Monday, June 10, 2002

Top Six USA Riders Named To WEG Short List Guenter Seidel And Nikolaus 7 Win Grand Prix Freestyle

Debbie McDonald and Brentina placed second to Seidel in the Freestyle, edged out by fractions — the pair scored 74.200%. McDonald used the same freestyle that she rode to win the U.S. Freestyle Championship in California. The music is a medley of instrumental show tunes. Her freestyle percentage placed McDonald as the high score rider of the WEG Selection Trials — her overall total was 71.216%. The duo also claimed the USET Grand Prix Championship.

The Selection Trials have been a “nerve wracking” experience for McDonald, who came into the competition as the top-ranked U.S.-based rider (in second place to German-based Lisa Wilcox). McDonald dropped to fifth, shot up to third, and then into first, only to be faced with near disaster today when Brentina stumbled hard in the extended trot.

The stumble was due to a break in the mare’s concentration. McDonald was told later that someone was taking photos in the trees near the ring and Brentina zeroed in on that figure. “She’s afraid of this end of the arena because last year a deer jumped in the ring while we were in there, so she’s skeptical of this end. When I was coming across the diagonal, although she doesn’t usually wear her ears like this (pointing two fingers straight out) they were almost touching. I felt like it was going to be okay, and then all of a sudden I felt like I was going to go on my head. I really didn’t know what happened. Something startled her.”