Tag Archives: Mikala Gundersen

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage

Gundersen and My Lady Near 80% Mark to Win FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 5*

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Mikala Gundersen and My Lady. Photos: ©SusanJStickle.

 Marienau and Stefano 8 Capture CDI 3* Freestyle Win

Wellington, FL – February 12, 2016 – The stands were filled with eager spectators at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), as competitors from around the world took to the Global International Ring for the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 5*, presented by Diamante Farms. Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady impressed the judging panel to earn a 79.075% for their first major win at AGDF this season. Fellow Dane Lars Petersen and Mariett followed in second place with a 76.600%, while Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 finished in third place with a 76.425%. Competition at AGDF on Saturday includes the conclusion of CDI 3*/5* competition, with the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, at 1 p.m. and the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 5*, presented by Diamante Farms at 4 p.m.

Gundersen and My Lady were one of the most winning combinations on the AGDF circuit in 2015 and their victory tonight marked their first CDI 5* win since 2013, when the duo took home first place in the CDI 5* Grand Prix Special at AGDF.

“Lady was really good. She was very good yesterday, but I planned to push a little bit more today and see if I could put her up a little bit higher in the neck,” Gundersen said. “I had that in the warm-up and then when I came in, when my music was supposed to start it didn’t, so I went to circle. Then the music started, and I tried to finish my circle, but Lady was like ‘No, no. Wrong way,’ and went for the centerline. Once I hit the centerline, she went into the passage, and I knew that we were good.”

The pair thrives in consistency, and they are usually expected to finish atop their respective classes. Gundersen noted that Lady is reliable in big atmospheres such as the freestyle, even though she is an incredibly sensitive horse, because she is so well-versed in their choreography and enjoys performing for a crowd.

CLICK HERE to watch Gundersen and My Lady’s winning ride!

“Every time I go down the centerline it’s a new feeling. This is a very sensitive horse, and it’s not like we push a button and then get to go to a Grand Prix,” she elaborated. “It’s always different, and we are always trying to make it better. Since she’s so sensitive, I don’t always know what I have, but I had a good feeling and she was on it tonight. She wanted to do well.”

The stands were overflowing at AGDF tonight, as the facility was filled with spectators who journeyed from around the state to watch the only FEI CDI 5* competition at AGDF this season.

“I heard the crowd at the end, and I really felt it on the way out. I thought to myself that that was the biggest applause we’ve ever had. I know the music is fun and it gets people out of their seats. I think that going last with that music was a little bit like, ‘Okay, let’s finish this party.'”

Fellow Danish teammate Lars Petersen and the veteran mare Mariett performed for the second time this season at AGDF and collected second place honors, as the 18-year-old mare looked poised and energized in the ring.

“I was pretty pleased with our test. We showed the last CDI and then this competition here, but other than that we haven’t shown since April of last year,” noted Petersen. “I’ve had a little bit of a hard time finding a rhythm I must admit. Our Grand Prix test was not so good, but today I felt like we had a bit better rhythm. To me we just felt a little rusty still.”

One of the top combinations, Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 battled through a few mistakes in their test to ultimately receive a score of 76.425%. While the test looked fluid, Peters felt the tension that ultimately detracted from their score.

“Today was very tough. I was sitting not on just one stick of dynamite tonight, but it was a whole case underneath of me,” said Peters of the 2002 Westphalian gelding. “That’s just the case with this horse. It can go absolutely brilliantly like he did two weeks ago when he is relaxed. I felt today in the warm-up that he was pretty keyed up. Of course, it’s disappointing, but we’ve dug ourselves out of this spot before and we’ll try to do the same in the future.”

He continued, “The crowd, the atmosphere, the music – he can react to that. We have had those situations many times before and this was not the last time that he’s going to act up before going in the ring. That’s just his nature.”

Judge at C, Thomas Lang (AUT), commented on the strong showing of the evening’s competition and referenced that AGDF has created a new epicenter for the sport of dressage during the winter months.

