WELLINGTON, Fla--Kate Shoemaker had a roller coaster weekend with three wins at the Global Dressage Festival, culminating in her win on Sunday, Jan. 26 on Vianne in the CPEDI3* FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade IV with a plus-80%, but also over the weekend she lost her other horse, the 11-year-old Quiana, after a freak accident in which the mare shattered her hip.
Kate Shoemaker on Vionne (Photo by Susan Stickle)“I had the goal of hitting 80% with this freestyle and we did it,” saidl Shoemaker, who rode to music originally made for Quiana. “I think they were the best canter extensions I’ve ever ridden on Vianne because they were Quiana’s highlight in that test, and I rode it the same way. It was special out there today, both for the partnership I have with Vianne and the honor I paid to Quiana at the same time. With Vianne I’m having a great week, but it’s also been a very rough week and emotionally tough to process.”
The 37-year-old Shoemaker suffers from motor control dysfunction, muscle weakness, and spasms on the right side of her body, but she and Vianne have been stepping up their training, and Shoemaker hopes to make her able-bodied grand prix debut later this year.
“We’re going to try to secure the grand prix movements this year and give that a go,” she said. “I’ve had that as a goal for more than 10 years, and this year we’re going to make it a priority. It’s green, but all the grand prix pieces are there. The whole point of dressage is the harmony and grace, and with good training the horse will do anything for you.”
LAST MONTH Shoemaker secured ownership of Vianne, even though the arrangement with NorCordia USA had initially been intended to be temporary.
“I’m incredibly honored to have the opportunity with Vianne and I love her to pieces,” said Shoemaker. “She was always good to me, but this fall it felt like we became one, which is an incredible feeling. The fact that she gets to stay with me for the rest of her life makes me feel so good.”
Cynthia Screnci was both a competitor and an owner during Festival week three, riding her own 8-year-old For Memory 4 to three wins, including Sunday’s CPEDI3* FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade V with a score of 72.733%.
Screnci’s other two horses, Sir Chipoli and Eragon VF were competing under Grade III rider Hannah Kingsley.
Kingsley rode the 18-year-old Sir Chipoli to a score of 71.023% to win Sunday’s freestyle in their first CPEDI together.
Screnci spotted Kingsley at a national show, which is how the relationship came about.
“I saw Hannah riding an older jumper horse and I was just so impressed by her spirit and her nature,” said Screnci. “I asked her and her trainer if they would maybe be interested in taking on my old grand prix horse who could not really stand up to the work any more and they said, ‘Yes!’. She’s had him a year and a half now.”
Screnci was a successful amateur jumper but smashed her ankle when she landed on her feet during a jump-off in 2015.
She then came down with a bone infection and has undergone 26 surgeries on her ankle.
“I was a gung-ho type of person,” Screnci said. “So accepting my disability was a process, but what para did for me was give me such a silver lining and the opportunity to follow new dreams and compete internationally. For Memory is only 8 but he’s an old soul. I’ve only had him a short time and he’s still developing muscle and self-carriage, but he would go to battle for me. We have a special bond.”
Kingsley is grateful for the opportunities Screnci’s horses have given her.
“‘Chip’ and ‘Danny’ are both big on scratches and we spend time with them outside the arena just to enjoy,” said Kinglsey, who had a brain bleed four years ago followed by a stroke and has no feeling in the right side of her body. “We spent two months just road walking Danny to get him fit and now he’s finally fit, it’s so fun to see his presence coming out. He loves horse shows. I’m really excited to grow the partnership, and we’ll be coming back here for the next para CPEDI.
“This has been a big mental health journey,” she said. “I was so focused on my veterinary business before I got ill, then afterwards I asked myself what I really want. Enjoying each day and enjoying your life with horses is huge for me. Cynthia gave me the gift of riding two amazing showmen so that has really been so fun and gratifying. Taking what they can teach me has been awesome.”
Molly O’Brien on Fortunato H2O scored 73.676% in the opening qualification round of the Future Challenge FEI Prix St. Georges,
Mary Haskins Gray on Rutherford was second with 72.402%, while Rebecca Cohen placed third with 72.01% on Prince Of Hope.
It was a high quality field of 14, with the top eight all scoring over 70%.
In October 2024, O’Brien received an award from the $25,000 Anne L.Barlow-Ramsay Grant to train and compete the American-bred Fortunato H2O.
The horse was previously competed by Grade I para athlete Roxanne Trunnell.
“I’ve been riding Fortunato a little over a year with my coach Sue Blinks’ help," said O'Brien. "She’s changed our world and our game, and the horse has changed into a different animal over the past few months. He’s really come into his own and become super confident. My goal today was to get him in this international ring and give him a good experience, and he gave me more than that.
“This was a large class with some awesome riders in it and I just wanted to give him a positive experience. The trot tour was a highlight, he really killed it, and the cool thing is that it can still be even better,” she said.
