Wednesday May 2, 2004

Detroit Dressage 2004

Jenni Rowe and T'Pring Make a Good Combination

"The weekend went wonderfully," said Canadian Jenni Rowe, 27, who earned her Athens spot at ZELLCDDI/II riding her gray Canadian sporthorse (Trakehner thoroughbred). "As far as the scores, we were pretty consistent throughout the weekend with a good warm up at 69% on Friday and a Sunday Freestyle score of 70. I was about 5-6% over the scores that a Canadian YR had to achieve to qualify. Rowe, Overall IPEC Champion at DD, rode her mare T'Pring, 14, to a realization that the mare was safe and productive under a high pressure show atmosphere. The Canadian team coach was there to evaluate horses in these respects and Rowe thought Mary Longden was happy with T'Pring's consistency and unflappable behavior. "It's difficult to find the perfect horse," said Rowe. "It has to be very talented, very forward and yet not spooky at all."

"Though wet, the footing was very good," analyzed Rowe, "and T'Pring was fabulous and worked as hard as she could." Rowe, who has been riding for 8 years, is now working with Mary Ambrose, a Grand Prix Canadian dressage rider who "brings great knowledge and can identify the little things to do to get a horse through. She is very correct in her aids and persuasive, not aggressive or forceful.

I have been fortunate to train with her. We ride five days a week now and will do that all summer leading up to the Games. My horse has training through Prix St. George but hasn't worked at that level for a long time so Mary and I are getting her muscled correctly and supple and through and that makes it so easy for her to do the half-pass and movements like that."

Rowe says, "I always loved horses but until the crash that disabled me I hadn't focused on horses. Afterwards, when I thought I wouldn't ever walk again, I had a picture of a horse and began to think that a horse could be my legs. When I finally regained use of my legs, I began taking riding lessons. The crash was a catalyst.