“I think that it is very marvelous for the riders to compete here and for the judges. It’s great because of the atmosphere here and the audience is really looking and hoping for these pairs. I think it’s very good for the sport to have a show like this,” he said. “There are so many people here and so many shows; it is that the whole world is looking to Wellington from January to March and really now this is the center of the dressage world for those three months.”

Devon Kane of Diamante Farms, a founding sponsor of the AGDF venue, has been thrilled with the growth of the competition and was overwhelmed by the number of spectators who came out to witness the CDI 5* Grand Prix Freestyle in real time.

“It’s really been amazing to me, as a participant, but also watching from the background. When Mark [Bellissimo] approached us with this idea and Ken [Braddick] also, we had a lot of dressage people who stepped in. We did it as a family and now you see the corporate sponsors stepping in and the town getting involved. You have all of these people from Wellington coming to dressage,” Kane expressed. “I think that’s amazing that we’ve made this a center point of dressage, but also a venue for everyone else. The vision of AGDF has really come to par and morphed into what we all had hoped it would be from the beginning.”

Thomas Baur, Director of Sport at AGDF, has been thrilled with the number of entries and the exposure the sport has received using AGDF as a platform. He stated, “I think it’s been a great show so far this week. We had 133 horses jog on Tuesday and Wednesday. It went super well this week. I’m very happy and I also would like to thank the judges at this point. We have 10 CDI 5* judges in this week. This is a typically unusual situation. I think they’ve done a very good job overall so far, and we’ll be looking forward to two more days.”

Adequan® has played a major role in the success of the competition with their title sponsorship for several years. Allyn Mann of Adequan® voiced his opinions on the success of competition to this point in the season and what it means to see a stadium packed with spectators watching dressage on a Friday evening.

“The spectators were just amazing, and it’s wonderful to be on the journey here,” he said. “It’s on nights like this that you see it all come together and you’re just humbled to be a part of it. I feel very blessed to be here.”

Alongside their major contributions to the competition and facility, Adequan® has also taken a strong initiative to recognize the people who help make top sport possible, sponsoring each of the owner awards given throughout the night. Christopher Preston was awarded with the High Point National Show Owner Award, which was accepted on his behalf by rider Lauren Chumley for her performance aboard Hotstreak CF during AGDF 3. Lynda Hol accepted the High Point National Show Owner Award, as Karen Pavicic rode Beaujolais to a weekend high score during AGDF 4. Christina Vinios and Folkestone OLD dominated Small Tour competition so far at AGDF 5, and earned themselves the FEI Prix St Georges Owner Award for their win in the division on Thursday. Janne Rumbough, owner of My Lady, winner of the FEI CDI 5* Grand Prix Freestyle, was presented with the Grand Prix Freestyle Owner Award, while My Lady’s groom Julie Albrechtsen accepted the Groom’s Initiative Award presented by Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, to reward her dedication and hard work as an integral member of the winning team.

Marienau and Stefano 8 Capture CDI 3* Freestyle Win

The second day of competition in the FEI CDI 3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, was graced with beautiful weather, as sunny skies and a pleasant breeze welcomed riders down the centerline of the Global International Ring at AGDF. Competitors in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 3* hailed from seven countries and demonstrated musicality and technical skill in their performances.

Beatrice Marienau and Stefano 8
Beatrice Marienau and Stefano 8

The class was won with a 74.300% by Beatrice Marienau (USA) riding Stefano 8, her own KWPN (Gribaldi x Gracia) gelding. She was stunned by their success in the freestyle, but has steadily worked on improving the pair’s marks in the arena throughout the year.

“It’s still unreal to me. I think it takes a little bit to understand what happened here; it’s amazing. He was really hot already in the warm-up today and I have to figure out how to channel that energy. He was very strong and the last couple of freestyles, I had a few problems in the beginning,” she explained. “I was able to just take his energy and really dance within that. Through the whole test I knew that he was very strong, but also knew that’s what makes him extremely special. That’s when he looks big and looks impressive. I tried to let him do his job and just stay out of his way.”

