Saturday, March 20, 2004

Lars Petersen And Dansko’s Success Win Grand Prix Special, CDI*** At WEF

Tina Konyot has Olympic Hopes with Anna Karenina

It was also the first Special for Konyot’s Anna Karenina who was just edged into second place. The mare was recovering from a recent short illness, and had not been in full training prior to the CDI. “I never had an opportunity to run through the Special. I think when I came into the piaffe, she was a little bit startled from the walk,” said Konyot, 42, of Stonington, CT, and Stuart, FL. “We had little mistakes – mostly it’s the rider mistakes but what was good, the judges really liked. We got lots of 8s and 9s.”

If Konyot qualifies the mare as one of the top 12 to go to the Championships/Selection Trials, she intends to make the trip. “I am going to California. I will definitely do so. I will follow this as far as it goes without pressuring anything too far, which I won’t do, but I believe the way she is coming along, the judges love her,” said Konyot who has only competed in four Grand Prix with the 12-year-old, 17.1-hand black Dutch mare by Sultan. “I’m very, very happy. She’s a great girl. The judges comments were ‘wonderful horse’ and ‘incredible horse and rider’.”