Tag Archives: Laura Graves

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage

Laura Graves Talks All Things SenSation HW

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Laura Graves and SenSation HW. Photo by Emmalie Clapp.

Geneva, Florida – May 13, 2020 – Former world ranked no. 1 rider Laura Graves announced she has welcomed two-time national young horse champion, SenSation HW, to her program. Bred in Germany by Alfons Bergjohann, the 7-year-old Westphalian gelding SenSation HW (Sunday—Donata, Dancier) has made quite a name for himself with Hilltop Farm’s Michael Bragdell.

The gelding owned by Carol and Scott McPhee has had an impressive career as a young horse thus far, earning back-to-back champion titles in the 5-Year-Old and 6-Year-Old Championships at the Markel/USEF Young Horse National Championships for the last two years with Bragdell in the saddle, earning an impressive score 9.6 for his trot and a 9 for overall impression. The pair also earned consecutive titles at the US Dressage Finals the last two years, taking the First Level Open National Championship in 2018 and the Third Level Open National Championship in 2019. Prior to the finals in Lexington, Kentucky, the pair earned the Third Level Championship at the GAIG/United States Equestrian Federation Region 8 Championships with scores over 74%.

Following the retirement of her Olympic partner Verdades, Graves had a quieter season this year, competing in the national ring aboard two developing horses. In February, she rode Bellarini, a 5-year-old Hanoverian mare into the ring for the first time at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival to win their First Level class with a 73.276%, and Fizau, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Susan Shattuck, earned a top-five placing in the Intermediate II. With the addition of SenSation HW to her string, Graves has her eyes set once again on international success in the near future.

PS Dressage caught up with Graves to discuss her exciting new partnership and her competition career post-Diddy.

Let’s talk about how your partnership with SenSation’s owners, the McPhees, developed.

“Carol and her husband, Scott, originally contacted me. Michael has had such great success with him and has done such a great job with this horse in the Young Horse classes. It’s common practice in Europe that another trainer may take over the ride to do different things. So far I am really enjoying the opportunity of getting to know the McPhees. They seem to really love and care for their horses and I’m hoping it’s the beginning of a really long-term relationship.”

Michael [Bragdell] always spoke so highly of SenSation’s quality with his elasticity and work ethic. Do you recall watching them compete together?

“It’s funny because I follow the sport very closely whether it is here in the US or in Europe. I think we all try to keep eyes on the winning horses and hope for the best for everybody. When I would watch SenSation with Michael it was clear what a talented horse he was, but I never thought I would one day have him in my barn. I’m very grateful for that.”

When did SenSation arrive at your farm? What qualities about him have you noticed so far as you are getting to know him?

“It’s easy to lose track of time in this quarantine, but I think he arrived in late March. The McPhees live in Pennsylvania and with all the Coronavirus restrictions, they haven’t had the opportunity to visit him at my farm yet, but we are hoping they will be able to travel to visit him soon!

“SenSation is such a cool horse. He has honestly been one of the easiest horses to start to get to know. He has a very straight forward character with an excellent personality and work ethic. Michael has done a super job with him! He is safe to hack and it’s a real joy to have him in the barn. The girls who work for me love to take care of him — he’s very friendly.”

With the retirement of your long-time partner Diddy, I’m sure you are ecstatic to have a high-caliber horse in your string again. Any goals on your radar with him for next year? 

“I do have some very nice young horses developing but there is a big difference in the two-year age gap between them and SenSation. Even though SenSation is only seven, he is actually one of my more advanced horses and I feel really confident on him. I’m really excited to have a horse of this age and caliber in my barn!

“To sit in the saddle every day and feel like the future is not too far away with him — there are glimpses of the whole grand prix already in this horse. It’s a very motivating thing for me. I’m not riding horses right now that I don’t think have the quality to make a team — whether it is for Pan Am Games, Nations Cups, World Cup Finals, World Equestrian Games, maybe even an Olympic Games. There are a lot of different things that may fit into his schedule depending on his development and when we meet specific mile markers. But that is certainly a goal with SenSation now. Right now I would consider we are in a two-year chunk of time where I think he will be something really special to see.”

With the coronavirus shaking up the competition season and with all that uncertainty, do you have an ideal plan for next year?

“Hopefully, things can get back to some sort of normal by next season and then we can travel a bit and take some real lessons as opposed to videos. My horses will be ready next year so hopefully I have somewhere to take them!”

Speaking about taking lessons — Has Debbie [McDonald] been involved so far and what are her thoughts about this new addition to your string?

