Dr. Cesar Parra of Piaffe Performance competes on Van the Man. Photo courtesy of Susan J Stickle.
Wellington, FL (April 17, 2015) – After twelve weeks of top-notch competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the world’s richest dressage circuit ended with continued success from the Piaffe Performance Farm team. It’s no surprise to Dr. Cesar Parra, founder and owner of Piaffe Performance, that his team would continue to score in the ribbons until the very end. Parra dedicates himself to training both horses and riders at Piaffe Performance.
Parra himself brought in the wins throughout the season. During the circuit’s last week, he rode Van the Man, a 2002 Dutch Warmblood sired by Obelisk, in the extremely competitive FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle in the CDI-W. They finished the weekend with a 72.275 percent. Parra also successfully competed Blickpunkt 4, a 10-year-old 16.2-hand dark chestnut Westphalian gelding, owned by Eduardo Fischer, in the show’s final CDI-W small tour.
Barbara (Bebe) Davis, who enjoyed a successful season as part of team Piaffe Performance, lived up to expectations through Week 12. She rode her family’s horse, Rotano (Rotspon x Bona Dea, by Brentano II) to win her FEI Freestyle Test for Juniors. Davis and the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding also achieved two second places throughout the week.
Kathryn (Katt) Mills commuted to Florida from Pennsylvania during the winter season and rode Fabiano at Third Level. Successful throughout the circuit, she received two blues and a red in the final week. Mills’s German-bred Fabiano (Florencio I x Estocha, by Ehrentusch) is a bay Westphalian gelding bred by Sigrid Farwick.
When not earning top scores in the show ring, Parra was on the show grounds brightening the days of the Adult Amateur community. Parra is strongly dedicated to giving back to dressage, especially to the Adult Amateurs who he calls the “backbone of the sport.” He sponsored the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Awards throughout the season; choosing a deserving competitor to receive the recognition each week of the circuit. Award winners were thankful to Piaffe Performance for supporting amateurs and encouraging them to continue competing and improving.
As a sponsor of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Piaffe Performance also sponsored two Hospitality Booths near a bit check station and warm-up ring during Week 12. Riders enjoyed the chance Piaffe Performance provided to grab some cold water bottles and rest in the shade during the heated competition in the Sunshine State.
When not in Florida, Parra operates Piaffe Performance out of Whitehouse Station, NJ. The Piaffe Performance team achieved a rainbow of ribbons the past 12 weeks – with emphasis on the blue – while also making the entire show a positive experience for all through the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Awards and Adequan Global Dressage Festival sponsorship.
Parra is always open to new dressage riders becoming a part of his winning team. To learn more about Piaffe Performance training, lessons, and sales services, visit www.piaffe-performance.com.
Pia Aragão and Baldor Interagro compete for Brazil in the Stillpoint Farm CDIO3* Nations Cup at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival (Photo courtesy of Interagro Lusitanos)
Wellington, FL (April 16, 2015) – The world’s largest breeder of Puro Sangue Lusitano (PSL) horses, Interagro Lusitanos, showcased prominent performances during the 2015 winter dressage show season in Wellington, Florida, ending with the iconic Nations Cup. Pia Aragão and Baldor Interagro (Ofensor MV- Quinata Interagro – Xique-Xique), a 9-year-old Lusitano stallion, entered as individual competitors for Brazil in the small tour.
The March 25-28 Stillpoint Farm CDIO3* Nations Cup was the second of six legs of the 2015 FEI Nations Cup series and the top-off to a successful show season for Aragão and Interagro Lusitanos. With impressive scores posted in the FEI Prix St. Georges and the FEI Intermediaire I, Aragão and Baldor continued their successful season that began with their first FEI win in late February.
This was not Interagro Lusitanos’s first entry in the Nations Cup. In 2014, Zerbino Interagro competed with Kerensa Muller for The Netherlands Nations’ Cup Team at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. In the same year, Aragão and Zepelim Interagro were part of the Brazilian team who dominated that year’s South American Games. Argentina, Brazil and Chile each sent a team of dressage riders to Santiago, Chile, to compete for the title of Nations Cup champion and a chance to qualify for the 2015 Pan American Games. Brazil achieved these goals when its team of four riders earned Team Gold with an overall score of 68.279%, besting the second place team, Argentina, by nearly three percentage points.