Traveling from California to compete at AGDF this season, Marienau appreciated the larger group of riders and the impressive audience attendance, which offered her and Stefano 8 the chance to compete under pressure while working on pushing their scores above the 70% mark. Stefano is a typically hot horse, and the freestyle offered Marienau a chance to improve on their Grand Prix performance with set choreography that helps to channel his energy. Their freestyle makes excellent use of major extensions into passage, making the best use of his natural enthusiasm in the ring. Marienau was very positive about the ways in which their freestyle helped her show off Stefano’s best qualities.

CLICK HERE to watch Beatrice Marienau and Stefano 8’s winning ride!

With an upbeat musical selection, Marienau finds herself getting excited before the pair begins to prepare for their routine and laughed that sometimes she may even be found practicing the routines in front of Stefano’s stall.

“When we were getting ready and before I went in, I stood in front of his stall and everyone was laughing because I danced through my freestyle myself! I just love the music. It’s just fun and I like to dance to it myself.

“Besides the fact that it really fits him well, what I like about it is that it has that snap and that’s how he is. He has that. I tried once a little bit more magical, floaty music, but it doesn’t fit him and he doesn’t stand out,” she commented.

As for the rest of the season, Marienau hopes to continue to increase her scores and looks forward to spending some of the summer in Europe getting her feet wet on the international circuit.

“My expectations really were to get more show experience, but obviously there are more riders here and the audience out there so it was important for me to get that different environment and see how I do with that kind of pressure,” said Marienau. “I wanted to try and increase our scores to high 60s and maybe scratch 70, and that’s why I was so excited with this score.”

Shelly Francis and Patricia Stempel’s Hanoverian (De Niro x Annabelle) gelding Danilo took second place in today’s competition with a technically excellent and musically compelling performance that earned a 74.175%.

Francis was pleased with Danilo’s test, which she views as part of his development to become a top Grand Prix horse. He is emerging as a solid competitor for Francis, who has brought him along through the levels herself.

She said, “I was quite happy with him because he was a bit more lively today and (had) a couple of little sticky spots in the beginning. He got a little less energetic in the last piaffes, but overall he really went nice with the music and it’s a progression upward. Every week we’re getting a little bit better and (we will) see how far we go.”

She took a risk with her musical choice, which is entirely a capella. She explained, “I chose that music for him with Marlene Whitaker because he is very sound sensitive, and this was the only music we could turn up really loud without bothering him.”

Arlene Page and her Danish Warmblood (Michellino x Alberte Lindebjerg) mare Alina took third place in today’s competition with a 71.150%. She was exceptionally proud of her mare, who gave her another great performance.

“Let’s face it, my mare is 18. Every time I go down the centerline is a highlight,” she said. “Every time she finishes that test ripping down the centerline it shows me that she still wants to be out here doing this. Every day I get to ride her is a great day as far as I’m concerned.”

Several weeks ago the pair had a super freestyle that included a piaffe-passage tour she considers among her career best, but several mistakes kept them from being in the top three. Today’s freestyle was technically consistent and demonstrated a mature partnership reflective of their experience together. Page explained that since Alina is an older horse, she uses an intermittent approach to warming her up, especially once the mare has done one class already in the week of competition.

“We had a couple of little mishaps in our changes last week and tonight I was happy that our changes came off the pirouettes really, really easily and right with the music. She was a little bit, maybe a click, off my music and a tiny bit ahead, but what can I say, I’m happy any day that mare wants to go like that and it’s a good day for me,” she continued.

Christina Vinios and Folkestone OLD captured their second victory of the week in the FEI Intermediaire I CDI 1*, presented by Kirk Arabians, with a score of 72.316%. Virginia Yarur Ready (CHI) and Finn collected second place honors with a score of 70.237%, while Suzan Pape (GBR) and Samson 494 finished in third place with 69.816%.