“Debbie has been working with me a little bit. It’s exciting for both of us! What we have as a coach-student relationship is really awesome and we work together really well. It ends up in the best interest of the horse when there is a relationship like that between a coach and their student. I’m thrilled she is supportive and excited about the horses in my barn. Deb and I are both in different places in our lives. With the Olympics that were supposed to be this year, her life has changed a lot, and my life, with the retirement of Diddy, is very different too. For us, it is a new chapter in our relationship. It’s exciting to start over again and it’s very motivating. All the places Diddy took us and the thought we may have that opportunity again is really special.”

You have made a name for yourself with a horse you solely owned. What does it feel like to have other owners involved that are now part of your team?

“I have a deep gratitude to these owners who think of me and give me such exceptional horses to ride. They trust me. It’s an amazing thing to have that trust from complete strangers. I am very very lucky and I’ve always said it is no one’s responsibility to do this for me. So every time I have an opportunity like this, I just think of how lucky I am to have people believe in me and that we share the same dreams. I just hope I can do my best. It’s a lot of pressure but I am looking forward to it.”

Even though you were not present in the CDI-ring this season, you did ride down centerline a few times at AGDF this winter on Fizau, a horse you competed at the 2017 US Developing Prix St. Georges National Championship and a new youngster. How did you think your season went with them? 

“It was a good developing season. I had entered Fizau in an I2 and unfortunately we had some things go wrong in the barn and he didn’t have a great show, which is really too bad because we had to scratch the second day. He is schooling really well and he is for sale — I know he will make someone very, very happy. I’ve had him since he was 5 years old and it will be hard to see him go. But he deserves to be the light of someone’s life. He will be the ‘SenSation’ in someone’s barn! I think every horse deserves that. It’s a special situation where he must go to the right forever home. He’s a one-of-a-kind horse.

“The other horse I competed is a 5-year-old named Bellarini that I have really big dreams for. I’ve had her less than a year and I brought her to her first show to see how she would be off the farm. She was fresh, but she settled in well and was a very good girl. She scored quite well in her First Level test and I was having a blast riding her around. It’s these partnerships with horses that put smiles on your face that makes it worth it. It has been a little bit lacking in my life since Diddy retired and so it’s exciting to ride horses you feel yourself bonding with. It makes it easy to be patient and to wait for these great things that I think are going to happen. It’s exciting.”

We would certainly be remiss if we didn’t check in on the one and only Diddy. How is retirement treating him so far?

“It suits him very well! I’m still riding him a few days a week — I had to! We finally have him exercised enough where he is behaving himself in turnout with my other retired horse, who is a 27-year-old, 15-hand Quarter Horse. At first Diddy was so wild and I couldn’t have him running my Quarter Horse too much. Now they are behaving and enjoying turnout together. It’s such a small thing, but Diddy hasn’t been in a field with another horse in 12 years. It’s such a nice thing for them and it’s how it should be. Even though my farm is set up where they can touch noses across the fence, it’s different that he can be with another horse.”

PS Dressage
info@psdressage.com

Dressage, FEI, USEF

Verdades to Appear at 2020 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas

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Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman Photography.

From the US Equestrian Communications Department

Las Vegas, Nev. – Verdades, one of the most popular and beloved horses in dressage history, will make two public appearances at the 2020 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas, April 15-19. “Diddy” will headline the Devoucoux Dressage Showcase on Friday afternoon, April 17, and then have his official retirement ceremony on Saturday evening.

Laura Graves, Verdades’s owner and rider, announced the 18-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding’s retirement in January, leading to an outpouring of love and support from his many followers around the world. That spurred a plan to give his fans a chance to see the legendary superstar at the FEI World Cup™ Final.

“Diddy has so many fans and I wanted to give as many of them as possible a chance to see him before his retirement,” said Graves, who purchased Verdades as a yearling and is the only rider he has ever known. “He has performed on the world’s biggest stages and there really is no bigger stage than the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, so this is really the perfect place for his formal retirement.”

Graves and Verdades will appear during the Final’s Devoucoux Dressage Showcase on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday evening when his official retirement ceremony will be held during the intermission of the Grand Prix Freestyle, the event determining the 2020 FEI World Cup™ champion.

As part of the special occasion, a drawing will be held to select 16 individuals among those in attendance at the Devoucoux Dressage Showcase to meet the legendary horse later that day. In addition, Graves will appear that afternoon in the Taylor Harris Club presented by Lugano Diamonds to meet guests in the World Cup’s VIP club.

