Spirit Equestrian 2011 Champs!

Spirit Equestrian's riders, owners, and trainers have had a banner year, taking home major Championship titles in several disciplines.

In Dressage, Spirit trainer Barbro Ask-Upmark and her Swedish Warmblood Monterey won the Grand Prix @ Spirit Equestrian August 6-7. Barbro and Monterey were pronounced the 2011 DASC Champions at Grand Prix.  Barbro and Monterey also received the DASC Year End Award for Grand Prix Open.  To top off their amazing year, Monterey was ranked #12 at Grand Prix under the USDF Horse of the Year Awards!

Spirit trainer Kim Kulesa riding Pam Wall's 1995 Oldenburg gelding Lesotho came home with the 2011 DASC Reserve Champion title, also at the Grand Prix Level.  

Kim Kulesa on Lesotho (L) and Barbro Ask-Upmark on Monterey (R) sweep the DASC awards at Grand Prix!

Spirit's Young Rider Georgia Wren-Russ and her Wurttemberg gelding Saphiro took home top honors at the 2011 CDS Jr/YR Championship South, earing the Champion FEI level and the Reserve Champion FEI Young Rider divisions, both with an average of 65%, earning them the coveted Proud and Free Trophy. At the CDS Finals, they were the 2011 CDS Horse of the Year 4th Level Freestyle Reserve Champions with a 65.1%. 

At the USDF Regional Championships in Rancho Murietta, California, Georgia and Saphiro were crowned USDF Prix St. Georges Jr./Young Rider Champions with a 65% and USDF Young Rider Reserve Champions with a 64%.  Georgia and Saphiro were also Champion DASC 2011 4th Level Open Freestyle Champions (65%) and DASC Prix St. Georges Jr./YR Champion(66%). 

The 5 year old Hanoverian Don Vincenzo, owned by Linda Dymon and ridden by Kim Kulesa earned DASC All Breeds Reserve Champion Hanoverian, and individual high point for CDS at First Level with an impressive 81.724%.

Kim Kulesa on Don Vincenzo (L) and Georgia Wren-Russ on Saphiro (R)

Fantasia del C, a 7 year old P.R.E./Andalusian mare bred by Barbara Currie and owned by Spirit's Stable and Administrative Manager Sarah C. Shechner also took home top honors this year both under saddle and in hand.  Fantasia was crowned 2011 National Champion P.R.E. mare, National Champion Spanish Mare (IALHA Specialty), Reserve National Champion Andalusian Mare (IALHA), Champion Sr. Mare (Fiesta of the Spanish Horse), and Champion Mare (ANCCE, Ft. Worth).  In 2011, Fantasia was awarded the highest morphology score of the show under the Spanish judges every single time she was presented.

Fantasia qualified for the USDF Regional Championships by earning Reserve Champion Adult Mare in the Dressage Sport Horse Breeding division. Fantasia earned a second Reserve Champion USDF DSHB title at the IALHA Nationals in Fort Worth, and was also Reserve National Champion Andalusian in Dressage at Training Level.  Fantasia also came home with the Reserve National Champion of Versatility title, competing in 4 different divisions.  

Fantasia del C, two-time PRE National Champion