Wellington, Fla. – March 22, 2018 – Veteran international dressage riders Sue Blinks, Diane Creech and Vanessa Creech-Terauds have successfully piloted nine of Leatherdale Farms’ performance horses to top scores and placings thus far during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida.
Olympian Blinks and her partner Habanero L, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness-Wolkenfee, Wolkenstein II) have had success in the small tour division in the past, but this season, Blinks and the grey gelding made their Grand Prix debut in the national show ring. During their first test of the season, Blinks and Habanero L earned a score of 66.63 percent and placed second in a competitive class.
“Habanero just keeps getting stronger and more and more capable, and he is always so reliable in the show ring,” Binks explained.
Creech has had a stand out season on four different horses, both in the CDI international ring and at the national shows, including Robbie W, Chrevis Christo, Diana C and Hallmark 3.
Known as ‘Perfect Robbie,’ Robbie W, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Rubin Royal-Rolling Home) started the season out with a bang during AGDF Week One, claiming the CDI3* Intermediate I with a 69.706 percent. The pair also placed second in both the Prix St. Georges with a 70.098 percent and the Intermediate I Freestyle with a 72.975 percent. The pair returned during the seventh week to earn the red ribbon with a 70.637 percent and a 70.588 percent in the Intermediate I. To finish out the weekend, Creech and Robbie W won the Intermediate I Freestyle with a score of 72.925 percent.
“Robbie is just so happy all of the time and has a great personality,” Creech said. “Robbie loves to show and you could tell he was proud of the work he did. He knows his job so well. He doesn’t get phased at the show and he always has such a great attitude. He’s so laid back yet so consistent and really loves his job. He was definitely ‘Perfect Robbie’ that weekend.”
The talented 11-year-old Damsey FRH mare Diana C (Damsey FRH-Belinda, Brentano II) made her CDI Grand Prix debut last summer in Hartpury, England, and has continued to gain confidence in the Grand Prix. During Week Three, Creech and Diana C earned a score of 65 percent in the Grand Prix, and moved up to a score of 67.383 percent in the Grand Prix Special to earn seventh place. Joining Robbie W in Week Seven, Creech and Diana C once again rode in the CDI3* where they earned scores of 65.174 percent in the Grand Prix and a 67.383 percent in the Grand Prix Special.
“Diana is such a talented horse and is fun to work with,” Creech explained. “She’s certainly matured and grown up since the last time she was in the international ring here in Wellington. The second test was way better than the first one and I was very happy to see that she came out more settled. I was really happy with the progress that she made.”
After an exciting fall season winning the Dressage at Devon CDI-W Grand Prix, Creech and Chrevis Christo, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevis Cavallo-Chrevis La VI, Matador), competed in his first CDI5* during AGDF Week Five. The pair earned a score of 69.213 percent in the Grand Prix Special where they placed sixth overall. After a few weeks away from the show ring, they returned to earn a 68.931 percent for fourth place and 67.702 percent for fifth place during the CDI3* at AGDF Week Eight.
“I’m so incredibly proud of Christo,” Creech said. “He sometimes worries, and he overcame his fear in the big ring and gave such wonderful rides. He was very expressive and willing in his piaffe and passage work so that was a big highlight for us.”
Balancing school in Canada, 18-year-old Creech-Terauds made the trip to Wellington to compete Fleur de Lis L, a 9-year-old Hanoverian mare (First Dance-EM De La Rosa, De Niro) in the CDI-Y division. Creech-Terauds and Fleur de Lis L have been partners for multiple years, competing up through the junior divisions and into the Young Rider division. During AGDF Week Five, the pair won every Young Rider class they were entered in, earning a 69.755 percent in the Young Rider Team Test, a 68.824 percent in the Young Rider Individual Test and a 70.575 percent in the Young Rider Freestyle.
“My birthday was Wednesday during Week Five, and I couldn’t have asked for a better present!” Creech-Terauds exclaimed. “Fleur always tries so hard everytime she shows. She had great pirouettes and super, expressive changes this weekend. Now that the movements are more confirmed, we’re working on taking more risks in order to gain more expression when performing in the show ring. I’m so proud of this horse, she’s like my best friend.”
In Week Six, Creech and Creech-Terauds showed multiple horses in the national ring at the AGDF. Creech competed Hallmark 3, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness-Lapislazuly, Laucier), for the first time in 2018, earning great scores in their first Grand Prix competition of the year. They returned in during Week Nine to win their national show Grand Prix with a 69.13 percent and placing second in the Grand Prix Special with a 70.957 percent.
Creech-Terauds had a busy Week Six at the AGDF, where she showed three horses for Leatherdale Farms. Creech-Terauds partnered with her mother’s former Grand Prix mount, Devon L (De Niro-Wibranda, Wolkenstein II), to compete in the U25 Grand Prix. Creech-Terauds and the 18-year-old Hanoverian gelding earned scores up to 66.538 percent.Creech-Terauds also competed Rob Roy, her former junior FEI mount, in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I classes. Creech-Terauds and the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Rubin Royal-SPS Glory Dream, Glorieux) earned a 63.382 percent in the Prix St. Georges and a score of 65 percent in the Intermediate I for second place in both classes.
Creech-Terauds also debuted a new partnership with Harley L, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness-MS Eileen, Expri). The duo competed in the Young Rider division, in both the Young Rider Team Test and Young Rider Individual Test. In the team test, the pair earned a score of 62.206 percent and earned a score of 66.765 in the individual test.
In Week Eight, the young rider continued to compete Devon L and Rob Roy in the CDI-U25 and CDI-Young Riders, respectfully. Devon L had a fantastic weekend and swept the U25 division winning the FEI U25 Grand Prix with a score of 65.231 percent and winning the FEI U25 Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 67.8 percent.
With Rob Roy, Creech-Terauds participated in the awards ceremony after all three rides. The duo placed second in the Young Riders Team Test with a score of 68.059 percent, third in the Young Rider Individual Test with a score of 65.098 percent and rounded out the weekend winning the Young Rider Freestyle with a score of 70.9 percent.