Verdades first caught the world’s attention when he carried Graves to the Reserve Championship in the 2014 The Dutta Corp./USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship and then followed that by finishing fifth in the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games, the top U.S. finish.

To order tickets, or for further information on the 2020 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas, please visit the event’s official website at www.WorldCupLasVegas.com.

Dressage, FEI, USEF

Graves Earns World Cup Silver for Third Time in Gothenburg

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Laura Graves and Verdades (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Gothenburg, Sweden – In the dramatic conclusion of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, Laura Graves and her loyal mount Verdades piaffed their way to silver in front of an enthusiastic Swedish crowd of more than 11,500. Showing the strength of the American dressage program, all three U.S. combinations broke the top seven with scores over 80%.

“I was thrilled. [Verdades] was so rideable, and I was just really thrilled with his focus and his energy today,” said Graves. “Like Isabel [Werth] said, the crowd was amazing. They all have this ticker of a live score, and as riders you are going ‘yeah, this feels pretty good.’ You kind of hope that the judges are agreeing with [the crowd]. You hear the crowd clapping along and you think ‘okay, well at least everyone is enjoying it as much as I am,’ and that’s really special.”

With a final score of 87.179%, Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her and Curt Maes’s 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding gave now three-time World Cup champion Isabel Werth (Germany) and Weihegold OLD a run for their money. With 10 combinations scoring over 80%, it was a tight race to the finish and Graves rode 14th in the order.

© 2019 US Equestrian Federation

Dressage, FEI, Show Jumping, USEF

Graves Takes Second in FEI Dressage World Cup Final Grand Prix

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Laura Graves and Verdades (Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Gothenburg, Sweden – In an exciting day of competition, U.S. dressage and jumping combinations found their rhythm at the FEI World Cup™ Finals. Laura Graves and Verdades earned second in the FEI Dressage World Cup Final Grand Prix, while Beezie Madden and Breitling LS advanced to fourth after the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final II.

With poise and grace, the U.S. dressage combinations trotted down centerline on Friday ready to represent American dressage. Their hard work and dedication paid off, resulting in all three combinations placing in the top eight in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final Grand Prix. Laura Graves and Verdades led the way for the U.S., placing second on 80.109% closely behind Germany’s Isabel Werth.

Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her own and Curt Maes’s 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding found their rhythm in the large Scandinavium Arena in front of a knowledgeable Swedish audience.

“I thought [feeling super]. He was super rideable today,” said Graves. “I think tomorrow will be an interesting competition for everyone, and, hopefully, my horse gives me the same great feeling that he did today… I feel really, really confident in how we have prepared him for this competition.”

Madden Moves Up, Tied for Fourth after Round II of Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final

With ground to cover, the U.S. combinations headed into Friday evening’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II looking to improve their positions in the second round of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final. Round II saw a shift in the leaderboard, and Madden and Breitling LS jumped a commanding and nearly flawless round to place fifth in the class and fourth overall.

After jumping a clear round on a time of 76.41 seconds, Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) and Abigail Wexner’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion headed into the jump-off with seven other top combinations. Their jump-off time of 34.75 seconds was the fastest of the round but a rail at the final jump cost them the double-clear. Sitting on just three penalties, and tied for fourth with Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels and Olivier Philippaerts, as well as Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, Madden and Breitling LS sit less than one rail from the current leader headed into Sunday’s final.

By US Equestrian Communications Department

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Werth Wins Grand Prix, but Runner-Up Graves Looks a Powerful Threat

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Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

The legend that is Germany’s Isabell Werth (49) steered her wonderful 13-year-old mare, Weihegold OLD, to victory in the Grand Prix as the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2019 got underway at the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg (SWE).

But the World No. 1 rider, and the most decorated athlete in the history of equestrian sport, is taking nothing for granted as she chases down her third consecutive, and fifth overall, World Cup title.

“I can feel the breeze on the back of my neck!” she admitted, after the World No. 2 combination of America’s Laura Graves (31) and Verdades slotted into second place on a day when US riders were highly impressive.

Indeed, the deciding Freestyle competition looks set to be another thriller, and the sold-out stadium will be throbbing with excitement. Third-placed Dane, Daniel Bachmann Andersen, said it suited his stallion Blue Hors Zack when the crowd clapped enthusiastically as they came into the ring. But Judy Reynolds’ Vancouver K didn’t feel the same way, spinning around with fright and boiling over at times when they were first to go. The Irishwoman, whose Freestyle programme is a big crowd favourite, just shrugged it off after finishing 14th of 18 starters. That blip is already confined to history as far as she is concerned.