Competition at AGDF continues tomorrow with the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, at 1 p.m., followed by the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 5*, presented by Diamante Farms, starting at 4 p.m. For more information on AGDF and to see a full weekly schedule, 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 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.pbiec.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Allison Kavey and Carly Weilminster
Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Awards, Dressage, JRPR

Mikala Gundersen Captures Two More Grand Prix Wins and Ann-Louise Cook’s People’s Choice Award

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Mikala Gundersen riding My Lady is presented with the People’s Choice Award with owner Janne Rumbough (left) by Ann-Louise Cook (right) at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (April 7, 2015) — During the final week of competition at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Mikala Gundersen and My Lady (Michellino x Marion) capped off an incredibly consistent season with another two Grand Prix wins. The pair scored 73.380 percent in the FEI Grand Prix and 76.450 percent in the FEI Freestyle Grand Prix. Gundersen and My Lady, who were teamed up just four years ago, completed the winter Wellington season as the top money earning pair and the second-winningest pair on the 2015 circuit (after their Danish teammates Lars Petersen and Mariett). To honor the great sportsmanship, horsemanship, and performance that brought Gundersen to such overwhelming success with My Lady, Wellington-area realtor Ann-Louise Cook presented her with the People’s Choice Award.

Gundersen and My Lady met in 2011, when the bay Danish Warmblood mare was already eleven years old. “We had to develop a partnership — with an older horse, it takes a little while before you get to know each other. She was a tough lady when she came to us — she was very opinionated,” remembers Gundersen. She and the horse’s owner, Janne Rumbough, had already agreed against high expectations for success in the show ring. Said Rumbough, “Mikala and I decided when I bought the mare that we were going to do it for fun and we were going to make it beautiful, and we never thought of anything else but that.”

Then, in the midst of all that positive energy, everything began to fall into place. “She just softened in our hands,” said Gundersen. “We’ve got the most amazing relationship. We travel the world together and I fly with her; basically I live with her all of the time. I can see her from my kitchen window at home so we are very close and very connected, and I think that’s very important at this level of the sport.”

“Mikala and My Lady just evolved to become the perfect combination. The deal when we bought her was that we were going to share the ride — and then they kept winning, and winning, and it all worked out exactly the perfect way because there’s no way I can ride two Grand Prix horses!” laughed Rumbough, who competes her P.R.E gelding Junior at the Grand Prix level.

“Mikala is just such a wonderful ambassador for the sport,” she added as Ann-Louise Cook presented Gundersen with the final People’s Choice Award of this season. “I’m very proud of her getting Ann’s award. It’s a wonderful thing to recognize and we’re very grateful, Ann, that you do something so nice like that.”

Ann-Louise Cook, a dressage rider and successful realtor at Illustrated Properties specializing in equestrian and luxury properties, established the People’s Choice Award as a way to give back to her equestrian community. The award honors riders who are well-known for exhibiting good sportsmanship, horsemanship, and performance in the Wellington dressage show circuit this season.

Gundersen, whose upbeat attitude and good sportsmanship have made her very popular at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival show grounds, expressed appreciation for the sense of camaraderie she feels in the show circuit. “We meet each other all of the time, and we are so close — the owners, riders, grooms — we hang out together. We enjoy each other. When we go into the ring we are competitive, but as soon as we are out of the ring, we are a big group of very good friends. I enjoy that very much. It’s also a big responsibility when you are riding at this level that you show the younger people how to treat the horses, how to ride the horses well, how to make them soft and happy, and how to treat other people with respect.”

As the final week of the Wellington season drew to a close, Gundersen and My Lady received an invitation to compete — for the second year in a row — in the 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage and the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in Las Vegas, which runs from April 15-19.

A dressage enthusiast herself, Ann-Louise Cook is happy to sponsor the show series and to recognize deserving riders with the People’s Choice Award. Cook exemplifies excellence in her own work with Illustrated Properties Real Estate Inc., devoting herself to educating her clients and ensuring they have the best real estate experience in buying or selling Wellington area properties and farms.

For more information about Ann-Louise Cook and her business at Illustrated Properties Real Estate, Inc., please visit www.annlouisecook.com.

