Saturday, March 23, 2002

Arlene Page and Claire

The Rest of the Story

Arlene Page and Claire won the Grand Prix Special at the WEF Dressage Classic CDI*** held March 14-17 in Wellington, Florida. The 10-year-old, 17-hand, bay Holsteiner mare (Cassini x Umaiaca) is a former jumper who had been showing dressage at the German ‘M’ level only a year before Page bought her in 1999. Since then, Page and Claire have trained with Conrad Schumacher and Klaus Balkenhol. Page, 45, feels she has found "the one" in Claire and is working towards making the U.S. team for the 2004 Olympics. The Wellington CDI was the first show for the duo in the 2002 season.

"I was really proud of her. She continues to be incredibly rewarding," said Page. "She can take pressure and react in a good way. By pressure, I mean asking for a little more and a little more, and she delivers. She handles that kind of thing very well. She is absolutely right on the same page."

Page had been on a horse-shopping mission for over a year before she found Claire at Thomas von Samson’s barn outside of Hamburg, Germany. "There was no question. This was the one to buy," she said. Claire had natural ability for flying changes and pirouettes.