It was America’s Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet who headed the leaderboard with a score of 77.267 at the halfway stage after a performance that oozed partnership between horse and rider. And when Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Damsey posted 76.957 as the second-half action began, the US rider was still out in front. But then Werth set off with Weihegold and the big scores just kept coming in, the precision and quality of the mare’s work seeing them post 81.755 to soar out in front.

Bachmann Andersen’s Blue Hors Zack did a lovely test. “He’s just getting better and better!” said the Danish star who temporarily slotted into second when putting 78.152 on the board, but Werth’s lead looked very vulnerable when Graves followed him into the ring, fourth-last to go. Some big early scores suggested the American just might oust the defending double-champion, but there was a little mistake in extended trot and the final scoreline of 80.109 left Werth in pole position.

The German superstar and multiple champion knows the story is far from over, however, and Graves reminded her of that at the post-competition press conference. You could tell that the American meant it when she said, “I’m incredibly hungry to be at the top of the podium and I’ll do my very best tomorrow. I know there is a real chance; I believe in this horse – he’s 17 but in the best shape ever!”

But Werth has been to battle, and won, so many times before, and as she said, “Gothenburg holds great memories for me.” It was here that she posted her very first FEI Dressage World Cup Final win with Fabienne in 1992. Can she do it again 27 years later? As she said, “Tomorrow is a whole new game – we will have to wait and see.”

Result here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Can Graves Go One Better in Gothenburg?

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German superstar, Isabell Werth, returns to defend her title at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019 Final in Gothenburg (SWE) next week. She’ll have to fend off many powerful opponents, including America’s Laura Graves. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

Demand for tickets for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ and Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals has been so incredibly high that the show organisers are providing a big-screen experience for those who can’t access a seat in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg (SWE) on the deciding days. “The tickets have long been sold out and we have been working for a long time to come up with a solution that makes it possible for more people to take part in this year’s horse party!” said Gothenburg Horse Show Project Manager, Patrik Fredriksson. So, in co-operation with EuroHorse, all visitors can watch Saturday and Sunday’s thrilling Final action live on-screen in the adjoining Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre which hosts a hugely popular equestrian fair.

The excitement is already palpable with just days to go before the doors are opened to many of the best horse-and-rider combinations in the world next Wednesday, 3 April. For Germany’s Isabell Werth, it’s a matter of taking on all challengers in her bid to add a fifth Dressage title to the extraordinary list of achievements that has confirmed her status as the most successful equestrian athlete of all time.

Stalking her every inch of the way will be America’s Laura Graves who, partnering the now 17-year-old Verdades, has come dangerously close to ousting the German star over the last few seasons. They were runners-up at the Finals in 2017 and 2018, and, at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon, USA last September where they helped clinch team silver, only Werth and Bella Rose stood between them and individual gold.

Graves has to be hungry to go that one step further which would see her become only the third American FEI Dressage World Cup™ title-holder in the 34 editions of the series.

It was in Gothenburg in 2003 that Debbie McDonald claimed the USA’s first victory partnering Brentina, and Steffen Peters steered Ravel into pole position in Las Vegas six years later.

Look at the line-up though and there are many other hopes and dreams to be realised. Could Patrik Kittel and Delauney OLD become only the second-ever Swedish champions? It’s 21 years since Louise Nathorst and LRF Walk on Top triumphed on home soil in Gothenburg, pipping the legendary duo of The Netherlands Anky Van Grunsven and Bonfire, while Isabell Werth and Anthony FRH finished third.

Can Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen produce the same level of expertise that saw him win the final leg of the Western European League at ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) two weeks ago with the one-eyed stallion Blue Hors Zack? What an amazing story that would be: only one other Dane has ever done it and that was Anne-Grethe Jensen with Marzog who pinned Great Britain’s Christopher Bartle, now one of the world’s most celebrated coaches, into second place with Wily Trout, while Switzerland’s Christine Stuckelberger finished third with Rubelit von Unkelruf. That was at the inaugural FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final staged in ’s-Hertogenbosch in 1986 – all of 33 years ago but, like all great sporting moments, embedded into the memory of those who witnessed it.