Aragão and Zepelim also notched winning scores in the FEI Grand Prix and the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle during the twelve-week South Florida season. Zepelim, an 11-year-old stallion (Quinárius Interagro-Ordenada Interagro, Yacht) whose sire is by the famous Xique-Xique, a Gold Medal Champion in Portugal, and whose dam is by Yacht, is the son of the foundation stallion of the Andrade line. The pair claimed win after win during the season, including a 69.063% in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby National competition.
“Both horses are still beginners at this level,” Aragão said humbly. “Baldor is fairly inexperienced and he’s never been in such a big arena before. It’s a big change for him. My goal was to ride the tests as cleanly as possible to make them confident in the ring and to showcase their quality and potential.”
Aragão brought three Interagro Lusitanos to South Florida from Brazil to give them experience in the international arena. The third horse in the trio to make the trip from Brazil was Vade-Mecum Interagro, a 13-year-old Grand Prix gelding from the Xique-Xique and Yacht lines (Noblissimo Interagro-Pecunia Interagro, Yacht). While Baldor and Zepelim shine in the show ring, Vade-Mecum recently starred in a music video filmed in Wellington at Caroline Roffman’s Lionshare Dressage with internationally successful musician DSharp. After leaving Florida, Aragão and her mounts will return to Brazil to compete and train to ready herself and the horses for the selection trials for the 2015 Pan American Games.
“What is important for me is that they mature in each level before going to the next one. They need to understand their jobs and have fun at work,” Aragão said. “We have a CDI at the end of April and another CDI at the end of May. They are two big events that are in my plans for the next few months.”
The Interagro horses she brought to the U.S. epitomize the best in the modern Lusitano. Interagro Lusitanos, based in Itapira, Brazil, is the largest breeder of Lusitano horses in the world, with 40 years of experience breeding Lusitanos.
The Lusitano horse excels in everything from dressage and driving to working equitation. Interagro is committed to preserving the pure bloodlines of the Lusitano breed, and its own bloodlines include some of the most respected of the breed: Faraó (JHC), Nirvana Interagro, Ofensor (MV), Xique-Xique (CI), and Yacht (SA). Interagro has bred nearly 2300 horses in their 40 years of breeding Lusitanos. Their horses have graced the covers of international magazines 21 times.
Interagro is one of the most accessible and respected breeders in the world. They have hosted 24 national and 7 exclusive international auctions featuring premier Lusitano performance horses, in addition to 14 young horse auctions. Interagro’s Destination Lusitano program offers prospective buyers a chance for a relaxing getaway at the farm in Brazil. At Interagro, riders can enjoy the rolling Brazilian countryside by horseback or rest easy in a carriage pulled by a four-in-hand of Lusitano stallions. Guests can also watch the horses in their daily training sessions, take a lesson on prospective horses, and meet the living pedigree of generations of Lusitano horses. Destination Lusitano is a unique opportunity to purchase the horse of your dreams while enjoying the journey of a lifetime.
About Interagro Lusitanos
Founded in 1975 by Dr. Paulo Gavião Gonzaga to preserve the breed, Interagro Lusitanos is the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses. Dr. Gonzaga started with four mares and one stallion imported to Brazil from the breed’s native Portugal; to date more than 450 horses populate the 1200-acre ranch outside São Paulo. Today, Cecilia Gonzaga manages the farm and operations. To learn more, email interagro@interagro.com, or please visit www.interagro.com.br.
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.
Wellington, FL (April 6, 2015) — Adult amateur dressage rider Ellen Lazarus of New York, New York was named as the final winner of the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Award during the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Each week at the festival, Piaffe Performance chose an exceptional amateur rider who showed great sportsmanship and horsemanship skills. Lazarus and her 16.2-hand chestnut gelding, Rhett, were the last in this year’s series of adult amateurs to be honored as the backbone of the sport of dressage.
