Tag Archives: Adrienne Lyle

Adrienne Lyle Wins Gold in Individual Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup Competition at AGDF

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photos © SusanJStickle.com.

Matute Jr. and Konyot Take Silver and Bronze; Canada Sweeps FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*

Wellington, FL – February 21, 2014 – Individual medals for the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup were presented following the FEI I-1 Freestyle and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition, part of the week’s featured “Friday Night Stars” event. Both freestyles were judged as one class to crown the individual champions of the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Earlier in the day, riders from Canada took the top three places in the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge.

The top three in the CDIO competition all scored within one percent of each other, with Adrienne Lyle and Wizard taking the top podium position for their score of 75.800%. Matute Jr. wasn’t far behind with Don Diego Ymas; the pair scored a 75.325%. Tina Konyot and Calecto V finished with a 75.200%.

Watch Adrienne Lyle and Wizard perform their winning freestyle test! Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.

Tuny Page of Stillpoint Farm was extremely pleased with how the class played out, using the format tested for next year’s Pan American Games for both the team and individual competition. The format may have been unusual, but Page believed it brought out the best in the sport. “It is an unusual situation to have I-1 and grand prix compete against each other, but in this instance I honestly think the cream rose to the top. My sense of it is that the judges are really satisfied with the results that they got,” Page commented.

Page was also very happy with the turn out of the crowd and their enthusiasm for the sport.

“It’s a really great synergy between the riders and the audience. These three riders elicited a huge response from the audience, and that speaks to the truth of what they had: tremendous harmony and huge risk – risk that they pulled off, so I say bravo!” Page remarked.

While sponsoring the entire circuit has been incredibly rewarding for Allyn Mann of Adequan, the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup competition was in a league of its own.

“The element of the Nations Cup just takes it to another level. I think of Robert Dover and his vision for us going down the road. The excitement of the competition for the individuals and for the teams. We are just thrilled to be a part of it, and I am just so overwhelmed by the gratitude that people have shown us for being just a little piece of the puzzle. I think it takes a community of people to make this work, and I’m just so humbled to be a part of it,” Mann commented.

Having two American riders medal individually on the heels of a USA victory during team competition was the perfect ending for United States Dressage Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover.

“I have been unbelievably proud of all of our riders throughout the Nations Cup,” Dover remarked. “Debbie MacDonald is the best person and the best coach a group of people can have and she and I together make a really strong team, with all the coaches and all the staff, everyone that has come here from the USEF. Debbie and I and the other coaches are determined, along with our federation, to move this country not just to a medal podium, but to the highest one.”

It’s been some time since Lyle and Wizard have attempted the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, but it was plain to see during their performance that both rider and horse were more than happy to be riding their test.

“I was thrilled with my freestyle,” Lyle beamed. “[Wizard] is very spicy. He is very hot-headed, especially in the freestyle, so we’ve actually been making a plan on how to build up to this. We got him out, walked him around, put him back, got him out again, trying to ease him into it. He actually felt super rideable, probably the most rideable he’s felt in a freestyle. I’m so thrilled with him. He felt powerful and expressive, but he still stayed with me.”

She continued, “I love my music. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it gets the crowd going. He’s got a lot of personality when he gets out there, and the crowd’s always into it; they’re whooping and hollering, and he builds on that and I do too, and I just think it’s fun to ride to!”

Lyle also expressed her gratitude to the Thomas family, her long-time supporters and owners of Wizard.

“Thank you to the Thomas family. They’ve been my sponsors for nine years, eight years with Wizard. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have any of the chances that I have had in my career. They have been incredible,” Lyle expressed.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas
Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Matute Jr., who competed at the FEI Intermediaire-1 level, did not dwell on the fact that he was going up against riders capable of more complicated movements, instead focusing on the great feeling he got out of Don Diego Ymas.

See Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas perform their freestyle! Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.

“Grand prix has a lot of harder movements, a little more risk. Overall harder to ride, a harder tour. I was super pleased with my score. The ride was phenomenal. I think I got pretty much all out of Don Diego. It was fantastic. I couldn’t ask for anything more. No complaints!” Matute Jr. grinned.

Friday evening’s class was only the third freestyle Don Diego Ymas and Matute Jr. have performed and the first time either had ever competed under the lights. Despite some initial nerves, Matute Jr. agreed that the increased atmosphere was a lot of fun for both of them.

“He actually likes it. I think he likes the people watching him and the pressure of everyone watching. I think we both like it actually,” Matute Jr. explained.

He continued, “This was our third freestyle. Our cleanest, our most pushed to the limit. I think it was our best freestyle so far, and I think the pirouettes with one hand was the highlight of the test today.”

Konyot admitted that she and Calecto V can have trouble accepting anything but first place, but she was very pleased to see her younger counterparts on the podium on Friday.