And then of course there’s Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K, a horse purchased for the price of a second-hand car who has broken Irish records like it’s going out of style in recent years and who, at 17 years of age, is better and fresher than ever. This pair has a big fanbase – Reynolds has achieved every little girl’s dream in finding a horse to take her to the top of the sport, and the diminutive and super-talented rider has been consistently threatening for a podium placing at majors over the last few seasons. Gothenburg holds good memories for them because they finished eighth at their first FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final there in 2016 before moving right up to fourth in Omaha (USA) the following year. They’ve been achieving personal-best scores in quick succession over the last few months and their “Riverdance” themed floorplan and music will get the toes tapping and the hands clapping for sure – the Gothenburg crowd are guaranteed to fall in love with them. Could they completely break the mould and become the very first Irish winners? What a story that would be.

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city, located on the west coast of the country with a stunning archipelago just around the corner. It’s a great city to visit and it’s already starting to fill up with fans wanting to get a glimpse of their favourite equestrian stars and waiting for the action to kick off with warm-up classes and national events on 3 April. The first competition in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, the Grand Prix, will take place at 13.00 on Thursday 4 April and the deciding Freestyle will hold centre stage on Saturday 6 at 16.00. It’s going to be a week of spectacular sport, and for Dressage fans the biggest question is: can anyone beat Isabell? We’ll have to wait and see.

Check out all the details here.

Gothenburg Horse Show website here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Dressage

Laura Graves and Verdades Secure Third World Cup Qualifying Score

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Laura Graves and Verdades © SusanStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – March 1, 2019 – The “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W presented by Havensafe Farm ended a day of top dressage competition with a sweep of the top three places by U.S. women at week 8 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), which continues through Sunday, March 3.

Friday night also showcased the final round of the Palm Beach Derby presented by Havensafe Farm, and a nations parade for the riders in the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships.

Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades rode to a score of 84.535% to secure their third qualifying score for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final and to win the freestyle. “I don’t count anything until it’s for certain,” said Graves. “Once I went down centerline, I thought, ‘OK, hopefully this is my ticket to Sweden.’”

Christoph Koschel Captures Win in Palm Beach Derby

Christoph Koschel (GER) defended his title and for the third time won the Palm Beach Derby presented by Havensafe Farm, picking up an $3,000 check as his portion of the $8,000 prize money on offer. Koschel rode Action Ace, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Ijsselmeer owned by Janice Murdoch, and the new pair earned a score of 72.316% in the final round of the Derby.

“It’s great to win the third time in a row,” said Koschel of his success. “It’s really challenging. I think that is what we all enjoy as professional riders, to get a horse that we don’t know and find in four to five minutes the right buttons. To get to know the horse a little bit and then try to ride a test.”

Karen Lipp (USA) also rode Action Ace in the final round and took second place with a score of 68.713%. Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Karen Pavicic (CRO) tied for third place after being “knocked out” by Koschel and Lipp in the initial round of competition. Lyle and Flash Dancer IM 1175, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Londonderry owned by Patricia Koschel, earned a score of 67.999%. Pavicic and Leuchtfeuer DE, a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion by Dion Romantica owned by Dressage Grand Ducal, earned a score of 67.705%.

For more information and a full list of results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Dressage

Laura Graves and Verdades Start Off AGDF Week 8 with Win in FEI Grand Prix CDI-W

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Laura Graves and Verdades. ©SusanStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – February 28, 2019 – Week 8 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), The Palm Beach Derby, kicked off with top CDI-W and CDI3* dressage competition. Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades returned to AGDF and won the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W presented by Havensafe Farm. The pair earned a score of 80.239% to qualify for the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W presented by Havensafe Farm tomorrow night, where they plan to secure their last qualifying score for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals in April.

“I thought he was relaxed, but I also at the same time maybe warmed him up too much,” said Graves of her 17-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Florett AS. “We have this technique we’ve been using where we give him a very short warm-up and just send him in. Sometimes the longer you warm him up he gets tired, and then he gets hotter in his mind, but tired in his body.

“He was very, very clean today. I thought he was very very honest,” continued Graves, who last competed with Verdades at AGDF 3. “I was super happy with my zig-zag. I just remember looking up at one point and how much ground we had covered sideways, and I thought ‘Uh oh, can I do that the other way?’ I pushed, and sure enough he went that far. The canter tour felt really secure, and I’m happy with his relaxation.”

Graves noted of her goal for Friday night, “[It] is our last qualifier for World Cup, so just want to check that off of the list and know that we have a ticket to Sweden.”