Lazarus and her Dutch Warmblood, Rhett (Krack C x Idallisto, by Casanova), also took home a blue ribbon in their Thursday afternoon class after performing Fourth Level Test 2. Lazarus and Rhett have shown together in Wellington since 2011. Lazarus has owned Rhett for the past five years after purchasing him from the barn of Anky van Grunsven.
Rhett has improved greatly during his time with Lazarus and her trainers, Ashley Holzer and Lindsay Kellock. “He was the world’s spookiest horse. We could not get him around the ring,” said Lazarus as she described what challenges she has overcome with him in the past five years. “I just did a spook-free test. I’m very proud of that. He’s got these gorgeous changes in the canter, and trying to get those in the ring is amazing. If he gets them, he gets 8. But it’s hard to get them.”
Lazarus was thrilled to just be competing after fracturing her back in May 2014. She said it’s been a long road back into the saddle. When she isn’t working full time, Lazarus laughingly said she competes to “relax,” and loves to show in the adult amateur division. “We put so much effort in to everything at home, so you want to check it out and see what other people think in the show ring,” she said. “And it’s fun to have your friends cheering you on, even if you mess up.”
Lazarus boards Rhett with Ashley Holzer, and splits her time between Wellington, FL and her facility at the Riverdale Equestrian Center in New York, NY. Lazarus takes lessons with Holzer’s Assistant Trainer, Lindsay Kellock. “I’m from Manhattan, so I ride in the mornings before work when they’re up north and on the weekends in Florida I compete. I come down for three or four day weekends,” said Lazarus, who is dedicated to her riding. She also owns a young horse that she hopes to show in a few years.
Kellock said she was impressed with Lazarus’ ride. “Like Ellen said, the horse definitely has a spooky history. Ellen has been through a few things with him,” said Kellock. “But to come out and do this, especially after literally just getting off the plane from New York, is great. She hasn’t ridden him in three days. She had a clean ride. I’m so pleased.”
Lazarus said she would like to thank Dr. Cesar Parra, founder of Piaffe Performance, whom she has known through dressage for more than 20 years. “It’s so nice for the amateurs to get awards like this,” Lazarus said as Parra presented her with the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Award. “And to finally have the CDI adult amateur Prix St. George, which is my next goal,” she added in reference to a change at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this year for adult amateur riders over age 25 competing at the Small or Medium Tour level. The change made it possible for these riders to be able to compete in a new CDI Amateur International division during every CDI week.
Piaffe Performance is honored to recognize exceptional adult amateurs like Lazarus this year at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The award supports Parra’s belief that adult amateurs are the backbone of the sport of dressage. Dr. Cesar Para is a Pan American Games Gold medal winner who now provides top-notch training for both riders and horses in Jupiter, Florida, and Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Piaffe Performance was an active sponsor of the festival, and also enjoyed many show ring victories throughout the season amongst Piaffe Performance students, trainers, and Parra himself. Piaffe Performance specializes in selecting, training, and showing, and also facilitates the sale of top dressage prospects for riders at every level. For more information on Piaffe Performance, visit www.piaffe-performance.com.
Laura Graves and Verdades. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.
Bateson Chandler, Gundersen, Wilcox, and Fraser Record CDI Wins
Wellington, FL – March 28, 2015 – Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades wowed the crowd again at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, this time receiving an 80.175% in their FEI Grand Prix Freestyle as part of the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*. The class, which combined pairs from Intermediaire-1 Freestyle and the Grand Prix Freestyle, was the individual portion of this year’s Nations Cup competition. Chris Von Martels (CAN) and Zilverstar finished in second with a 75.600% performing the I-1 Freestyle and fellow Canadian Belinda Trussell and Anton followed in third with a 75.475% in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Four other CDI classes were held today at AGDF as well to conclude the 2015 season.
Graves and Verdades have won the final three Grand Prix Freestyles of the 2015 season at AGDF, and the pair is moving towards a very competitive showing at the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas in two weeks’ time. “The ride I felt he was very consistent throughout. We had one little hiccup in our right canter half-pass where my rein actually got hooked around my foot and my spur I think. I went to give my right rein and I couldn’t because my hand was stuck so I had to kind of move my leg and untangle myself,” she laughed. “I got it out before the end of half-pass which was very lucky and I was going back towards ‘A,’ but my horse could not have cared less about it. I’m so thankful he has matured this far in his life that he will allow me to handle situations like that, and I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Today was the second occasion on which the pair has scored above 80% in the Grand Prix Freestyle, as they recorded an 82.036% at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, last August. This was also only the second time in AGDF history that a rider has scored at least 80%; Lars Petersen and Mariett are the other pair.
