July 7, 2008
Matrix Horses and Team Members Shine at 2008 National Dressage Championships
Matrix horses and Matrix Equine Team members shone bright at this year's 2008
National Dressage Championships, held June 20-29 at The Oaks Blenheim show
grounds in San Juan Capistrano, California. The annual event, officially called
the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions, served not only as America's
national dressage championship competition, but also as the selection trials
for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Dressage Team.
When the dust settled, several Matrix horses and team members were left standing
at the top of the leader board. In Grand Prix competition, Matrix Equine Team
member Steffen Peters was number one, earning the title of 2008 American National
Dressage Champion. His partner in competition was Ravel, a 10-year-old Dutch
Warmblood gelding owned by Akiko Yamazaki. That number one placing also earned
Peters a place on the 2008 Olympic Dressage Team.
Joining Peters on this year's Olympic Dressage Team will be Debbie McDonald
with Brentina and Courtney King-Dye with Harmony's Mythilus. Mythilus, a 14-year-old
Dutch Warmblood gelding, is a Matrix horse and he and King-Dye will be competing
in their first Olympics.
America's newest National Intermediaire Dressage Champion is also one of the
newest members of Team Matrix. Michelle Gibson, who represented the U.S. in
the Atlanta Olympics, swept the Intermediaire competition at the Festival of
Champions winning all three rounds of competition to take the championship
title. Her win came with Don Angelo, an eight-year-old Oldenburg stallion owned
by Terri Kane. Also competing in this year's National Championships in Intermediaire
competition were Matrix horses Dacardo, owned and ridden by Melissa Taylor,
and the fifth-placed Intermediaire horse Wadamur, owned and ridden by Team
Matrix member Sue Jaccoma.
"The Matrix would like to congratulate all the riders who competed in
this year's National Championship because we recognize that just qualifying
to compete is itself a great honor," said Matrix Vice President Keith
Manfred. "And of course, we are really proud of our Team Matrix members
and Matrix horses. We're really lucky to have such a fabulous group of riders
and horses on our team."
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Matrix supplements provide multiple health benefits for horses, including promoting
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