While US para dressage team rider Beatrice De Lavalette has competed in national shows since her Paralympic debut in Tokyo last August, her Paralympic mount Clarc made his first reappearance in the show ring this week in the CPEDI3* FEI Para Team Test Grade II and it ended in victory for the pair.
Their connection was on full display as judges Portugal’s Carlos Lopes at E, USA’s Adrienne Pot at C, and France’s Anne Prain at M unanimously put De Beatrice and Clarc on top with an overall score of 72.848%. For Beatrice, it was the leg yields that were the most impressive part of their test.
“He was feeling really good,” she said of the 15-year old KWPN gelding, who is by Dreamcatcher out of a Lord Sinclair I mare. “His leg yields were perfect. He’s really good about moving laterally since I work with him on that a lot at home.”
Now that they’ve represented the United States on the biggest stage, Beatrice appreciates the opportunity to continue to be selected for teams.
“It was already an honor to represent the US as an individual rider at the Paralympics. It’s so big, so you really feel the importance of representing your country. To be able to continue to do that is awesome. It’s such a great feeling,” she said.
Beatrice and Clarc, owned by Elizabeth De Lavalette and Nicolas De Lavalette, had only been matched up since October 2020 when they made their nine-month run toward the Paralympic Games. That intense time together and their experience at the Games made for a strong partnership, and they’ve learned a lot from each other.
“I was lucky enough to open the entire competition [in Tokyo], because I was first to go. That was stress added to more stress,” recalled Beatrice. “Both days [of competition] were great, and we learned a lot in those two days.
“Now he’s just a love bug. He’s so sweet. He’s so willing to work and to learn, and he’s just such a good boy. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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