“I don’t ever go into a competition with any expectations and to go in and be called double gold-medal winning, kind of gives you goose bumps,” stated Graves about her team and individual performances. “I’ve never really been in the position to be on a podium except here at Nations Cup, and it’s a really nice event to have sponsored by Stillpoint Farm and Adequan® and really bring home gold medals. It’s an amazing thing.”
Chris Von Martels has also had consistent success this season aboard Zilverstar and feels confident in where the pair will be heading in the coming months. “He really has stepped up to the plate this season, and I feel that there is always room for improvement, as we as riders know,” explained Von Martels. “I feel that we’re on a good path at the moment, and as long as we can keep going in that direction we will be quite happy.”
As for the future, the Pan American Games are in their sights and Von Martels will take advantage of the opportunity to compete at Palgrave, the site of equestrian competition at the games this summer. “We’re lucky that we’ve competed there in the past and it will be a good first show to do when we get back. I also would like to take some time to focus on the training and give him a break because it has been a long season, and he has been spectacular.”
Fellow Canadian Belinda Trussell had a fantastic week aboard Anton, finishing the Freestyle competition today in third place. The pair will contest one of the three CDI competitions in Toronto before the Pan American Games and will ultimately vie for a spot on the Canadian team. “He’s at a place in his life where he is very confident and understands his job, and he’s also happy to do it,” commented Trussell.
The pair finished with a silver medal yesterday in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* team competition and adding a bronze today was a thrilling experience for Trussell. “Sometimes going into events like this, you don’t know if it’s always possible to come out with a medal because there is really tough competition,” she explained, “For Canada to have a second and third place rider up here is a big deal for us too. It’s so rare to have an opportunity to have a competition like this in North America, and I can’t thank the organizers and sponsors enough for giving us this opportunity.”
Graves, who received the Best Horse Owner Award for the Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty three consecutive weeks in a row for her wins, has decided to donate the awarded $15,000 to the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. She commented on her decision to donate to the USET Foundation, “This is a real pleasure for me to donate money. Personally I’m not in a financial situation to be able to donate funds like that. For it to be presented that I have this gift to give in my name is a feeling that I get to be generous and give back to a program that has supported me for so long and has given me opportunities that I would not have been able to have any other way.”
Graves hopes the money will allow another up and coming American rider an opportunity to really showcase their talents. “Hopefully I will be able to give that opportunity to someone else, another fellow American, and that is really heartwarming. It feels so nice to be able to give back,” she said.
Arlene “Tuny” Page, owner of Stillpoint Farm, sponsors of the FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* this week, was thrilled with the performances and success of the show, explaining its imperative importance to riders in North America. “I think it is impossible to overstate how it important it is honestly,” she said. “I think we’ve seen sport here this winter and certainly this weekend on an exceedingly high level and I think we can give Europeans a run for their money.”
Page also commented on the need for riders to experience team competition in a setting and venue such as AGDF. “It’s also very important as riders that we have the opportunities to compete in the team format like Laura said and feel the support from our countries. It’s so important to the building of our national programs.”
The show, which was postponed yesterday due to severe weather, took a serious level of organization to reschedule and the team at AGDF could not have pulled it off any better. “It was a bit tricky and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the people working here at AGDF, including Lloyd Landkamer and his team, the ground crew, judges, stewards, officials, and Jim Pitzer and the crew in the pavilion,” remarked Thomas Baur, Director of Sport at Adequan® Global Dressage Festival. “This season has been absolutely spectacular, and we are already looking forward to 2016.”
Mikala Gundersen and My Lady
Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady topped the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, to cap off an incredible season for the pair. They received a 76.450% to take the win. Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Denzello finished just behind Gundersen with a 76.050%, and Susie Dutta (USA) aboard Currency DC placed third with a 74.350%.