“I think it’s the first that I am so thrilled to be third actually,” Konyot laughed. “I mean I always want to win, but I am so excited and so happy. First of all, the young man, I am overwhelmed just watching him ride, the family, the overall feeling of it was so happy.”

Tina Konyot and Calecto V
Tina Konyot and Calecto V

The evening’s atmosphere was electric thanks to packed stands and a black tie dress code for the Global Pavilion. A South Florida native, Konyot was especially excited to see the surrounding community flocking to The Stadium.

“When we drove in here this evening to see all the people and excitement, all revolving around dressage, here in South Florida where I was born and raised. It’s just an amazing feeling,” Konyot remarked.

Matute Jr. concluded the evening by honoring his father, Juan Matute Sr., whom he credited with his success. After a touching speech expressing his gratitude, he removed his silver medal to place it around his father’s neck.

Addressing his father, Matute Jr. said, “I want to thank my dad. This medal… I know it was me in the ring, but he is the reason I am here. He is my number one coach. Everything I know and everything I have learned is because of him. So this medal is for you. It’s yours!”

Karin Pavicic and Don Daiquiri Are Best in FEI Grand Prix CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge

Earlier on Friday, Canadian riders swept the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge, with Karin Pavicic winning the class aboard Don Daiquiri. Don Daiquiri, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Jayne Essig, and Pavicic earned a top score of 69.440%. Second place finishers Tom Dvorak and Viviva’s Salieri W finished on a score of 68.620%. The top three was rounded out by Jacqueline Brooks and D Niro; the pair finished in third place with a 67.120%.

For her win, Pavicic was also awarded the Champion Equine Insurance Dressage Style Award, presented by Laura Fetterman.

Pavicic has ridden Don Daiquiri for owner Essig for the last six years. Essig bought him as a five-year-old and handed him over to Pavicic upon realizing he needed the touch of a professional.

“It’s been a fantastic journey with him. He was a little bit challenging to start with, which is why I got the horse. It was a bit too much horse [for the owner] and we really hit off in the very beginning, and it’s just been getting better and better throughout the years,” Pavicic explained. “I think that’s the really great thing about this sport. As the partnership grows and develops, your results I think speak for themselves.”

Despite being a little bit tired going into the test, Pavicic thought Don Daiquiri still performed beautifully in the ring. “I was really happy with my horse today. He was a little bit tired when I brought him out, but overall super rideable and relaxed. My goal was to be mistake-free, and I accomplished that for the most part. I’m really happy about that,” Pavicic detailed.

Second place finisher Dvorak, of Ontario, was also thrilled with his horse, describing Friday’s test as a “breakthrough day” for Viva’s Salieri W.

“Today was a breakthrough day because up until now, he always had a lot of tension in the ring and that tension always went a little bit against me and not for me. Today, he had so much energy and he was so rideable and so true. There was so much there for the taking; I didn’t even know what to do with it when I was in there,” Dvorak smiled.

Viva’s Salieri W has only seriously campaigned the grand prix level since last fall, after taking Dvorak to team silver for Canada in the 2012 Pan American Games. An injury early on in his grand prix transition sidelined the gelding, but now that he’s healthy and back in the grand prix ring, Dvorak says he hasn’t looked back.

Dvorak and Pavicic were exceptionally pleased to have Canada take the top three spots in the class. Both riders have their sights set on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. Following the AGDF, Dvorak and Pavicic will continue to contest various CDIs on the way to qualifying for Team Canada.

The FEI Intermediaire B 16-25, sponsored by Diamante Farms, wrapped up after the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*. Melanie Montagano (USA) and Ga Deva topped the class with a score of 57.548%.

For full results and more information, 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

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

USA-1 Leads after Day One of Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup Competition at AGDF

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photos © SusanJStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – February 19, 2014 – Competition for the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) began with the FEI Prix St. Georges in the International Arena at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Juan Matute, Jr., and Don Diego Ymas topped the class with a 71.58%, helping Spain to second place in the team standings with a current overall score of 206.895. Team USA-1 is in the lead after Adrienne Lyle’s winning test with Wizard in the FEI Grand Prix. USA-1 has an overall score of 212.802. Team USA-2 rounds out the top three just behind Team Spain, with an overall score of 206.853. Shelley Francis’ third place finish with Doktor in the FEI Grand Prix was the team’s high score of the day, a 69.860%.

At the seventh week of AGDF, the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup competition features nine teams, including two U.S. teams and two Canadian teams, as well as teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Colombia, and Spain. There are also individuals participating from Puerto Rico and Georgia. Team competition will conclude Thursday after the FEI Intermediaire-1 and FEI Grand Prix Special classes have been contested. Individual medals will be presented after Friday’s FEI I-1 Freestyle and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition, part of the week’s featured “Friday Night Stars” event. AGDF 7 will also host 3* competition, presented by Peacock Ridge, which begins Friday.

