KYB Fundraiser for Kassie and GP Raymeister a great success!
 

It was a day where friends, clients and new friends of KYB came together in support of Kassie and GP Raymeister's trip to Germany.  There are many expenses incurred getting ready for and competing abroad and in one big day of fun and activities at Grand Prix Equestrian over 2,300 of the 5,000 necessary for the trip.  Thank-you so much to everyone who contributed with both funds and with time to this event. A special thank-you to Maria Gutheire for all of her last minute efforts in pulling this whole day together.

To practice for Germany Kassie and Ray perform at Arabian Knights Theater in FL 

When Three-time USEF National Champion and NAJYRC Gold Medalist Kassandra Barteau and Ginna Frantz’s stallion, GP Raymeister, qualified for the 2009 FEI World Cup for Young Riders, to be held in Frankfurt, Germany December 17-20, there was something the experienced duo had not yet done much of; riding under the lights in an indoor setting. In America, most of our High Performance competitors do not get the opportunity to compete in the electric indoor atmosphere that is the norm for European shows. So the Barteaus, who shipped Kassie and “Ray” to their trainer Cathy Morelli in Wellington, made the short trip to Orlando, to the Arabian Nights Dinner Theater, and performed as the opening act. Click here to read more and see video!

The following is courtesy of Dressage Daily (www.dressagedaily.com)

On December 18 US dressage Young Rider Kassandra Barteau placed ninth in the Individual test at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders in Frankfurt, Germany on Friday, December 18. Riding GP Raymeister, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by Grand Prix Equestrian and Ginna Frantz, the 22-year-old from Maple Park, IL is contesting her first FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders. She improved on her 10th place position in the Team test – to go forward to Saturday’s Freestyle with a score of 65.211%. The Freestyle is split into two groups and Barteau will ride Saturday evening in the ‘B Group’.

“Today's test was better than yesterday,” said Barteau after her ride. “But I had an unfortunate break in the trot extension and some unsteady pirouettes. I am very proud of Raymeister, he was relaxed and confident.”

December 19– Before a packed house at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders in Frankfurt, Germany, American rider Kassandra Barteau saved her best performance for last with GP Raymeister and finished second in the ‘B Group’ of the Freestyle. In her last year of Young Rider competition, the 21-year-old from Maple Park, IL and the 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by Grand Prix Equestrian and Ginna Frantz, scored 68.65% to finish second behind Charles Hutton of Great Britain on a score of 71.8%.
Barteau, who is consistently one of the top Young Riders in the US, is the reigning Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Young Rider Dressage Champion and won the Freestyle at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships – both with GP Raymeister.  The pair was 10th in the Team test on Thursday in Frankfurt, then ninth in the Individual on Friday, but the Freestyle is where they really excelled. Choreographed to music from Blues Brother 2000 by Barteau and her mother Yvonne – the final touches were done by Terri Gallo. “I am very proud of Raymeister,” said Barteau. “He was super relaxed with the bigger crowd tonight and we had a clean ride. The whole trip has been a great learning experience, I was able to watch the CDI-W Grand Prix and I look forward to watching the A final tomorrow.”