Gundersen and My Lady are a crowd favorite each season at AGDF, and 2015 was no different. The mare has continued to flourish under the reins of Gundersen, and the two will look to take their talents to Las Vegas for the FEI World Cup Finals. “We only found out on Monday that we made the cut for Vegas so I’m actually glad we decided to do this show. I needed to go one more time and I just rode today. I love my music so much, and I just enjoy it,” she smiled when describing her test today.
Gundersen and Wilcox, longtime friends, were so excited to be a part of the winners circle together. “I’m so happy to be up here with Lisa. This has been a long time coming,” laughed Gundersen. Wilcox added, “We go way, way back and this has been something we have always talked about and to think that twenty years ago we talked about it and now we’re sitting here together. It’s really special.”
Wilcox and Denzello had a great week of competition with two-second place finishes behind Gundersen. “He felt great today, just perfect. He’s in a place now where he’s confident,” commented Wilcox, as the horse is known to react to intense environments. “At first he was petrified and now I know he has let go and I can really ride him. He was so nice to ride and when I started hitting all of these points in the music, it just felt great,” she continued. “He loves his music and I think it almost calms him when he hears it, and he let go of that tension today.”
Katherine Bateson Chandler and Alcazar
The successful AGDF season has come to an end for Gundersen and My Lady and Gundersen commented on the improvements she’s seen in “Lady” throughout the circuit. “I feel like I have more piaffe and passage from her and I think that was a highlight this circuit, but every day is a highlight on her,” she remarked.
Katherine Bateson Chandler (USA) and Alcazar took home the win in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, with a score of 71.529%. Lara Griffith (GBR) and Rubin Al Asad followed in second and Arlene Page (USA) and Alina in third.
Bateson Chandler, who will fly back to her summer base with Carl Hester in the U.K. in a few short weeks, is proud of the progress Alcazar has made so far this season and is looking forward to developing his newfound confidence this summer with Hester. She explained, “He’s very green and new to the Grand Prix, so it’s fun when it comes together. He’s suffered a lot from show and ring nerves in the past, and he’s a much easier Grand Prix horse than a Small Tour horse.”
The duo has just tapped into the potential Bateson Chandler and Hester see in the gelding and now that there is more confidence, she’s thrilled to see what else Alcazar has in store. “He still has tons of room for improvement, and I don’t even feel like that’s the most he can do. He had a couple of mistakes and he gets a little nervous still and then we work through that. But even when he’s doing that, he’s still getting great scores.”
Confidence is key when teaching a young, green horse the ropes of Grand Prix, and Bateson Chandler is returning to the U.K. with more than she arrived with, which was the goal of the season. “He seems to really like this arena and now he’s starting to understand that when he gets in the ring, it’s a place where he can feel safe and confident,” she said. Bateson Chandler explained that is a new feeling for the pair and she is looking forward to their progress, as she truly believes the gelding is world-class.
Lara Griffith and Rubin Al Asad have made the most of their time in Wellington after also traveling from the U.K. to compete at AGDF alongside trainer Laura Tomlinson. “Rufus was amazing today, and I was so impressed with him. I felt like our Grand Prix earlier in the week was a little bit underpowered, but today I could fire him up and that was main thing I was looking to do,” commented Griffith.
The pair is still new to the level and Griffith was pleased with the fact that she was able to tap into a level of power she had yet to achieve in competition. “The power was there today which has been the most promising thing for us so far this season. He answered me without a single question or feeling like he was starting to suck back. It was definitely our best test so far this season,” she remarked.
Both pairs will return to England this month and will begin their competition season in Europe competing against each other once again at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle in May.
The FEI Intermediaire-1 CDI 1* class, presented by Regal Horse Products, began on Friday but due to thunderstorms rolling in, it was halted, and the final three riders of the class completed their tests on Saturday morning. With the most exciting test of the week, Brittany Fraser of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, and All In showed grace under pressure by winning the class with a score of 72.632%.
Fraser and All In began their test yesterday. She recalled, “I just finished the walk, and I picked up the canter and lightning struck almost right by the ring actually. Then immediately there was a crack of thunder and everyone screamed, ‘Get out!’ I had to stop, and the weather was too bad to carry on.”
