Photo by Tina Bombardo

Whiz Bang and Heather Caudill show their winning dressage form

To compete in Musical Freestyles at each individual level, a horse must have earned at least two non-freestyle scores above 60 percent at the highest test at that level. To be eligible for the All-Breed Award, a horse must have a minimum of three freestyle scores and a median score above 60 percent.

Trainer Heather Caudill, with Whiz Bang and Sea The Gray.

Two Florida Standardbreds are vying for the Blue Ribbon at First Level in the new category. Whiz Bang and Sea The Gray, both trained by Heather Caudill of Wildwood, Fla., are just one score away from being eligible for the award. Whiz Bang is owned by Tina Bombardo of Fruitland Park, Fla., while Sea The Gray is owned by the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Florida (SPHOFL) and is one of their Ambassador Horses.

The mares made their debut in Dressage Musical Freestyle competition at the Heidelberg Cup Dressage Show held in Orlando, Fla. On the first day of the competition, Sea The Gray scored a 66.875 percent and took second place in a field of five horses. Whiz Bang was entered on the second day of the competition and took home first place with a score of 67.708 percent.

At their next show, The Canterbury May Days Qualifier, the horses were pitted against each other, with Whiz Bang taking the honors with the higher score of 66.042 percent and Sea The Gray earning a 64.583 percent.

Both mares are entered in Musical Freestyles at the Hot Summer Nights Dressage Show in Tampa, Fla., on June 13 and 14 in hopes of earning that last needed score.

But there is more to this story, as with two scores above 65 percent a horse is eligible to compete at the Regional Championship Finals. Whiz Bang has already earned those scores and Sea The Gray only needs one more, and then two Standardbreds will be representing the breed this October at the Regional Championships held in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Usually news such as this just doesn’t get any better, but wait -- there is still more to this story!

Sea The Gray is also in the running for the 2009 Adequan/USDF Musical Freestyle Challenge for First Level. This is not a breed specific award. Already this year, Sea The Gray has earned eight non-freestyle scores with a median score above 60 percent and has two of the three needed Freestyle scores, also with a median score above the magical 60 percent. And finally, Sea The Gray currently is in 20th position out of all the First Level horses in the United States for Dressage Horse of the Year!

Standardbreds keep on proving over and over again that they have what it takes to be competitive in disciplines far removed from the racetrack. Many of us who own these wonderful horses feel honored to have the opportunity to show the world just how great they can be in their “second” careers.

For more information about the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Florida go to www.sphofl.com. For information about showing Standardbreds in dressage, contact Heather Caudill at oshcaudill@aol.com or Tina Bombardo at tinabombardo@aol.com.