Kathleen Raine and Breanna. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.
Wellington, FL – February 7, 2015 – Kathleen Raine (USA) and the lovely mare Breanna scored a 73.667% to win the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 5*, presented by Diamante Farm at Week 5 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) and Divertimento followed in second with a 72.000% and Jill Irving (CAN) and Degas 12 rounded out the top three with a 69.078%. Week 5 AGDF continues tomorrow with a schedule of junior and amateur classes and the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDI 1*, presented by Mission Control, highlighting the last day of competition.
CLICK to watch the winning ride for Kathleen and Breanna!
Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.
Raine and Breanne have been partners for more than 10 years, as she began working with the mare when she was four years old. The duo’s performances this week at AGDF are a testament to the time Raine has dedicated to creating a strong partnership with the mare. “It has been so fun to have had her for so long. We know each other really well, and I enjoy starting them from the beginning and training them up,” said Raine.
The duo’s extended stay in Europe this past season has really helped Breanna cope with large atmosphere venues. “Being in Europe really helped her suppleness and her whole way of going. I can see it in her reaction, her consistency, and the atmospheres we were able to experience there, which we don’t really have here. It helped to boost her confidence,” said Raine.
Vilhelmson-Silfven performed a very correct test on her partner Divertimento. “Tim”, who is known to get excited in electric environments, settled nicely for Vilhelmson-Silfven during the test. “This is our third week showing, and he keeps going and holding up very well. The weather earlier in the week made him a bit more excited than I wanted, but we cope with it and have figured out how to handle it,” she explained.
Divertimento’s large size can be intimidating to some, but he is the sweetest horse in the barn according to Vilhelmson-Silfven, which is what makes him so fun to work with. “He’s the sweetest one. Absolutely anyone could hack him, but once he hears applause he starts to get worked up,” she commented. “He tries really hard and all he wants to do is his best for you.”
Jill Irving and Degas 12 had a lovely test to place them third in the class. “I am so thrilled with our performance. He has finally become a man!” she exclaimed. “He was very good and I feel like now we’re covering ground in the canter, especially in the two-tempis. We landed right on the letter.”
Irving is the presenter of the Jill Irving Owner’s Award at each “Friday Night Stars” Grand Prix Freestyle event of the 2015 season, highlighting owners of winning combinations in both the CDI Prix St. Georges tests and the AGDF National Shows. “I think this city, Wellington, has grown so much and is so international now. Just right now we have Sweden, Canada, and the U.S. represented here and I thought that it was time we started recognizing the owners who are such great stakeholders,” said Irving.
She hopes the award will continue to draw the spotlight to many of the owners who make this sport possible. “I just felt like this was something really dear to my heart, and I’m so passionate about this sport. I think the owners deserve to get a trophy and have some time in the limelight,” she continued.
Steffen Peters (USA) and Rosamunde, the spectacular mare who has wowed crowds this week at AGDF, took home another win, this time in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty. The duo received a 73.745% to win the class followed closely by Charlotte Jorst and Kastel’s Nintendo scoring a 69.608% and Shelly Francis and Danilo in third on a 69.137%.
Peters said the pair made further strides building their relationship today, as “Rosie” really impressed him in her ability to carry herself. “The beautiful thing about today was that I found I can really trust her in the piaffe. I didn’t trust her enough in the first piaffe in the Grand Prix on Thursday, and she got a little bit quick,” he explained. “I rode it today just like I do in training and that is quite unusual to be able to do with a horse in the show arena. Her one-tempis also worked beautifully and they were a bit straighter already than the first day.”
Watch the test for Steffen and Rosamunde – CLICK here!
Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.
The mare looks to be the next big star of dressage in the U.S. and continues to impress Peters with her trainability and willingness. “She is a horse you can really count on. Never since I have had her has she taken a wrong step or said no. She just has that type of attitude that reminds me an awful lot of Ravel. She has the power and this beautiful soft connection,” he smiled. “When we retired Ravel I didn’t think I would ever get that feeling again in the show arena, and it is a true honor to ride a horse like that not just in the show ring, but every single day.”
Peters will look to continue educating the mare at the Grand Prix level but will be very careful not to push too hard because of her young age. “When I get home I would like to work on the transition from piaffe to passage and the straightness of the changes. Otherwise I am perfectly happy, and it is just sensational for an eight-year-old horse to be at this level. I would be silly to criticize her.”
Charlotte Jorst has another fantastic ride aboard her stallion, Kastel’s Nintendo. The duo has only been together for a year, but you would never be able to tell from their consistent performances in the ring. “He always feels great. I’m still learning how long to warm him up and today I think I may have warmed him up a bit too much because if he comes out soft, he only needs ten minutes to feel great,” she said commenting on her test today.
The pair will compete again in two CDIs in March at AGDF and will look forward to a strong summer circuit in California. “I don’t know what I’m going to do after California, but I’m going to continue competing because I have so much fun.” Jorst will be adding a new mount to her growing string, as she recently purchased Akeem Foldager from Andreas Helgstrand in Denmark and the horse will arrive on U.S. soil next week. “I’m just over the moon, and we will see how I can ride him. Maybe he will be a Pan American Games contender, but I’m just going to see if I can ride him first and get the one and two tempis because they’re the hardest for me, but if we can get them, I would love to go for it.”
Shelly Francis (USA) and Danilo had a strong showing in the class, and Francis feels like she is starting to get a hold of Danilo’s nerves in the ring. “If you overwhelm him he just gets hotter and hotter, so I am being really careful to make sure we don’t fry him mentally and do it the right way. He is so talented physically, he just has a little bit of catching up to do mentally,” she said.
The pair enjoys relaxing work sessions during the week to help keep the gelding calm and continue to build on their already solid relationship. “He’s learning to trust me more, and he’s staying much calmer. He really internalizes everything and starts to get nervous. We do a lot of work in the field several days a week and give him a chance to look at things. It’s good for him. He’s a very stimulated horse.”
To learn more about the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival and for schedules and ride times, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com for more information. The FEI CDI5*/3*/1* competition will continue through Sunday, February 8, 2015.
About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:
The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.
Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.
Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414
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