Thursday March 20, 2003

Zada WEF Dressage Classic CDI***/Y Draws Strong Contenders For Pan Am And Championship Qualifiers

Young Riders Shondel and LaPorte Taking the Blue Ribbons

Michael Shondel, 20, of Kinnelon, New Jersey, proved to be the top contender of the six competitors in the Young Riders CDI/Y, winning both classes he entered – the Team Test (64.978%) and the Individual Test (69.829%) aboard his 12-year-old, 18.2-hand Hanoverian gelding Wallaby by Werther.

Shondel is a college student majoring in business and an officer candidate in the Marine Corps – he completed boot camp in July. Shondel currently trains with Dr. Cesar Parra. His goal this year is to qualify for the North American Young Riders Championships. “They were pretty good rides,” said Shondel of his wins. “They weren’t without mistakes but we’ve been riding pretty consistent and precise in our tests.”

Trae LaPorte of Wellington, Florida, won the Young Rider Freestyle CDI/Y scoring 69.1% in a class of four competitors. LaPorte, who trains with Bent Jensen, placed second to Shondel in the Individual (66.068%) and third in the Team (61.822%) on Kathryn Grove’s Fleetwood, a 16-year-old, 16.2, Dutch gelding.