Ashlyn DeGroot riding the five-year-old elite mare Dalina DG (Jazz pref x Satina ster pref by Contango pref, bred by DG Bar Breeders) in only their second show pulled off one of the rides of her life at the age of just 19 years to win the United States West Coast trial on Saturday and qualify for the World Young Horse Championships in Germany.

Ashlyn, granddaughter of Tony and Betty DeGroot and coached by Willy Arts, took the winning ribbon and the chance to go to the championships in Verden when the pair scored 8.72 in the final competition after Friday’s preliminary result of 8.02, giving them a total of 8.44.

Their performance at Flintridge, catapulted them to the second highest for U.S. national rankings for five-year-olds, from their 29th place before this weekend and far out of the top 15 to secure an invitation to the U.S. championships let alone the world championships. The pair easily trumped the qualifying score of at least 8.2 that is required to be considered for Verden. However, the pair may skip the world championships in favor of the U.S. nationals scheduled for Wayne, Illinois in August.

Willy competed Dalina in both the four-year-old and U.S. national training level classes in 2012. Ashlyn took over the ride in February this year. The pair’s only other competition was earlier this month.

(Source DressageNews.com)