Medal Equestrian Foundation
A life of dedication to the Sport of Dressage - A goal of achieving Olympic Glory
 

Courtney's Equestrian Profile

Riding Accomplishments

2004

2004 USDF Gold Medal (aboard Galateo) at age 17

2004 USDF JR/YG Intermediare II National Champion (Galateo)

2004 USDF All-Breed American Hanoverian Society JR/YG Grand Prix          and Intermediare II Champion (Galateo)

2004 Qualified for Region 2 championships on Galateo and Leontien,          but declined due to starting her freshman year at Yale 
 

2003

2003 USDF JR/YG Intermediare I National Champion (Galateo)

2003 USDF All-Breed American Hanoverian Society JR/YG Intermediare I Champion (Galateo)
 

2003 Team Bronze, NAYRC (Region 2) (aboard Galateo)

2003  Region 2 JR/YG Prix St. George and Intermediare I Champion (Galateo)

2002

2002  USDF JR/YG Fourth Level – Sixth in nation (with Galateo)

2002  USDF National Freestyle Symposium – Demonstration Rider at Fourth Level and Prix St. George (aboard Galateo)

2002 USDF All-Breed American Hanoverian Society JR/YG Prix St. George and Fourth Level Champion and Open Fourth Level Freestyle Champion (Galateo)

2002 Qualified for Region 2 championships on Galateo and Leontien, but declined to attend during school year at Detroit Country Day School

2003

2001 USDF Silver Medal and Silver Freestyle Bar (aboard Galateo)

2001 USDF JR/YG Fourth Level – Fifth in nation (Galateo)

2001 USDF All-Breed American Hanoverian JR/YG Fourth Level Champion    and Prix St. George Reserve Champion (Galateo)

2001 USDF All-Breed NA/WPN JR/YG Second Level – Fifth in nation (Leontien)

2001 Region 2 JR/YG Fourth Level Champion and Fourth Level Freestyle Open Champion (Galateo)

2001 Region 2 JR/YG First and Second Level Champion (Leontien)

2001 Qualified for Devon and rode against trainers because Courtney under the minimum age for Young Riders, consistently placing in the top 10 among professionals in large classes

2002

2000 USDF All-Breed NA/WPN JR/YG First Level – Third in nation (Leontien)

2000 Region 2 JR/YG First Level Reserve Champion (Leontien)

1999

1999 USDF All-Breed NA/WPN JR/YG Training Level – Third in nation (Leontien)

1999 USDF All-Breed Arabian Sport Horse Association JR/YG Third and Fourth Level National Champion (Shwy Umar)

1999 Region 2 JR/YG Third Level Champion (Shwy Umar)

1998

1998 USDF Bronze Medal (aboard Shwy Umar)

1998 USDF All-Breed International Arabian Horse Association JR/YG First and Second Level Champion (Shwy Umar)

Training History

Ute Busse

Walter Zettl

Alison Sader Larson

Albert Gesierich

Violet M. Hopkins

Mari Monda Zdunic

Judy Kelly

Dorothy Mueller

Affiliations

USA Equestrian

United States Dressage Federation

Midwest Dressage Association

Equine Canada

Mid-Ohio Dressage Association

  Courtney's Personal Profile

Courtney Massie earned the United States Dressage Federation Gold Medal when she was just 17.  A talented violinist admitted to highly competitive conservatories, Courtney chose to attend Yale University, where she plans to double major in Music and English Literature.  She is a member of the 2005 sophomore class at Yale.

Courtney began training in dressage at age 8 with Dorothy Mueller, a coordinator of Junior/Young Rider training for the USDF, who graciously arranged for lessons for Courtney with USDF Hall of Fame member Violet M. Hopkins.   By age 11, she had earned her USDF bronze medal aboard her Arabian gelding, Shwy Umar.  On her beloved Shwy, she earned several USDF All-Breed championships at Training through Fourth Levels, championships at several AHSA/USDF recognized shows in Michigan and Ohio, and the Region 2 Third Level JR/YG Rider championship.

When an ACL injury sidelined Shwy for two years, Courtney began to compete on her imported Hanoverian gelding, Galateo.  With Galateo (who is one month older than Courtney), she earned the  USDF gold and silver medals and the USDF silver freestyle bar.  The pair also qualified for the 2003 Region 2 North American Young Rider Championships in Bromont, Quebec, where she helped to earn the Region 2 Team bronze medal in dressage.

In 2004 and 2003, Courtney and Galateo were the Intermediare II and Intermediare 1 USDF Junior/Young Rider champions.  Aboard Galateo, Courtney has earned USDF American Hanoverian Society All-Breed JR/YG Championships at Fourth Level, Prix St. George, Intermediare I, Intermediare II and Grand Prix, as well as Open Championship at Fourth Level Freestyle.  Combining her love and skill at music and at dressage, Courtney was invited to serve as a demonstration rider in the 2002 USDF National Symposium on Musical Freestyle, held in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She and Galateo have also earned Region 2 JR/YG Championships at Fourth Level, Prix St. George and Intermediare I and a Region 2 Open Championship at Fourth Level Freestyle. 

Courtney also competed on the imported Dutch Warmblood mare, Leontien, successfully earning several USDF All-Breed awards and Region 2 JR/YG Championships at First and Second Level.

She has been fortunate to train with several excellent clinicians, including Walter Zettl (who correctly predicted during their first clinic together that she had the talent to reach Grand Prix at a very young age), Steffen Peters, Hans Biss, and Betsy Steiner.  Through the years, Courtney has had the good fortune to work with excellent trainers on a regular basis, including Alison Sader Larson, Ute Busse, Violet Hopkins, Mari Monda Zdunic, Albert Gesierich, Judy Kelly, and Dorothy Mueller.

In addition to her equestrian pursuits, Courtney is a talented and dedicated violinist.  During her sophomore year at Yale, Courtney successfully auditioned for the Yale Symphony Orchestra and for a spot in the studio of a graduate faculty member (Professor Kyung Yu) of the elite Yale School of Music.  During her freshman year at Yale, Courtney successfully auditioned for the Saybrook College Chamber Orchestra at Yale.  She currently plays in both the Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Saybrook College Chamber Orchestra, maintains an excellent grade point average, and is earning her membership in the Yale Dramatic Association through her work on production crews for various musicals and plays.

During her middle school and high school years, in addition to her equestrian accomplishments, Courtney successfully auditioned to become a first violinist with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra (the DSO’s pre-professional orchestra for young musicians to age 25) and became principal second violinist of the elite DSO Chamber Orchestra.  She studied privately with DSO Assistant Concertmaster Hai-Xin Wu and former Taiwan Symphony Orchestra member Hsiu Hsiang Yang.  She served as concertmaster of her high school (Detroit Country Day) orchestra and earned several First Division ratings in Solo and Ensemble Festivals, culminating in her invitations to participate in the All-State Honors Orchestra of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and in the MSBOA Concerto Competition. 

A National Merit scholar, Courtney was inducted into the Detroit Country Day chapter of the Cum Laude Society in recognition of her high scholastic average (two years of summa cum laude and two years of magna cum laude) and her extraordinary extracurricular accomplishments.  She is the first student in the history of Detroit Country Day to affix a cardinal stripe for international competition to her varsity letter sweater.  Courtney was selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Among American High School Students 2004.