivia Delucca, Gabriela Vazquez also obtained first and second positions. Congratulations!
Good job WEC’s team!
YVONNE VISSER, FORMER FEI JUDGE VISITS FROM SPAIN TO OFFER A DRESSAGE CLINIC AT WOODLANDS EQUESTRIAN CLUB
June 8th and 9th 2013 / 10422 Hufsmith Rd., Tomball TX 77375 – Woodlands Equestrian Club is proud to host a Dressage Clinic with an outstanding Dressage figure, Yvonne Visser. Besides the clinic, Yvonne will delight us with a Lecture on “History and Present of the P.R.E. Breed in Dressage and its Training”.
Yvonne Visser was born in NY, USA, but moved to Spain at an early age and joined the Spanish Cavalry School in Madrid, considered one of the best in Europe. She took the first course for National Dressage Judges in 1976 and she was part of its first promotion. She then trained with top European Judges such as Wolfgang Niggli, then head of the Dressage Department of the FEI, followed by Eric Lette and Mariette Whittages.
In 1991, Yvonne became an International FEI Judge. Since then she has judged all top national and international Dressage competitions in Spain including the 3* CDI’s of the Sunshine Tour since its inauguration, 6 CDIO’s in Hickstead, England, Saumur, France, Asti, Italy, several top national competitions in Germany , a CDI *** in Sau Paulo, Brasil, etc. She later took the first course in Warendorf, Germany, to specialize in the training and judging of young horses and since 2008 she has made several trip to Brasil as a Dressage clinician.
She has trained with Juan Antonio Jimenez, one of the Spanish Team Members to win the Silver Medal in the Athens Olympics. Her training is based on the International Training Scale for Horses: Rhythm, relaxation and contact (acceptance of the bit), impulsion, straightness and collection, which is a must for all horses, no matter what discipline they want to compete in and the only way to train a horse to be supple, obedient and on the aides. This Scale has been recognized as the best training tool available to make a horse supple, on the bit and accepting the aides willingly and without resistance.
In 2011 she retired as an FEI Judge in 2011, but still judges in regional Dressage and Eventing competitions and she is an active Technical Delegate for Spanish Equestrian Federation. She also has been invited to join a project for training Lusitano and Spanish (P.R.E.) in central Europe in order to promote these breeds for International competitions.
For more information on Yvonne’s Bio and registration, please visit:
www.woodlandsequestrianclub.com/eventsCOMINGUP or email ana@woodlandsequestrianclub.com
THE GROWING PRESENCE OF THE P.R.E. IN THE DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Spanish horse in dressage can hold his own, as it has been shown in the Olympics and in a number of high level competitions all over the world. The P.R.E. Andalusians competing in dressage, present with elegance and ability in the areas of collection, piaffe and passage – areas which comprise a significant portion of the higher level dressage tests (FEI levels).
Especially in the favor of the Andalusians in dressage is the inherent temperament which permits them to handle both learning and the stresses of competition well.
The equilibrium and compression required for changes, pirouettes and the collected exercises of dressage are complementary with the spanish horse morphology, while their capacity for extensions becomes truly visible in the 6th year as the horse develops with correct training. The Spanish and Lusitano horses compete in the open horse world, against all other breeds, at all levels. There is a steadily growing number of PREs and Lusitanos presenting well in high level dressage where they are judged by International Rules, and at FEI levels.
Here in the US, a P.R.E. is a good example of FEI level presence. Under the direction of Marta Renilla, Presumido, from the training & sales facility Woodlands Equestrian Club in Houston, TX, has been ranked by the USDF (United Stated Dressage Federation) 3rd nationally for his Grand Prix Freestyle results, showing the talent and sport abilities of the breed. At only 9 years old, this stallion has also shown internationally in CDI 3*, competing against outstanding European masters. Despite their natural ability, good training makes it key to produce competitive prospects and enjoyable schoolmasters, forward going andalusians, with soundly established basics. More and more often, Dressage riders are realizing the ability of our breed and choose them to become their companion in the arena and as well as on the ground.
For more information on how to find Dressage Andalusians (from novice to FEI levels, visit Marta Renilla’s training & sales facility in Houston: www.WoodlandsEquestrianClub.com
Ana Renilla: ana@woodlandsequestrianclub.com
Marta Renilla & P.R.E. Presumido competing Grand Prix at the CDI 3* in Lexington. Summer 2012
Woodlands Equestrian Club 