Susan Pape (GBR) and Harmony’s Eclectisch. © SusanJStickle.com.
Wellington, FL – January 29, 2022 – Week three of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL continued to bring out personal best performances despite unusually cool and windy conditions. The day’s top class, the Grand Prix Special CDI4*, presented by Harmony Sporthorses, was a tussle between the on-form Susan Pape (GBR) and the seven-time Swedish Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén. The judges found them hard to split, with two favoring Vilhelmson Silfvén and three putting Pape in the lead, with a final score of 72.341%. Ultimately it was Pape and Harmony’s Eclectisch who triumphed after an error of course and moments of tension capped Vilhelmson Silfvén’s score on Devanto to 70.660%. USA rider Susan Dutta rounded out the podium with 68.787% on Figeac DC.
Pape posted yet another personal best with her own and Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation’s stallion Harmony’s Eclectisch, having already done so in her qualifying grand prix. Before this week, the son of Zenon had not won a CDI test at Grand Prix level, but he was on top form to take two winner’s rugs in AGDF 3.
“I thought the test today was really good,” said the 60-year-old. “Eclectisch gave me a really good feeling. He was really in front of me and focused. I had one little hiccup at the end of the two-tempis, but that’s always the rider. He was really super.”
Lots of eights on Pape’s score sheet throughout the rest of the test helped keep the score buoyant despite the mistake.
“He has fluid half-passes, he has very good canter work, and expressive passage,” she enthused of the 13-year-old, whose next show will be the five star in AGDF 7. “The piaffe is maybe his weakest point at the moment, but he’s still maturing and getting there. He’s built quite upright; he’s a typical Dutch horse with a high neck and that’s the way he goes.”
Pape made it five wins from five starts with her two horses across AGDF 3.
“This was such an incredible week for me, quite amazing,” she said. “It’s never happened before, not that I can think of. It’s been really wonderful, and also really nice being able to ride with people in the grandstand.”
Her other win on Saturday came courtesy of Harmony’s Giulilanta in the Intermediate I CDI1*. A test peppered with eights helped hand victory to the 11-year-old Jazz daughter whom Pape co-owns with Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation.
For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.