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2005
Sunshine Tour
Lorenzo CH Dominates the Dance Floor
 At
the Sunshine tour Constance Laboute may have gotten
a taste of a bright international future that is in
store for her, but it was Brit Wayne Channon who ruled
the show. With consistent marks in the 70s from all
five judges, Channon and Lorenzo CH have confirmed
themselves as one of Europe's top international combinations
with definite world class potential.
The duo ended their Sunshine Tour in glory by dominating
the dance floor in the Grand Prix kur to music with
a new freestyle designed by his wife Debra Channon.
Riding to a unique composition based on the soundtrack
of "The Godfather," Channon highlighted his
horse's fortés with very bold music.
There were no significant slips in the ride and only
an explosive onset to the extended canter curbed his
magical seventy percentage score. The panel of judges
awarded
him overall 72.500%,
and
judge Uwe Mechlem even gave him
73% on a technical level and 80% for artisticity.
 "It
was a super ride, especially after three weeks of showing,"
Channon explained. "Lorenzo didn't have the
same enthusiasm as in the beginning, because he wanted
to go home, but now
the
training really came out. He
proved that he wants to work for you. He caught a virus
the second week and didn't fully show that natural
level of brilliance you get for free. He really wanted
to do his job and was very supportive."
Judge
Withages said that Channon scored high on harmony and
choreography, but received a 7.5 instead of 8 for obedience,
because of the explosion in the extended canter.
Mechlem added that he liked the Godfather music very
much as it is his all time favourite movie. "He
made his points in the piaffe and passage. The walk
was
not excellent, but that is not so important in the
kur, where you can compensate points in other movements," Mechlem
explained.
Channon prepared himself well for his first performance
of this kur. "It was not very difficult
to ride this kur,"
Channon
stated.
"I paid attention to the movements
and synchronize them to the music. You need to know
your
music intimately
and then you can get your timing spot on."
 Boylen
and Laboute were Channon's greatest contenders but
they could not keep him from a double victory
and becoming the overall Sunshine Tour Champion during
the third show weekend .
The Brit had to fight hard
for
his points,
but earned
every
single one of them. "You fight for every single point.
No points are for free. In the Grand Prix every single
movement counts and you ride for whatever you can
get in that movement," Channon stated.
The
four weeks Channon spent in Spain were an eye
opening experience for him. Producing consistent performances
over three weekends was the biggest challenge. "It's
the physical stress on your horse. You do so many competitions
in such a short period that you really have to know
your horse and know when to push. You have to have
confidence in him."
 The
biggest lesson Channon got out of this Spanish crusade
was more profound knowledge of his horse Lorenzo CH.
"I knew he was a much better outdoor horse, but I did
not realize how much he has grown up over six months.
He knows the test now and will be more helpful in it.
He is more secure in all his work and I am surprised
how secure."
Channon might have gained new insight in his horse,
but when it comes to humanizing his horse's mind, he
has to guess at what Lorenzo might say to him if
he could speak. "All this work for two sugars, you
got
to be kidding."
Good guess!
Text
and Photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage
- No reproduction allowed without permission
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