The New England Dressage Association’s Fall Festival is
having one of its best years. More than 600 horses are competing in this year’s
event, which combines a breed show, a performance division, an international
CDI and the U.S. Dressage Federation’s Region 8 Championships.

The action kicked off on Thursday and competition has run
from nearly sun up to sun down. This year’s breed competition doubled in size
from the previous year with around 90 horses showing this year.  Crowned as the 2012 breed show grand champion
was the six-year-old Oldenburg stallion Rocazino, bred by Heino Lueschen and
owned by Fie Studnitz Anderson of South Hamilton, Mass.
In the baby division, Hof Mendenhall’s Royal Dancer HM, born
this spring on April 14, earned quite a collection of ribbons for such a
youngster. The Hanoverian filly by Royal Classic out of SPS Destiny was bred by
Linda and Jeffrey Mendenhall of Groton, Mass.  On Thursday Royal Dancer took first place in
the Fillies of 2012 with a score of 89.0. She then went on to earn the Foal
Championship and was crowned Born in the USA champion. Royal Dancer was also the
high-placing Hanoverian, took first in the NEDA Sweepstakes and earned high
score of the breed show.
On Friday, the young Royal Dancer collected more ribbons and
trophies when she won the USDF Breeder Championship New England Series Foal
Finals with a score of 82.75 and was also named Hanoverian champion with a
score of 84.0. Samantha Kidd of Atlanta, Georgia is the lucky owner of Royal
Dancer and south to Georgia is where the filly will head once she is weaned.

Photo Courtesy of Hof Mendenhall by Carole MacDonald