All In the Details for Adrienne Lyle and Helix in AGDF 5 World Cup Grand Prix
Adrienne Lyle & Helix. Photo ©susanjstickle.com
In a re-run of her week one victory, Paris 2024 Olympic U.S. Team rider Adrienne Lyle led the hunt in the FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix, sponsored by The Dutta Corp, on opening day of action during week five of the 2025 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida.
Lyle and Helix tabled 73.283% with closely aligned scores from the five judges, who awarded lots of eights for the gelding’s piaffe. Lyle’s compatriot Anna Marek rode Fayvel, Cynthia Davila’s 15-year-old Zizi Top gelding, into second with 72.348%. Marek and Fayvel were the highest-placed U.S. combination at the 2024 FEI World Cup™ Final, finishing ninth. Both Lyle and Marek will be eyeing a win on Friday night to log the maximum of 20 points towards a qualifying spot for the 2025 final, which takes place in Basel, Switzerland in April.
Germany’s Evelyn Eger had a busy day with much to celebrate, finishing third with the Totilas daughter Tabledance 3. The 12-year-old mare — who was bred by her owner Ullrich Kasselmann, for whom Eger works — scored 69.609%, with two judges awarding over 71%. Eger, who is competing at AGDF for the first time this year, also topped the CDI1* FEI Prix St. Georges, sponsored by Centerline Stables. She rode another Kasselmann horse, the eight-year-old Grey Flanell gelding Global Power OLD, to a personal best of 72.529% at the pair’s second CDI since graduating from the young horse divisions.
Lyle and Zen Elite Equestrian Center’s 13-year-old Helix (Apache x Jazz) were just shy of their career high grand prix best of 74.065%, set in AGDF 1, but their performance was mistake-free.
“He’s feeling great,” enthused Lyle. “I am super excited about the work we’ve been getting at home and the trajectory Helix is on. We had some good piaffe and passage work today, and the changes felt nice. I did have a bit less horse than I was expecting though because of the heat; this is quite a temperature change from a week ago.”
by Alice Collins
Wellington International
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