Contact: Ann-Louise Cook
561-301-4626
acre@bellsouth.net
www.annlouisecook.com

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Freestyles Postponed to Saturday

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Mikala Gundersen and My Lady. Photo copyright SusanJStickle.com.

Gundersen and My Lady Capture Another Win in the AGDF 12 CDI 3* Grand Prix

Wellington, FL – March 27, 2015 – Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady, veterans at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) circuit this season, added another win to their resume in the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, with a 73.380%. Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Denzello followed in second with a 72.160%, and Arlene “Tuny” Page (USA) aboard Woodstock in third receiving a 71.840%. Competition was postponed this evening due to thunderstorms, moving the usual “Friday Night Stars” freestyles to Saturday afternoon. Competition at AGDF will continue tomorrow following a revised schedule.

Saturday’s schedule highlights feature:

  • FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products – remaining three riders from Friday’s class that did not finish due to inclement weather: start time 8 am
  • FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products: start time 11 am
  • FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDIO3*, presented by Stillpoint Farm: start time 12:30 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO3*, presented by Stillpoint Farm: start time 2:50 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties: start time 4 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties: start time 6:30 pm

Gundersen and My Lady are the second winningest pair on the circuit this season behind fellow Danish teammate Lars Petersen and Mariett. The mare has been incredibly consistent and has really settled into the routine Gundersen has created. “She was great today. She felt great and when I came into the warm-up, she was so supple in my hand, just like butter,” smiled Gundersen describing her test.

“She was so nice, soft and relaxed. I was debating on doing this show and I’m so glad that I did because we got the invitation to go to World Cup Finals in Vegas, and I didn’t know if it was the right thing to compete her here again or not,” she explained. “There were some things I had been working on at home that I wanted to work on in the ring, and we really got that done today.”

The duo, who recently received their invitation to Las Vegas, originally thought that World Cup Finals were out of the cards for them this season, so Gundersen gave “Lady” a lengthy vacation after her last showing and it has been incredibly beneficial for the pair. “She is just so fresh and ready to go. She enjoyed coming here today and going down the centerline. That’s the most important thing for me, that she wants to go in the ring and do well,” she expressed.

Lisa Wilcox and Denzello performed beautifully and rode a very clean test to finish in second in the last CDI competition of the 2015 season at AGDF, their first outing of the season. Wilcox said, “We gave him a long break and now he’s found his peace of mind, and I feel like he’s really about to step into an amazing area. He just has sensational expression.”

A long break has proven to be an excellent choice for Denzello as he is feeling more confident in the ring, and Wilcox feels that she can continue to ask for more. She explained, “He’s trusting, relaxed, everything I was hoping he would become we’re starting to see come together.”

As for the future, Wilcox is planning on letting her string of successful horses rest after circuit and then will begin to plan their summer schedules. “We will have the goal to take him [Denzello] and Cerro to Saugerties in the fall and then we will head to Europe if all goes to plan for between six to eight weeks, which will be very exciting.”

Competition will continue tomorrow at AGDF following a revised schedule due to the inclement weather that resulted in the postponement of the “Friday Night Lights” Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Freestyles today. To view the revised schedule and to learn more about the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, 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 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations

Competitions, Dressage

Gundersen and My Lady, Brock and Rosevelt, Herslow and Rosmarin Take Top Prizes at AGDF 7

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Mikala Gundersen and My Lady. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – February 19, 2015 – While competition officially started on Wednesday for week 7 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), awards presentations took place today for three CDI classes. Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady topped the FEI Grand Prix CDI 4*, presented by The Dutta Corporation, with a 71.600%. Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor placed second receiving a 71.080%, and Belinda Trussell (CAN) and Anton followed in third place scoring a 70.400%. AGDF 7 competition will continue tomorrow, highlighting the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyles for CDI 3*/4*. Both the CDI 3* (starting at 6:15 pm) and 4* (following with first horse at 8:45 pm) Freestyle classes will be held under the lights in The Stadium Arena at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) with doors opening at 6pm.