Lyle was happy to see Wizard “getting in the groove” of showing again after a year off due to a coffin bone injury. Leading up to his injury in 2013, she acknowledged he hadn’t had much time in the show ring, while this year she has built him up in preparation for the AGDF. She’s happy to see the 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding come back even stronger.

“A lot of it with him is just managing him, mentally and physically – giving him days off after the shows and touching briefly in and out with our schooling. We’re really trying to whittle down the amount of time I’m on him [in the warm-up]. Today, I was on 20 minutes before my ride, walked for five minutes, and had about a fifteen minute warm-up. He’s kind of starting to finally get the routine down so it’s less stressful for him and he just knows how to go through his paces,” Lyle commented.

While she acknowledged that there is extra pressure associated with competing in a team format, she welcomes the challenge and excitement of the CDIO Nations Cup week.

“It’s different, and it’s really fun I think. The camaraderie [is great], and the USEF is really supportive. Just to have everyone there at the ringside for your rides and know that they’re rooting for you. It’s obviously a little bit more pressure, but it’s a fun pressure and I enjoy it,” Lyle described.

Francis echoed Lyle’s sentiments, expressing that being part of a team is great experience for any rider and is also an excellent morale booster. Francis also enjoys the two-day format of the Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup.

“It gives us another chance to get a little higher. Having a second shot at it is never a bad thing. You kind of come in the next day just a little more like, ‘Okay, I’m not going to make the same mistakes I did the day before.’ It’s fun doing these team things. It’s good. It makes everybody get together more than they would as individuals,” Francis pointed out.

Doktor has also been coming along nicely as he enters his second year at the grand prix level. Now that Francis has been able to ask for more from him, she has worked on harnessing his increased power with keeping him level-headed.

“I feel like now I can get a lot more power out of him, and now I have to work on getting that a little tiny bit smoother again. I started out the first season making him steady and quiet, and I have to go a little back and forth, but I’m getting a little more ‘oomph’ out of him, which is good. He’s starting to know his job more and more,” she commented.

Doktor is just turning 11, and Francis acknowledged he still has some growing up to do.

“Overall, I’ve been schooling him much more to be more professional about his tests. I’m trying to get rid of those little bobbles, but we still have a few. Overall, he tries really hard, and I feel like he’s got a lot of scope. I’ve got like ten different trots to try to manage. He’s honest. He’s good,” Francis smiled.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas
Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Matute, Jr. described being on the team for Spain as a “dream come true.” Last year, both his father, Juan Matute, Sr., and sister Paula were on the team and in 2014 Paula joins her brother again. “It’s great. That was our dream since we were kids, to be on a team together,” Matute, Jr., beamed.

Matute, Jr. was very pleased to have brought home a top score for Team Spain, whose ringside team spirit has been contagious.

“We’re very passionate about our flag and about our team. I think it’s great because when you go in the ring and you hear that audience in the back, that team that supports you and that screams your name, it really puts you in the mood and it helps when you’re in the ring. It gives you more confidence,” Matute, Jr. described.

Matute, Jr. and the rest of Team Spain will aim to overtake the Americans. Going into the final day of team competition, Matute, Jr. jokingly warned Lyle and Francis not to sleep on Spain.

“We’re definitely going to try hard to push our boundaries and take the lead. We have a really strong competition, front and back with USA in first and third place, so we’re going to have to keep up the good work. Watch out!” he laughed.

At age 16, Matute, Jr. has continually outridden competitors many years his senior during the AGDF, which he says make his victories that much more meaningful. “It’s a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of passion and a lot of dreaming. Of course, keeping our feet on the ground, but there’s a lot of dreaming in this project of ours,” Matute, Jr. expressed. “So when you go in the ring and see that the hard work pays off, you’re getting the scores, the judges have nice comments, that the audience is happy and my dad is happy, it’s fantastic. I couldn’t ask for more. There’s always mistakes, there’s always stuff to work on and improve, but I think we’re in a good way.”

First-time AGDF competitor, Leida Collins-Strijk (NED) is one of those accomplished professionals Matute, Jr. has managed to edge out. She finished second in the FEI Prix St. Georges aboard West Side with a score of 70.237%, currently the high score for Team Netherlands. Collins-Strijk was happy with her horse’s performance in The Stadium, noting that the increased atmosphere is a good learning experience for the gelding.

“I think he went very good. I don’t know what it is with him here in this arena, but he gets excited here. It’s very good for him, and actually in the arena he was a very good boy. We had a very nice ride, and I was happy with him,” Collins-Strijk commented.

She looks forward to allowing West Side to mature with more show experience as the season continues. After enjoying the Florida sunshine, she joked she may never leave Wellington instead of returning to her home base in Holland.

