Saturday February 21, 2004

Michelle Gibson And Lex Barker Win High Score Third Level At WEF

Michelle Gibson, 34, of Wellington, Florida, riding Lex Barker earned 72.111% today, which proved to be the High Score for Third Level at the Zada Enterprises, LLC Florida Dressage Classic. Gibson topped a class of 14 entries in Third Level Test 3 aboard the striking 17.2-hand, chestnut seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Longchamp x Werther, owned by Elite European Sport Horses, Inc. to clinch the award. “Wow, cool, that’s awesome!” Gibson said. “I was not expecting it. My whole goal was to get him here and see how he was going to be in the ring – that was the whole point of the horse show. That award is the icing on the cake. I’m very proud of Barker.”

Gibson has had the ride on Lex Barker for almost two years and has trained him from a green Training Level horse through Fourth Level, but she has not competed the youngster in a year. She started ‘Barker’ as she calls him in Third Level Test 2 yesterday, where they earned 68.571% for second place, and then contested Fourth Level Test 1, earning 65.581% for fourth place. “They were good rides. I was very pleased with our Third Level class – he was a good boy. The Fourth level test, he was a little bit nervous in the walk, but he was a good boy.”

Gibson said she clicks personality-wise with Barker, “He’s very cool.” And though owner Elite is a company that is in the business of selling horses, Gibson intends to continue with this one. “The plan is to keep him and just do whatever we do.”