She and All In, who train with Ashley Holzer, recouped this morning to put in “one of his better tests.” She explained, “I went in and had to pick up where I left off yesterday. I just trotted around and walked at B, then picked up my canter at P and started from there. It’s for sure the most interesting class I’ve ever won. I’ve never experienced that before. My horse was really good for me. He worked for me. It was a good way to end the season.”
Second place in the class was Belinda Trussell (CAN) riding Tattoo with a score of 70.500%, while third place went to Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Galant, who scored 70.263%.
Lisa Wilcox and Galant
In the FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products, Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Galant won their second class of the week, this time with a score of 71.475%. Susanne Hassler and Harmony’s Boitano came in second place with a score of 70.825%, and third place went to Katharina Stumpf and For My Love on a score of 70.300%.
Wilcox and Galant have been paired together since he was four years old, and their ascent just over the months of AGDF has been particularly gratifying for Wilcox. “It’s been amazing how much he’s grown since the beginning of the season. I’ve watched him change to what he is now over three months; (it’s) amazing,” she expressed. “We knew we had a scopey horse and that he has talent, but what he was able to muster up with a few little tweaks that Robert did with me with him have just made a difference and the horse we’re seeing today.”
This was only the third freestyle that Galant has performed, so Wilcox feels that a victory today was very meaningful. She picked out specific music for him that would fit his personality and relative inexperience riding to music.
She explained, “I’ve specifically selected something a little more subtle that isn’t going to key him up. Especially with these horses that have the potential of being expressive, I want to be careful. This is where you make or break their desire to ride to music. I don’t want to scare him. We already have atmosphere, so I selected piano. It’s beautiful, and he’s very elegant, so it fits him perfectly.”
AGDF would like to thank all of the exhibitors, sponsors, staff, and spectators for making 2015 such an incredible success. For more information on 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.
Wellington, Fla. – The Stillpoint Farm CDIO3* at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival came to a close on Saturday afternoon with Laura Graves and Verdades claiming top honors in the Freestyle on a score of 80.175%. Originally scheduled for Friday evening but postponed due to weather, the Freestyle hosted 11 Small Tour combinations and a further four Big Tour competitors. Led by Graves, the U.S. secured six of the top 12 placings.
In their final competition before the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, to be held in Las Vegas, Nev., April 15-19, Graves (Plymouth, Fla.) and her 13-year-old KWPN gelding produced the second highest Freestyle score of their career. With their victory on Saturday afternoon, the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games veterans added Individual Gold to the Team Gold medal they won with their USA I teammates on Thursday night.
“To hear it called double Gold medal winning is an amazing feeling,” said Graves recapping on her weekend. Additionally, she was extremely pleased with Verdades’ performance on Saturday. “He felt great in the test; I had one hiccup in the right half-pass when my rein got stuck on my boot but he’s matured so much and couldn’t have cared less. I couldn’t be happier with my horse.”
Allison Brock and Rosevelt (SusanJStickl.com)
Allison Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s 13-year-old Hanoverian stallion, Rosevelt, produced their personal best Freestyle score of 73.950% in a test that featured a high degree of difficulty in the one-time changes and piaffe. They finished the Freestyle in fifth place.
Kim Herslow (Stockton, N.J.) led the way for the four U.S. Small Tour combinations, earning a score of 73.800% for a solid effort from Kiroli Enterprises LLC’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Rosmarin. The 2013 Intermediaire I National Champions finished in overall sixth place.
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (Reston, Va.) and her own Rassing’s Lonoir, who were making their U.S. Team debut competing on the Small Tour, produced their third impressive performance of the week to finish in seventh place with a mark of 73.675%.
Small Tour combination, Kasey Perry (Orangevale, Calif.) and Diane Perry’s 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Goerklingtgaards Dublet, were the third American competitors to go on Saturday, producing an energized test to score 73.225%, resulting in an ninth-place finish.
Chris Hickey (Wellington, Fla.) and Cecelia Stewart’s nine-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Ronaldo, were the first U.S. combination to head down centerline on Saturday and performed a technically difficult Freestyle, which included three-time changes on a half circle both directions. They finished overall in 12th place on a score of 70.975%.
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.
Allison Brock and Rosevelt. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.