The final portion of Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup competition begins Friday morning with the FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle, starting at 11:40 a.m. at The Stadium at PBIEC. Large tour competition will follow that evening, with the FEI Grand Prix Special beginning at 4:00 p.m. For full results and more information, 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

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard Victorious in Wellington CDI4* Grand Prix Special

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brakenridge.

Wellington, FL – February 12, 2014 – U.S. Olympians Adrienne Lyle and Wizard came out strong in their second CDI of 2014, clinching the win in Saturday’s Grand Prix Special and taking second in Thursday’s Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 5 CDI4*.

Wizard, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Weltmeyer-Pika, Classiker) owned by Peggy Thomas, earned scores of 69.600 percent in the Grand Prix and 70.353 percent in the Special. Lyle was thrilled with the great results and improvement from one day to the next.

“I was very pleased – not only with how we finished, but with the progression throughout the weekend,” she said. “Winning a 4* was huge. I’m happy not just that he won, but that he was honest in places that I needed him to be honest. That for me was the most important.”

A highlight for the pair was their improved piaffe/passage tour, which has been the focus of Lyle’s schooling recently.

“I thought his piaffe/passage was much stronger than it’s been, and I was super happy with that,” Lyle said. “That’s what we’ve been focusing on: solidifying that and getting it to be active, relaxed and confident. I felt like he’s really starting to mature on that.”

“Every horse is a little different in the way that they learn,” she added. “Debbie [McDonald, Lyle’s trainer] has such a big toolbox from the different horses she’s worked with. Sometimes it’s just finding an approach that makes sense to them and going from there.”

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photo by Meg McGuire
Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photo by Meg McGuire

Lyle, of Ketchum, ID, is in Wellington with McDonald for the winter season. She has a number of promising young horses in training alongside Wizard.

“I am truly grateful to the Thomases, my sponsors, for giving me the chance to be down here this season with Wizard,” she said. “I think it’s very important that we get to spend the whole season down here, and I really appreciate that they were willing to support that.”

Lyle is also grateful to her other sponsors for keeping her and Wizard happy and healthy. She noted that Wizard’s Trilogy saddle keeps him comfortable and helps him perform his best.

“It allows him freedom of movement in the shoulder,” she said. “It still stays balanced and keeps his back happy. It’s a medium depth seat that gives me security, but still a little bit of freedom to feel like I can be soft and loose in the saddle.”

Lyle plans to compete in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Wellington. To earn a spot in the 2014 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final, she and Wizard must achieve two qualifying freestyle scores that rank them in the top two for the North American League. She is making a few tweaks to her freestyle music to better suit Wizard.

“[Freestyle designer] Terry Gallo is rearranging it and breaking it up a little so it’s a bit different and more rideable for him,” Lyle said. “I think he has a fantastic piaffe/passage, especially in a freestyle environment. We really wanted to highlight his strength and his power – he’s a power horse.”

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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Adrienne Lyle and Wizard Are Best in FEI Grand Prix Special 4*

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photos © SusanJStickle.com.

Michael Barisone and Ellegria Top FEI Grand Prix Special 3*; Matute, Jr. Continues Small Tour Hot Streak with Don Diego Ymas

Wellington, FL – February 8, 2014 – The 2014 Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) continued with its fifth week of competition on Saturday at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) featuring CDI 4* and 3* competition presented by The Dutta Corp. and Havensafe Farm.

Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Special 4*, presented by The Dutta Corp., saw a top finish for Adrienne Lyle (USA) aboard Wizard, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Weltmeyer, owned by Peggy Thomas. The pair scored a 70.353% for the win with Megan Lane (CAN) and Caravella in second with a 69.922%. Eliane Cordia-van Reesema (USA) and Jewel’s Adelante finished third with a 66.569%.

“I was incredibly happy with him today,” Lyle said of Wizard. “It was the end of a long, hot weekend and he tried so hard. I thought his piaffe/passage was much stronger than it has been. I was super happy with that because that is what we have been focusing on, really trying to solidify that and getting active, relaxed, and confident in that. The rider totally blew the changes today, but I would much rather have me making an error than having some issue with him. The canter work normally we are very solid in, so that is something I just need to fix, but he was wonderful.”

Lyle thought that Saturday’s test was one of her best, noting that although there were small errors, he felt confident.

“I thought the piaffe/passage was the best,” she stated. “I thought the trot work was very solid. As far as the feeling I got from it, I thought that was one of the best. He just felt solid. He felt there for me. He felt relaxed; he wasn’t stressed about stuff. I think it definitely helps that we have been able to come back to this venue and I think it helps that I have been able to get here enough. It’s not like I show and then go home for six months and wonder if what stuff I was working on six months ago is still relevant.”

In addition to working on Wizard’s piaffe and passage work, Lyle has been trying to improve his fitness level with different exercise.

“I take him out twice a week and we go hacking for like an hour,” she explained. “I take him on the trails through the housing developments and things like that so he gets a little more physical fitness as well as working on the moves. I have added a little more cardio. There is a big, nice field across from us where we can take them out and trot and canter.”

