Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir. Photo © SusanJStickle.com.
Canadian and U.S. Riders Excel in FEI Para-Dressage
Wellington, FL – March 15, 2014 – Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and Rassing’s Lonoir topped Saturday’s FEI Intermediaire-1, presented by Mike and Roz Collins, during the tenth week of competition for the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), presented by Today’s Equestrian, GF Enterprise, LLC, and Mike and Roz Collins. LaGoy-Weltz bested a field of 23 riders representing 10 different countries aboard “Lono,” her 10-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding out of Lorani by De Noir.
LaGoy-Weltz and Lono earned a score of 71.754% for first place, with second and third place riders finishing just shy of her score. Neve Myburgh (GER) and Lexington Star earned a 71.667% and fellow German Marcus Orlob and Shakespeare RSF finished third with a score of 71.623%.
LaGoy-Weltz was happy to see her horse continue to do well at the CDI level; this is only the horse’s second internationally ranked competition after picking up another FEI Intermediaire-1 win during the AGDF 8 Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI W. Even with another win under the belts, LaGoy-Weltz reviewed her test with a critical eye.
“He was good, but there was quite a bit of room for improvement. The first extension was good but very on the edge, so I brought him back and rode the rest of the trot work more conservatively then you’d like to at the end of the day. You have to ride each test as it comes. Today, if I had gone for more, it would have been flat and runny,” she noted.
She continued, “The whole thing would have been just a little more solid had I gone ten minutes earlier, but that’s learning what the horse likes. It’s the second CDI, so I’m pretty happy.”
Figuring out exactly what kind of warm-up Lono needs has presented LaGoy-Weltz with a fairly significant learning curve. She acknowledged she isn’t used to a horse that needs such a short warm-up and that she’s continuing to tweak their warm-up.
“Yesterday, I got kind of lucky. The person in front of me scratched and I was ready, so I just went. Today, I cut the warm-up down to thirty minutes, and I still felt like I needed to shave another ten minutes off. I haven’t had a horse that needs that little amount of warm-up, so it’s kind of like playing Russian Roulette trying to figure exactly the right formula!” she laughed.
LaGoy-Weltz was also pleased with Lono’s progress in the FEI Prix St. Georges, where he gained a percentage point in his score on Friday. She described the FEI Intermediaire-1 test as better suited to the horse, with the increased movements and opportunity to get the horse forward early on.
“The St. Georges is such a lovely test, but there’s not enough ‘turn here and go.’ [The I-1] is nice because the extended canter comes early and I can get him forward and get some of that energy out and then bring it back. It’s hard because he picks up the canter and he’s like, ‘I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready!’ So when I can send him forward and then bring him back, that really helps,” LaGoy-Weltz explained.
LaGoy-Weltz and Lono will return to the final week of the AGDF with a new freestyle in hand, which LaGoy-Weltz is currently re-working to adjust to Lono. The music was originally choreographed for a different horse, but LaGoy-Weltz felt it will still be a good fit and looks forward to seeing how it turns out.
“They did sound checks the other day [at AGDF], and I was really happy that [he handled it well] because he can be very noise-sensitive. So we’ll see! The trot music is from ‘A Bug’s Life,’ so it’s fun music. I’ve watched a video of him and played the music and was like ‘This will work.’ So it will be cute,” LaGoy-Weltz smiled.
CPEDI 3* competition was in its second day of competition on Saturday, with FEI Para-Dressage Individual Tests awarded top honors. Roxanne Trunnell (USA) won the Grade Ia class aboard Nice Touch. The pair earned a high score of 70.507% to ride away with the blue ribbon. Fellow American Sydney Collier emerged victorious from the Grade Ib Individual test with Willi Wesley and a score of 70.172%.
Lauren Barwick of Canada and Ferdonia 2 earned top call in the Grade II class with a score of 71.238%. In the Grade III class, it was Angela Peavy (USA) on top again, this time with Lancelot Warrior. Peavy rode Lancelot Warrior to a 68.984% to finish first. Grade IV crowned Mary R. Jordan (USA) its winner with Sebastian and a score of 67.659%.
Canada finished first in the team standings for CPEDI 3* competition with a total score of 418.803. Team USA was second with a cumulative score of 410.536.
The FEI Young Rider and Junior classes enjoyed another day of big entries. Juan Matute Jr. (ESP) took home another first place prize in the Young Rider class with Quantico, who he piloted to a 69.430%. Second place went to Canadian Laurence Tetrault and Michelangelo for their score of 66.316%, while Taylor Yamamoto (USA) rounded out the top three with Domino with a score of 65.614%.
In the FEI Junior class, it was Bebe Davis that dominated. Davis took first place with Fievel Mousekewitz with a 68.202% as well as second place with Rotano and a 67.807%, while Paula Matute earned third place with Firmamento Ymas on a score of 67.193%.
Competition for the AGDF 10 CDI W and CPEDI 3* will continue on Sunday with the FEI Grand Prix Special, beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m. The FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle and FEI Para-Dressage Freestyle classes will wrap up competition for the week on Sunday afternoon. The class begins at approximately 12:30 p.m. For more information and full results, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.
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 8 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $400,000 in prize money for the six 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 for the International Arena fully catered for relaxing and having an enjoyable experience.
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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