Successful Stallions in the Young Horse Championships Day 2

We'd like to send special congratulations to Hilltop Farm and also to Patricia Becker and Dr. Anne Ramsay for their results in Friday's competition at the Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse National Championships. Hilltop's Qredit (Quarterback-Dream Rubina, Dream of Glory) was ridden by Michael Bragdell, and Patty Becker rode Dr. Ramsay's home-bred Oldenburg stallion Freedom (Feuri-Windjammer, Walk on Top). The two shared second place in the Intermediate II test. Finery, owned by Anne Howard, took third in the 6-Year-Old Preliminary test.

Here is the full report on the day's results:

Wayne, Ill. - Aug. 25, 2017 - To begin the second day of competition at the Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse National Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, Cesar Parra of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, came away with a win in the Intermediate II, which was the first test for the Developing Grand Prix division. Parra earned a 69.561 percent aboard his and Martha Sosnoff's 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding Fashion Designer OLD (Faustinus-Forst-Design, De Niro). 

Bred by Heike Kind in Germany, the gelding won the 5-Year-Old Young Horse National Championship in 2013 with Nadine Buberl. He returned to Lamplight in 2016 with Parra to earn the reserve championship title in the Developing Prix St. Georges division. This year, the pair excelled in the Intermediate II test with highlights that included the trot half-passes, the canter pirouettes, and the piaffe and passage tour. 

Patricia Becker of Wadsworth, Illinois, and Michael Bragdell of Colora, Maryland, tied for second place in the Intermediate II test with a score of 67.325 percent. Becker competed Dr. Anne Ramsay's 10-year-old Oldenburg stallion Freedom (Feuri-Windjammer, Walk on Top). Bragdell rode Qredit Hilltop (Quarterback-Dream Rubina, Dream of Glory), a 9-year-old Oldenburg stallion owned by Hilltop Farms, Inc. 

In the 6-year-old division, Andrea Woodard traveled from Wellington, Florida, to top the leaderboard with a score of 7.9 on her Oldenburg mare Ravenna (Sir Donnerhall I-Romanze, Blue Hors Romanov). Ravenna was bred in Germany by Britta Luebbers and Woodard bought her as a 3-year-old. The pair received a trot score of 8.5 from the judges who rewarded the gait's cadence, and the judges gave an 8.0 for their general impression. 

Werner Van Der Brande, who lives in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, followed closely behind in second place during the 6-Year-Old Preliminary test with a 7.8 aboard Flyby FLF (Falsterbo-Whirliegirl, Wonderland), a Hanoverian stallion owned by Linda Sommers. Michael Bragdell earned the yellow ribbon with a 7.6 on Anne Howard's Oldenburg stallion, Finery (Furstenball-Sonetta, Diamond HIT).

The Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse National Championships continues Saturday, Aug. 26 with three championship titles being crowned: the Developing Prix St. Georges National Championship, and the 4-Year-Old and 5-Year-Old Young Horse National Championships.

For results and starting times, visit www.foxvillage.com. For more information about Lamplight Equestrian Center, visit www.lamplightequestriancenter.com. Live streaming will be available on the USEF Network. 

FROM THE WINNER'S CIRCLE Patricia Becker - Intermediate II Test second place tie  On Freedom: "Freedom is a horse I've had since he was 3 and I rode him as a 5-year-old here. He's a wonderful horse to ride and is a stallion, and he can sometimes act like a stallion! As he's developed he puts his game face on more whenever we go in the ring. That's what he did today, but the mistakes were very small. I was very pleased with him and his effort and focus today. I love Lamplight - it's super close to me so I love to compete here." Michael Bragdell - Intermediate II Test second place tie  On Qredit Hilltop: "Of all my horses, I think Qredit holds a special place for me and Jane MacElree who owns him and Hilltop Farm. He has grown up on the farm since he was a weanling. I showed him as a yearling at Devon and he won in-hand. Through the years I've developed him, so to be here with these fierce competitors, Cesar and Patricia, it's a nice group to be in. I'm really proud of him."  Michael Bragdell - 6-Year-Old Preliminary Test third place  On his test: "I was quite thrilled with my horse. He is owned by Ann Howard and she trusted me to train and show him. I got him last spring and I think he is super talented and has progressed well. In the test, he gave his all. I have to give credit to my coach, Morten Thomsen, who has helped us along the way and has really made a big difference in the training."