Lyle has hopes of qualifying for the U.S. team for this year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and also plans to compete in the World Cup qualifiers coming up in the AGDF season. She explained that she has rearranged her freestyle music a little bit and is trying to keep Wizard fit and healthy.

“I think I am on a good path with him,” she said. “I want to just keep it going, keeping him happy, trying to improve the little parts that we need, but not overdoing it. Today I was on 18 minutes before my ride. I did a very short warm-up because I did too much on Thursday. Hopefully I am getting to a place where I can trust him, just get on and do a little loosening and that is going to keep him physically and mentally much happier than having to be out there drilling.”

“I was really happy with today’s win and being in a 4*, that was huge,” Lyle acknowledged. “It was great competition. I am happy not just that he won, but that he was honest in the places that I needed him to be honest. That for me was the most important thing.”

Megan Lane had a great test with Caravella in Saturday’s class as well and praised her mare, a 13-year-old KWPN by Contango. “I think it went fantastic,” Lane smiled. “She is all the time better. We have not been doing the Grand Prix for very long, so every single ride I am happier than I was before and that is all that I can ask for.”

Lane has owned Caravella since the mare was eight years old and explained that she is very willing. “She is multi-talented,” Lane described. “(Her sire) Contango was a jumper. She is versatile in that sense. I bought her from a hunter/jumper barn and she did perfectly late hunter changes, but I was able to fix the changes within a week. She is super trainable.”

“She is so much fun,” she added. “She is everything you could ask for in a small package, which I think makes a rider’s life easy. The highlight of her I would say is her trainability. She loves learning new things and she loves being great.”

Michael Barisone and Ellegria
Michael Barisone and Ellegria

Veteran dressage competitor Michael Barisone topped the FEI Grand Prix Special 3*, sponsored by The Dutta Corp., earlier on Saturday evening. The American rider took Lauren Sprieser’s 13-year-old Westphalian mare Ellegria to the blue ribbon finish with a score of 68.873%.

The United States took the top three placings of the class, with second place going to Katherine Bateson Chandler and Wellnetta, who finished on a score of 67.588%. Shawna Harding and Come On III were third with a score of 66.000%.

Ellegria is a relatively new ride for Barisone, who has helped owner Sprieser with the mare for a while. Barisone only took over the reins recently, once Sprieser decided she wanted to sell her.

“I claim no credit for this horse. She belongs to Lauren Sprieser. Lauren has been a student of mine for five years and I helped her with this mare for a long time, but Lauren has done all the training. That mare is 100% trained by Lauren,” Barisone expressed.

Ellegria doesn’t have much in the way of experience in a competition setting, with Saturday’s win only being her fifth time out at the grand prix level, but Barisone sees something special in the chestnut mare.

“[Her] tests are really solid. One of the judges came to me and said, ‘I just love her; she’s so solid.’ There’s never going to be drama. There’s never going to be any kind of misbehavior. She’s a wonderful horse,” Barisone commented.

Ellegria remains for sale, but Barisone and United States Dressage Chef D’Equipe Robert Dover would both like to see her remain in the country, particularly with the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games looming.

“She is for sale, because that’s the way life is. If I’m lucky, maybe one of my [clients] will get together. Robert Dover keeps saying, ‘You have to try to get her for yourself.’ We’ll ride it out and see where it goes. You never know, we could get a call tonight or maybe not for six months,” Barisone acknowledged.

Ellegria is the ninth different horse Barisone has won a CDI grand prix on, and he admitted she is completely different than his mounts before her.

“She’s nothing like any other horse I’ve ridden. All the rest have generally been really hot athletes, really high-strung, big. She’s really a German horse. She looks like a stallion. She’s stout; she’s got a big neck. Every day I say, she’s not what I would pick when I choose horses. She kind of fell in my lap, but I love her,” Barisone smiled.

Another desirable trait Ellegria possesses is her age; Barisone believes she is at exactly the right point in her life to enjoy a long and successful grand prix career.

“The average international horse gets about five seasons. That’s what you get. One of my life mistakes I always say is no more eight-year-old grand prix horses. I’m going to stay at home until they’re nine or ten now. I just think I maybe rushed it too much in the beginning. With [Ellegria], I’m counting 13, 14, 15, 16; that’s a real nice time in their career. It’s when they’re settled, but young enough to be good. It seems like the ones that are doing their best, in my experience, are the 13- (to) 16-year-olds. They seem to be the solid ones,” Barisone noted.

What makes Ellegria so wonderful also means she will be an easy sell to whatever buyers surely come calling. Simple to warm up and eager to please, Ellegria is any rider’s dream come true.