If you can’t make it to AGDF, livestreaming will be available at this link: http://bit.ly/1zrcaRN.

“I am so thrilled to have come in first place today. I had a difficult ride with the wind; it was blowing very hard during the test, and Lady is a very sensitive horse,” explained Gundersen. “It made her very tense right in front of the judges which hurt my piaffes. When she got a little bit nervous I did lose some points, but Shelly Francis and I have been so close all season and I got lucky today.”

The atmosphere was challenging for many of the pairs, as wind gusts blustered through the AGDF grounds all day. The colder temperatures and rattling flags created trouble for riders throughout the competition. “I try to keep her very busy, but I don’t want to make her tired. I want her to mentally be fresh, but not make her body tired so I did a lot of posting trot and made her really low in the neck to try to get her to relax,” commented Gundersen when describing how she keeps “Lady” calm when surroundings start to bother her.

“I had some great highlights today. All of the extensions felt great, and I think we had a lot of nice movements in the test. I can’t wait to see them on video,” she smiled. “On days like today, I have to be very soft and giving with my hands because she is such a sensitive horse. I can’t have her strong in my hand because she will take the rein and start to pull through. I’m always moving my ring finger trying to keep her supple, supple, supple.” My Lady continues to improve with each outing, and Gundersen is looking to aim her at the first CDI 5* competition in Aachen, Germany in May just before the Danish Championships and hopefully earning a spot on the European Championship Team for Denmark.

Watch the video for the winning ride of Mikala and My Lady. Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.

Shelly Francis had a great second day of competition at Week 7 of AGDF, placing near the top of the leaderboard with all three of her rides in CDI competition. “I had a very short warm-up with Doktor, but he was lit like a fire-cracker today!” she smiled. “He got a little bit tight in the rhythm in the trot work, but he was very good. The weather was very stimulating, and I’m very proud of the way all of my horses handled it, but it did keep them a little bit hotter.”

Francis has been riding Doktor for nearly six years now, and their partnership is truly starting to shine as the pair has had top place finishes at all of the CDIs they have contested this season at AGDF. “I’m going to plan on doing another World Cup qualifier and see where that gets me. I’ve done one World Cup qualifier already and I plan on doing the next CDI here at AGDF. If it gets me to the World Cup then maybe I will consider that, but my plans are really still up in the air,” commented Francis on her coming plans with the gelding.

Francis has worked diligently to fine-tune their tests and her efforts are obvious, as the duo greatly improved in specific areas that Francis focused on in the past two weeks since their last CDI competition. “I’m always working on getting everything nice and smooth. There were little moments when he would get tense in the middle of a movement, like the half-pass or the extensions. I think that was because of the wind though. I felt overall this week was smoother, and there was a better frame carriage. There are still some bobbles I would like to get rid of to make the test really smooth.”

Allison Brock and Rosevelt
Allison Brock and Rosevelt

Allison Brock (USA) and Rosevelt captured another win this season at AGDF, topping the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3* class, presented by Havensafe Farm, scoring a 71.600%. Lara Griffith (GBR) and Rubin Al Asad followed in second with a 71.020%, and Shelly Francis (USA) and Danilo came in third receiving a 69.540%.

Brock and Rosevelt added another Grand Prix victory to their string, as the pair also captured a win in the AGDF 1 FEI Grand Prix CDI-W and placed second in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI-W the same week. “I felt in my own head a lot more confident. Once you get the first one out of the way, it is always easier. I knew he could handle the venue. I was really only concerned about how the weather would impact his ability to focus,” said Brock.

Click to watch video of Allison’s and Rosevelt’s winning ride. Video courtesy of Campfield Videos.

The duo will contest their first “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* tomorrow night under the lights, which will serve as a great learning opportunity for “Rosie.” “He’s going to have to go in there and cope with the environment, and I won’t know what I have until I get in there, but in a way today was good prep because if it is calm tomorrow night, it will feel like nothing compared to today,” she commented about Rosevelt’s hot personality. “He has to just go in and do it, and this is his year to learn how to deal with it. I don’t have expectations for tomorrow. I want him to go in feeling like he can trust me because that’s when we perform our best.”