Wellington, FL – March 26, 2015 – Team competition for the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* at Adequan Global Dressage Festival concluded today, with Team USA 1 finishing atop the leaderboard with a total score of 452.599 after two days of competition in Small Tour and Large Tour classes. Today’s Small Tour combinations contested the FEI Intermediaire 1 test and Large Tour rode the FEI Grand Prix Special. Team USA 1, composed of Kimberly Herslow, Allison Brock, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, and Laura Graves, bested the rest of the competition with a combination of superb results. Team Canada 1 finished behind the U.S. in second with a combined 438.966, and Team Canada 2 came in third with a total of 424.774.
Competition will continue tomorrow in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* with individual competition in the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle and the Grand Prix Freestyle as the final “Friday Night Stars” event of the season, for which gates open at 6 pm. The freestyles will be live streamed here: http://bit.ly/1H0wMEZ. The CDI 3* presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties will host the FEI Grand Prix and Regal Horse Products’ FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI 1* class will also be held in The Stadium arena.
Team USA 1 put together a very strong team, as all four riders performed tests scored well above the 70% mark. U.S. team members Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin had the highest score in the Intermediaire 1 on a personal best of 76.158%, and Laura Graves and Verdades led the Grand Prix Special with 75.882%.
Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover was incredibly proud of the performances from both U.S. teams so far in competition. “These riders really stepped up to the plate today and for me, (it was) just glorious to watch. I love getting goose bumps when I watch rides, and I got them today from this team,” remarked Dover about the team’s overall performance. “We had our third rider and a fourth horse for Team USA be able to go above 74% and that was with some errors. I feel not only extremely confident moving towards the Pan American Games and the European tour we are about to go on, but also on our way to Rio with more and more depth in America in this sport than we have ever seen before.”
Allison Brock and Rosevelt rode to a personal best in the FEI Grand Prix Special with a 74.255%, which included some bobbles in the one-tempis, still the second highest placing test in the class behind fellow American Laura Graves. “It is an absolute honor to be on this team, and it was really fun. We supported each other and I’m a rookie at this, so is Olivia, and it is so different to be on a team. There’s a different kind of pressure to it, but you also find new support in that from your teammates,” said Brock.
She continued, “He was again really going for me the whole time, and I’m so proud of him. He’s maturing and he’s showing that he can come out and do a competition in this atmosphere and come out stronger the next day. That’s really important in a team type of horse. You need them to be consistent and carry through.”
LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir, who rode the Small Tour tests, have learned from their experience so far this week as “Lono” was very hot for LaGoy-Weltz both days and had some uncharacteristic moments in both tests. “Part of the challenge of having a Grand Prix horse in the Small Tour is that they don’t always think there’s enough to do,” joked LaGoy-Weltz about some of the ringside antics from the big bay gelding. “This has been a tremendous learning experience for us and we were able to harness that energy and move on in the test, which is about being composed and riding through it. You also get the opportunity to support your teammates and receive that support in return.”
With a stunning fault-free test that Herslow described as “possibly finding the fifth gear,” it was clear that Rosmarin was completely on his game in the arena tonight. “Robert and Debbie really revved me up the right way. We needed that expression in the ring and be able to carry it in there, and we really rocked it. It was a personal best for us in the I-1, and there were still a few places I felt like I could have asked for a bit more too,” explained Herslow. “I have to know how to ride that in the ring, and I’m thrilled with the result. He’s so consistent and honest. It is just on me now.”
Laura Graves and Verdades
The anchor again for Team USA 1, Laura Graves, in her first time riding the Grand Prix Special with Verdades since last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, posted a 75.882% to lead the class. Even though the duo will not need to perform the Special at the FEI World Cup Finals, Graves still feels she needs to prepare for it more.
“I’m looking forward to having this summer with Robert and Debbie to work on it and polish it up. Obviously tightening that up is a priority. There are places where we improved and places that still need work,” commented Graves. “It’s always great to be able to meet and become close with riders I may not have known as well before, and it makes you really excited for where we’re going on this team in this country. I hope that we can take this gold medal winning streak global very soon.”