“She’s one of those nice horses that you come out of the barn and she’s on the bit. She’s not stupid; you don’t have to work her down. She’s not spooky; she’s round right off the bat. You do posting trot for a couple of minutes, you sit, do a couple of half passes. A little big trot, a little small trot, little bit of passage, little bit of canter, and go. Which is a joy. She actually could be ridden by an amateur rider,” Barisone detailed.

Barisone has shown at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, but in his opinion, there’s no better place than the AGDF.

“I absolutely think is the coolest place in the entire world to go to a dressage show. Period. Incredible stabling. It must have rained five inches on jog day and you could ride an hour after. Incredible footing, a great atmosphere, the vet clinic is 400 yards away,” Barisone listed.

He continued, “The best of everybody in the world here at one time, and I sleep in my own bed at night. You can’t say that at Aachen. I rode five horses at home and saw 20 horses in my ring this morning before I came over and rode my test. That’s cool. The reality is what they’ve created here is unique to the world.”

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas
Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Juan Matute, Jr. (ESP) has taken the small tour by storm this season with Don Diego Ymas. The pair picked up their second win of the weekend in Saturday’s FEI Intermediaire-1, sponsored by Havensafe Farm. Matute, Jr. also won the FEI Junior Individual class later in the day with Dhannie Ymas and a score of 72.149%. The FEI Young Rider Individual class went to Tanya Strasser-Shostak (CAN) and Action Tyme.

Matute, Jr. topped the class with a 74.553% on Don Diego Ymas, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by the Matute Family. Second place went to Canadian Brittany Fraser and her own All In, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. The pair scored a 69.921%. Silva Martin (USA) rounded out the top three with a score of 68.974% aboard Rosa Cha W, an eight-year-old Warmblood mare owned by the Osa Cha W Syndicate.

Matute, Jr. jokingly declared to his mother that Saturday would be the day he would hit a score of 74, but the top score still came as a surprise to the 16-year-old phenom.

“It feels kind of weird. It’s such a hard mark. It’s like, ‘Wow I really did a 74?’ It’s shocking, but I’ll take it!” Matute, Jr. beamed.

Of his test, Matute, Jr. said, “It was phenomenal. One of the best feelings I’ve had in the ring for a long time. It was the test. I couldn’t ask for more.”

After their auspicious debut on the small tour, Matute, Jr. plans to move up to the Under-25 division and attempt grand prix later this year. Don Diego Ymas is already well-schooled at the grand prix level, and Matute, Jr. is more than up to the challenge.

“My dad likes to start teaching passage-piaffes when they are very young. Of course, not all out, but a little bit here and there so they start to get the feeling of collection and using their haunches. He does completely grand prix. We started doing the one tempis two months ago and I can already say we are solid in thirteen, so we’re almost all the way there!” Matute, Jr. smiled.

Don Diego Ymas has been a member of the family for the last seven years, with Matute, Jr. having the ride for the last three. The road to the small tour hasn’t always been easy, but Matute, Jr. couldn’t ask for a better partner.

“He’s a big horse. He used to be very spooky. He didn’t have self-confidence; he was a little bit insecure all the time, but overall he has a great mind. His personality is the best. He’s goofy. We call him ‘Goofy’ in the barn, like Goofy from Disney. He’s a lovely horse,” Matute, Jr., described.

Second place finisher Brittany Fraser returned to the AGDF this year with her gelding, All In. Fraser was pleased to see her horse beginning to grow up, a trend she noticed later last year at Dressage at Devon (Pa.) and the Saugerties Fall Festival of Dressage (N.Y.).

“[This year] he’s fit; he’s strong. Last year was his first year at St. Georges and he is huge, and it takes a long time to develop a horse like that. I showed at Saugerties and Devon last year and I really noticed a huge difference then in him, and it’s kind of just carrying on. I think he’s growing up. He’s nine now, so he’s not a baby anymore,” Fraser explained.

As for Saturday’s test, Fraser was happy to see All In consistently stay relaxed, which is one of her biggest challenges with her horse. Keeping his large frame in check is the predominate focus of all of Fraser’s rides.

“He’s such a huge horse that you have to keep him on his hips and you have to make sure he doesn’t get too long, because he has a humongous trot and a huge front leg, so he gets too long. I have to keep him very much in a package throughout the test,” Fraser explained.

Like Matute, Jr. Fraser is also looking forward to moving up to grand prix later this year. Following the AGDF 7 Stillpoint Farm CDIO and CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge, Fraser will contest a few Intermediaire-2 classes before making the final leap.

Competition for the ADGF 5 CDI 3*/4* concludes Sunday with the FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle, sponsored by Havensafe Farm, beginning at 10:40 a.m. at The Stadium at PBIEC. For 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

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Adrienne Lyle and Olympic Partner Wizard Off to Successful Start in 2014

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photos by Susan J. Stickle.

Wellington, FL – January 15, 2014 – Adrienne Lyle and Wizard are back in the arena and ready for action. On Saturday at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 1 National Show, the pair took first in their FEI Grand Prix test with a 69.900 percent.

