“Relieved,” was Dawn’s description of her feeling after the ride on the 15-year-old Westfalen gelding that scored 68.100 per cent for second place behind Steffen and Rosamunde on 73.780 per cent.
The competition in the specially built equestrian center with stabling, warm-up rings as well as the centerpiece arena all indoors, was not only the first on Legolas for Dawn but was also the first time that Rosamunde, a Rhinelander mare who turned 10 a week ago, competed indoors.
“I honestly did not really know what to expect,” said the 27-year-old Dawn who also competed Aristo for the first time at Grand Prix in the CDI3*. “I had varied expectations. A lot of it is that he is very sensitive and my aids are different than Steffen’s and we’re still trying to figure it all out.”
“It’s good that we’ve had our first ride and now I know what he’s like in the ring. He’s definitely different in the ring… as they all are. You don’t really know what each horse is going to be like in the ring until you do it.”
And riding two horses at Grand Prix for her first time in a CDI she described as “pretty cool.”
Although Steffen followed Dawn immediately in the class of five combinations, he was “very much focused on Legolas” on his warm-up with Rosamunde–“50 per cent warming up Legolas and 50 per cent warming up Rosamunde.”
“During Dawn’s ride I kept peeking through the tunnel and from what I saw it looked pretty good. Of course there were little mistakes that are probably pretty normal. The biggest teacher at the end of the day is the show arena and Dawn will learn so much from that ride for the next shows.
“I think a decent start for Dawn and it will get better from here.”
Of his own ride on Rosamunde, he said she is very rideable with lots of energy and “a lot of work to do before the World Cup if we make it.