Great American/USDF Region 7 & California Dressage Society Championships Conclude on Celebratory Note in Burbank
By Yellow Horse Marketing for the California Dressage Society
Among the many smiling faces seen during awards ceremonies for 29 championship divisions on the final day of the 49th Annual California Dressage Society (CDS) Annual Championship Show and Great American Insurance Group/United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 7 Championships held September 29-October 2 in Burbank was Ruth Shirkey of San Jose, Cal. With her U.S.-bred Hanoverian mare Wyleigh Princess, Shirkey was capping off a tremendous weekend by taking home the Two-Tone Malone Trophy for the $1,000 CDS Horse of the Year in the Second Level Adult Amateur division with an overall score of 68.256%. But the special partnership she now has with her horse almost never happened at all save for one crucial decision.
Ruth Shirkey and Wyleigh Princess were one of many champions crowned on the final day of competition at the Great American/USDF Region 7 & CDS Championship Show.
"My favorite story is that I purchased Wyleigh Princess in utero, and I was really hoping for a black colt," Shirkey remembered. "When she was born, her breeder called and said, 'The good news is that the foal is black. The bad news is that it's a filly.' She said that if I didn't want her, to just let them know because they actually really wanted to keep her. So I thought about it for a day and decided I still wanted her, primarily because I really, really wanted a foal by Weltmeyer. So of course in hindsight it was one of the best decisions I ever made."
Wyleigh Princess' breeder Cheryl Johnson traveled to this year's CDS Championship Show from Michigan and was on hand to see Shirkey and her talented mount win Saturday's CDS/Interactive Mortgage Six-Year-Old Adult Amateur Futurity as well as her latest Second Level title. "What an exciting weekend this has been, made all the more special because Cheryl could be here - she hasn't seen Wyleigh Princess since she was two," said Shirkey. "I learned something about my horse this weekend: she was very powerful to start off, but she worked off a little bit of that extra energy and then focused so nicely in the ring. She became softer and more tuned in to me but kept the power. So suddenly we had this 'a-ha' moment where we were communicating more effectively, and it's that type of incredible feeling I've always been striving to have with her. What perfect timing for it to happen here at the Championships."
By Yellow Horse Marketing for the California Dressage Society
Among the many smiling faces seen during awards ceremonies for 29 championship divisions on the final day of the 49th Annual California Dressage Society (CDS) Annual Championship Show and Great American Insurance Group/United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 7 Championships held September 29-October 2 in Burbank was Ruth Shirkey of San Jose, Cal. With her U.S.-bred Hanoverian mare Wyleigh Princess, Shirkey was capping off a tremendous weekend by taking home the Two-Tone Malone Trophy for the $1,000 CDS Horse of the Year in the Second Level Adult Amateur division with an overall score of 68.256%. But the special partnership she now has with her horse almost never happened at all save for one crucial decision.
Ruth Shirkey and Wyleigh Princess were one of many champions crowned on the final day of competition at the Great American/USDF Region 7 & CDS Championship Show.
"My favorite story is that I purchased Wyleigh Princess in utero, and I was really hoping for a black colt," Shirkey remembered. "When she was born, her breeder called and said, 'The good news is that the foal is black. The bad news is that it's a filly.' She said that if I didn't want her, to just let them know because they actually really wanted to keep her. So I thought about it for a day and decided I still wanted her, primarily because I really, really wanted a foal by Weltmeyer. So of course in hindsight it was one of the best decisions I ever made."
Wyleigh Princess' breeder Cheryl Johnson traveled to this year's CDS Championship Show from Michigan and was on hand to see Shirkey and her talented mount win Saturday's CDS/Interactive Mortgage Six-Year-Old Adult Amateur Futurity as well as her latest Second Level title. "What an exciting weekend this has been, made all the more special because Cheryl could be here - she hasn't seen Wyleigh Princess since she was two," said Shirkey. "I learned something about my horse this weekend: she was very powerful to start off, but she worked off a little bit of that extra energy and then focused so nicely in the ring. She became softer and more tuned in to me but kept the power. So suddenly we had this 'a-ha' moment where we were communicating more effectively, and it's that type of incredible feeling I've always been striving to have with her. What perfect timing for it to happen here at the Championships."