“I was really happy with Wizard,” Lyle said. “He stayed quite good in the head and very relaxed. We haven’t been in the ring for a year now since the [World Dressage] Masters [CDI5* Palm Beach] last year, which was a lot of atmosphere for him to handle and he got a little wild. We just wanted to get him back in a big ring at a big venue and have a good, calm, happy test. Now we can start revving it up as the season goes.”

Lyle played it smart and safe, bringing Wizard back slowly and carefully from an injury incurred during his last competition.

“After the Masters, he sustained a coffin bruise,” she explained. “We figured, you know what, we’ll just wait and make sure he’s 110 percent healthy. We don’t want to start him and then find out we need to give him more time off.”

The wait has proved productive, as the two put in a solid test.

Lyle2“It’s better to start where we’re at with a consistent, relaxed test and be able to add a little bit than to start with too much and go the wrong way,” she commented.

If things continue to go as well for the pair as they did this weekend, they are looking toward Gladstone and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games selection trials.

Wizard is not the only horse Lyle has with her this season in Wellington. One horse she hopes to compete at the small tour level is Dax, an 11-year-old Hanoverian owned by Parry Thomas. Lyle explained that due to quarter crack issues over the last few years, Dax is slightly behind the ball in terms of experience for a horse his age. Nevertheless, Lyle is confident about opening new doors with him.

“I’d like to get him out here and see what he thinks of all this,” she said.

In addition to Wizard and Dax, Lyle and trainer Debbie McDonald have an ensemble of babies with them.

“We kind of went out and collected horses – it’s fun,” Lyle said. “We can’t borrow horses; we have to make them. I’m not buying a Grand Prix horse, that’s for sure!”

While there are no definitive show plans for any of them yet, Lyle is enthusiastic about these young prospects.

“They’re really cool, so I kind of want to hang onto them and bring them out when they’re ready,” she explained. “They all have really good talent for the collected work. They’re going to come and school at a show for sure and maybe go in a lower level test, but they’re going to just get the experience.”

Lyle’s young horses include Leandro, Schufro Gold, Harmony’s Duvall, and Dillinger, who is a son of Brentina by Leatherdale Farms’ Hanoverian stallion Damsey.

“Dillinger is going to be turning 4 this April and he’s just barely started – we broke him and then he lived out in a field this summer and we played with him,” Lyle said. “I think he’s going to be very special. He’s very, very sensitive like Brentina was to the leg and to anything. He’s light and naturally balanced. He’s got this fire in him, but he’s so sensible. I can hack him out on a long rein; I can ride him everywhere, so it’s a really cool combination. He’s an exciting one.”

With her Olympic partner returning to action and a number of younger, less experienced horses moving up the ranks, Lyle is sure to have a busy season in Florida.

To keep track of her training and competition, visit her website: http://www.adriennelyle.com/.

Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriennelyleUSA.

Check out her YouTube account: http://www.youtube.com/user/adriennelyle.

Meg McGuire for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Adrienne Lyle Receives USEF Grant to Help Make Dreams Come True

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard. Photos by Susan J. Stickle.

Wellington, FL – May 3, 2013 – U.S. Olympic athletes Adrienne Lyle and Wizard, owned by Peggy and Parry Thomas, are among 10 dressage athlete/horse combinations awarded training and competition grants for 2013 from the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

The grants were awarded so that the horse and rider combinations could compete in CDI shows throughout Europe in preparation for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Criteria for the grants included international competition experience and the athletes’ prospects of contributing to a Team or Individual medal at the 2014 World Equestrian Games.

“We are planning a winter tour in Europe with Wizard, basing out of (and training with) Klaus Balkenhol and competing in three CDI competitions while there,” Lyle said. She added that plans are not finalized and invitations are not yet issued, so she could not be specific at this time.

“This USEF grant, in addition to the amazing Carol Lavell grant we received earlier this year, has made my goal of getting back to Europe possible,” Lyle continued. “Without this kind of support it would be nearly impossible for many of us riders to pursue our dreams of international competition, and I am so thankful to all the donors and amazing people who make these things possible!”

Lyle and Wizard at 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach
Lyle and Wizard at 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Lyle and Wizard, a 14-year-old bay Oldenburg gelding, recently received a $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize from The Dressage Foundation to continue their training. The team trains with Olympic athlete Debbie McDonald and Lyle is based out of Ketchum, Idaho.

The pair represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and competed in the 2013 World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach in Wellington, FL. where they placed sixth in the Grand Prix and seventh in the Grand Prix Freestyle. In January, they placed second in the Grand Prix Freestyle in the Gold Coast Opener CDI-W in South Florida.