Graves’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 teammates, Kasey Perry-Glass and Adrienne Lyle, finished in second and third place, respectively. The three riders shared their laps of honor by trotting down the centerline side by side. “We’ve been waiting for this,” Graves shared. “We’ve been planning [that] for weeks and weeks and weeks. The three of us are such good friends that we’ve been hoping for a sweep like that. It was fun to be able to laugh with each other and go down centerline, to have such amazing teammates.”

Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Diamond Hit x La Costa and owned by Diane Perry, placed second with a score of 78.630%. In third place was Lyle riding Salvino, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Sandro Hit x Dynastie and owned by Betsy Juliano LLC. They received a score of 74.543%.

For more information and a full list of results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Dressage

Laura Graves and Verdades Capture Another Win in “Friday Night Stars” Grand Prix Freestyle

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Laura Graves and Verdades. © SusanStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – January 25, 2019 – U.S. dressage stars and currently ranked number two in the world, Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades performed a beautiful test and earned a score of 84.935% to win the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by the U.S. P.R.E. Association on Friday, January 25, at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.

“This freestyle was nice. This was the second time I’ve ridden to this music. I’m definitely feeling a little more comfortable with it,” commented Graves, who has captured medals at the Olympic Games and World Equestrian Games with Verdades, her 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Florett AS. “I’m glad to add another good score to qualifying [for the World Cup Finals]. In a normal year we’d be qualified by now, but we have one more show to do so we’ll be back at the end of February, I believe, to hopefully qualify.”

Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Diamond Hit owned by Diane Perry, came in second with a score of 82.425%.

“The weather was great for Dublet. He loves the cold weather,” said Perry-Glass of her 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon (WEG) team silver medal-winning partner. “It really gets him a little bit more amped. I’m just very proud of him for this show, to come out and score a personal best in [yesterday’s] grand prix out of WEG. Unfortunately, I had a little bit of a spook coming in [the freestyle], so that kind of put me a little behind my music. I felt a little rushed throughout my choreography, but he nailed everything.”

Shelly Francis and Danilo (USA), a 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by De Niro x Annabella owned by Patricia Stempel, earned a score of 80.535% and came in third place in the freestyle.

“I just feel like my horse is really kind of liking this freestyle,” commented Francis about Danilo. “He kind of gets a little pumped up tonight with the cooler weather. It was good. He felt really fun and awesome though; he was just trying to do everything. The piaffe and passage and pirouettes are always getting better, and he’s always been pretty good about the changes. He’s kind of coming into himself.”

Judge at C, Michael Osinski, pointed out – and it was confirmed – that for the first time in a dressage competition in the U.S., the top three earned above 80%. Osinski commented, “It just was an honor to watch all three of you, such elegant, harmonious, beautiful riders. It was just great, and I wish them all the best.”

AGDF Director of Sport Thomas Baur also pointed out that Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven (SWE) placed fourth and fifth with top scores above and near 79%.

“I think that we did not have many qualifiers in the Western European league this year or last year, that were that strong,” he noted. “I think we have come a long way here, and it’s pretty amazing.”

For more information and to see a full list of results, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Awards, Community/Charity, Dressage, Show Jumping

USET Foundation Celebrates 2019 Award Winners at Gold Medal Club Reception

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The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to recognize the generous support of their Gold Medal Club (GMC) members. The GMC is the lifeblood of the USET Foundation, accounting for nearly 80 percent of individual contributions each year and is comprised of members who contribute a minimum of $1,000 or more annually. On Friday, Jan. 18, the USET Foundation hosted the Gold Medal Club Reception at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, where GMC members who have made the USET Foundation a priority in their charitable giving for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years were recognized.

USET Foundation Presents 2019 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to Rising Star Daisy Farish

The USET Foundation is pleased to honor the talented young show jumping athlete Daisy Farish of Versailles, Kentucky as the recipient of the 2019 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy. This prestigious award is presented annually to a junior/young rider in one of the Olympic disciplines who demonstrates the team’s values of sportsmanship and horsemanship.

USET Foundation Awards 2019 Whitney Stone Cup to Dressage Icon Laura Graves

The USET Foundation is pleased to announce that dressage star Laura Graves is the recipient of the 2019 Whitney Stone Cup. The award is presented annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition as well as high standards of sportsmanlike conduct, while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport.

S. Tucker S. Johnson Honored with R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award

In 2015, the USET Foundation announced the creation of the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award in honor and recognition of the late Bruce Duchossois. On Friday, Jan. 18, S. Tucker S. Johnson was presented with the 2019 award during the USET Foundation’s Gold Medal Club Reception held at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.

For more information on the USET Foundation, visit www.uset.org.