The weather was a major factor for most riders today, especially those on sensitive horses, but Brock was pleased with the way “Rosie” handled the atmosphere and the environment considering their warm-up was more difficult than she anticipated. “The warm-up was a bit tricky for me today. The gusting winds with all of the flags flapping, it made it pretty difficult for him. I’m proud because he really went in the ring and let it go and carried on. He was really about as honest as he could have been considering the circumstance.”

Lara Griffiths and Rubin Al Asad had a wonderfully relaxed and mistake-free test to take home the second place prize in the large class. Griffiths, who competed “Rufus” at the Week 5 CDI3*, felt a drastic improvement from the pair’s tests two weeks ago. “I started riding him about four years ago, and he was coming off an injury. It’s taken a while to get his strength back, but even compared to two weeks ago he’s a completely different horse,” stated Griffiths. “That is what is great about these shows and this venue. You can keep bringing them out and showing them, and it really helps their confidence.”

Traveling to Wellington for the winter circuit with her trainer, Laura Tomlinson, has been greatly beneficial for the duo, as Griffiths plans to contest a number of CDIs in Europe after returning home to England in March. “Today was a really special day for us. It was only our second Grand Prix together, and I was pretty happy with him,” she said. “He was a little bit scared in the ring because he still is very green, but he let me really ride him and that was my main goal.”

Griffiths was pleased with the attitude “Rufus” displayed in the ring and feels that their scores will only improve as the big gelding continues to gain confidence with Griffiths in the saddle. “I wanted to get those marks to creep up and not have any mistakes, which we didn’t,” she explained. “I really couldn’t have asked more from him. The general way of going was more confident today, which is what we’ve been working on.”

The FEI Prix St. Georges CDI 1* class, presented by Mission Control for the second week at AGDF, finished this afternoon after starting Wednesday morning due to the large number of more than 40 entries. Kimberly Herslow (USA) and Rosmarin scored a 72.474% to win over the rest of the field. Dawn White-O’Connor (USA) and Aristo followed in second place with 70.184%, and Kasey Perry (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet finishing in third on a 69.921%.

FEI CDI 4*/3*/1* competition will continue throughout the week, with the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Musical Freestyle highlighting AGDF Week 7. The event will begin at 6pm with both CDI 3* and CDI 4* Grand Prix Freestyles taking place under the lights in The Stadium’s electric atmosphere. Competition will continue on Saturday and conclude on Sunday, February 22, with the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDI 1*, presented by Mission Control.

For more information on the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, please visit http://www.globaldressagefestival.net.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group

Mikala Gundersen and My Lady Prevail in Grand Prix Special CDI5* at WDM Palm Beach

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Mikala Gundersen and My Lady. Photos © SusanJStickle.com

Wellington, FL – January 26, 2013 – Mikala Gundersen added a victory in the Grand Prix Special CDI5* at World Dressage Masters (WDM) Palm Beach to a growing list of accomplishments at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center this winter. Gundersen and My Lady, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, were third in Thursday’s Wellington Classic Dressage Sunshine Challenge Grand Prix CDI3* at Jim Brandon. They also finished just out of the top eight in Friday’s Grand Prix CDI5* at WDM Palm Beach, taking ninth place with 68.447%.

Gundersen, who earned a score of 69.479% for her ride, described her sometimes challenging relationship with My Lady. “This is an alpha mare,” Gundersen explained with a smile. “She has a huge personality. She knows what she wants and she thinks she knows everything better. We have a little bit of discussion sometimes in the ring because she knows exactly how everything needs to be done and apparently I don’t know anything.”

But Gundersen has high praise for the mare. “She wants to go and do her best,” Gundersen noted. “She has presence and strength, and my favorite thing is when we come down the last centerline, she gets better and better.”

Continue reading Mikala Gundersen and My Lady Prevail in Grand Prix Special CDI5* at WDM Palm Beach →