To learn more about Adrienne Lyle, go to www.adriennelyle.com. To learn more about the USEF grants for Lyle and Wizard as well as the other nine recipients, go to www.usefnetwork.com/news/9885/2013/4/22/usef_awards_grants_to_ten_dressage.aspx. To learn more about the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize, check out www.dressagefoundation.org/The_Carol_Lavell_Advanced_Dressage_Prize.htm.

Sue Weakley for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Olympian Adrienne Lyle Awarded Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize

$25,000 Grant Funds European Training with Klaus Balkenhol

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard at 2013 WDM. Photos by Susan J. Stickle

Wellington, FL – February 7, 2013 – U.S Olympic athletes Adrienne Lyle and Wizard will travel to Europe this summer to train with the legendary Klaus Balkenhol, thanks to a $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize awarded by The Dressage Foundation.

Lavell, along with her friends and family, initially funded the prize in remembrance of her parents, May and George Cadwgan. Lavell is a Bronze Medal winner in team dressage at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and knows first-hand what it’s like to scrimp and struggle to make ends meet in order to make it to the top.

“You need to get sponsorships,” she said. “You can’t get sponsorships unless you do well. You can’t do well unless you have money to get on the road and go do it. It’s such a catch-22.”

Continue reading Olympian Adrienne Lyle Awarded Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize

2013 World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach Resounding Success

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) and Don Auriello win Grand Prix Freestyle. Photos © SusanJStickle.com

Wellington, FL – January 28, 2013 – Swedish Olympians Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Patrik Kittel were the big winners at the 2013 World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach January 24-26. Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello took the championship in the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday while Kittel and Watermill Scandic H B C took second. The previous day, they swapped spots when Kittel placed first in the Grand Prix and Vilhelmson-Silfven took the second place honors.

In Saturday evening’s freestyle, Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello, an 11-year-old bay Hanoverian gelding owned by Lovsta Stuteri, rode the momentum from an enthusiastic crowd to claim the championship. Vilhelmson-Silfven collected a personal best score of 84.075% for her electrifying freestyle performance. She received a standing ovation from the crowd as she exited the ring.

“It’s just such an honor to ride a horse like Don Auriello,” she said. “He is so fun to ride. He was enjoying himself with me, enjoying the time, enjoying the energy. It was a great atmosphere.” She credits the Florida dressage circuit as a catalyst for the horse’s development. “Florida’s been very important for Don Auriello,” she said. “He has done a lot of his best starts here, I think.”

Continue reading 2013 World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach Resounding Success

Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic Earn Second Win of the Weekend at Gold Coast Opener CDI-W

Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic

Wellington, FL – January 19, 2013 – Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic added a brilliant victory in today’s Gold Coast Opener Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W to their win in Friday’s Grand Prix CDI-W, both at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. The pair of strong showings establishes them as top contenders in the World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI5* Palm Beach at Jim Brandon, which will take place January 24-26.

WDM will be far from a walkover, however. Kittel and Watermill Scandic will go up against many of the top-placed pairs from today’s competition, as well as an array of new challengers that includes Steffen Peters, Edward Gal, and Hans Peter Minderhoud. But Kittel and Scandic impressed both the judges and the crowd with their stirring freestyle routine.

They performed to an assortment of upbeat rock tunes, displaying impeccable passage transitions to “Hot in the City.” “I think it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in the piaffe/passage,” Kittel exclaimed. Although “Dancing with Myself” was also among the musical selections, Kittel and Scandic danced together in complete harmony through rhythmic one-tempis and a striking canter half-pass. The judges awarded them a score of 80.125%.

Continue reading Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic Earn Second Win of the Weekend at Gold Coast Opener CDI-W

Gold Coast Opener Grand Prix CDI-W Provides Preview of World Dressage Masters Competitors

Cesar Parra praises Van The Man

Wellington, FL – January 18, 2013 – Today’s Gold Coast Opener Grand Prix CDI-W showcased horses and riders preparing for next weekend’s World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI5* Palm Beach, and the WDM competitors certainly displayed their dominance. WDM entrants swept all six ribbons in the Grand Prix, with all but one riding the horses they will compete next weekend.

And if the results from today are a predictor, it seems that Sweden will be a force to be reckoned with. Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic posted 72.723% to steal the win at the last moment from fellow Swedish Olympic teammate Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven aboard Divertimento, whose 71.170% was the leading score until the final ride. At WDM, Kittel will try to duplicate today’s success on Watermill Scandic, while Vilhelmson-Silfven will switch to her Olympic mount, Don Auriello.

The chilly weather at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, site of both the Gold Coast Opener and WDM, had a few horses on edge in the warm-up, including Watermill Scandic. But most held it together once they entered the ring. Kittel was full of praise for the venue. “The whole place is lovely!” he exclaimed, adding that he would happily show there every weekend if it were “just a bit closer” to his home in Sweden.

Continue reading Gold Coast Opener Grand Prix CDI-W Provides Preview of World Dressage Masters Competitors