Christopher Von Martels and Christilot Boylen, both riding for Canada, were the highest placed riders for their respective teams, Canada 1 and Canada 2. Von Martels was joined by Diane Creech on Robbie W, Megan Lane and Caravella, and Belinda Trussel riding Anton. Boylen’s teammates included Tina Irwin and Fancy That, Shannon Dueck on Cantaris, and Jill Irving riding Degas 12.
Von Martels and Zilverstar have had a truly impressive beginning to their 2015 season with top finishes in almost all of their classes. “Firstly, I’m very happy with our team result and my individual results over the past two days. I think that it was a very strong competition and when you look at the results in the Small Tour, the differences are very narrow. The level of competition is great,” said Von Martels about Canada Team 1’s second place finish. “I think it’s a very exciting time in our sport because there are some very strong combinations in several different countries. I was thrilled with my horse; he’s grown a lot and has become more confident and strong. The growing relationship is what I’m most proud of.”
Christilot Boylen and Donatella 79 can be marked as the definition of improvement this season, as the pair has increased their average marks by 6% in the Small Tour within the last month. “Donatella”, who was out with an injury for most of last year, debuted at the Small Tour in January and has really hit her stride. “I’m so thankful to have a horse of her quality and her owner. You can’t walk around the ring by yourself, and they deserve so much credit,” smiled Boylen. “I really feel like Team Canada is finally pulling together and the future is looking very bright. Like Chris said, it is just a team game and it’s onwards and forward for this team.”
All of the riders thanked their owners and teams for helping them, as well as Adequan and Stillpoint Farm as sponsors of this special event.
With AGDF serving as the only host of an FEI Nations Cup Series leg in North America, it is important to recognize the significance of the event and what it means for presence of international competition in the United States. “This is a real pleasure to have this CDIO here in Wellington. It’s the only one that is outside of Europe, and we get to show our European friends that we can have a show like this successfully,” said Thomas Baur, Director of Sport at AGDF. “We have several great teams, including some from Central and South America, which was originally the idea too, to give them a chance to compete in the Nations Cup in an easily accessible location.”
Competition will continue at AGDF tomorrow with the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, the FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI 1*, presented by Regal Horse Products, as well as the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO 3* FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle, FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, and the individual medals award ceremony. For more information and full results of AGDF 12, 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.
Wellington, Fla. – The USA I Team, led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, maintained its day-one lead to claim victory in the 2015 Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup with strong performances from all four team members. On Thursday at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Small Tour combinations performed the FEI Intermediaire I Test, with Big Tour pairs riding the FEI Grand Prix Special Test. A total of 23 Small Tour combinations went down the centerline and seven Big Tour competitors closed out the second session, with each Big Tour combination earning an additional 1.5% bonus points toward its Team scores.
USA I claimed victory by a healthy margin, finishing on a total of 452.599, with the Canada I Team earning the second-place honors on 438.966, followed by Canada II in third on a score of 424.774. The Debbie McDonald-led USA II Team missed out on a podium finish by a fraction of a point, finishing fourth on 424.211.
“It was a fight down to the end and I couldn’t be more proud, not only of my Team I, but also of Team II,” said Dover. “These riders really stepped up to the plate and it was glorious to watch.”
USA I Team
As the first U.S. competitors into The Stadium, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and her own Rassing’s Lonoir earned a 71.368% in the Intermediaire I.
With a nearly impeccable performance, Kim Herslow (Stockton, N.J.) and Kiroli Enterprises LLC’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Rosmarin earned their best-ever Intermediaire I score and the best mark in Nations Cup competition on Thursday with a 76.158%.
“Everybody really tried their hardest and we really pulled together as a team,” said Herslow. “I really enjoyed the experience and look forward to doing more of it.”
Allison Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s 13-year-old Hanoverian stallion, Rosevelt, produced one of their best scores in the Big Tour to date as they scored 74.255%, a mark which reflected a near flawless performance. With the bonus awarded to Big Tour combinations, they contributed a score of 75.722 % to USA I.
“It’s an honor; it’s a great privilege for all of us. This has been a really positive experience and fun,” said Brock. “There’s a pressure to it but you are supported by your teammates and to win was just amazing.”
As the final rider of the day, Laura Graves (Plymouth, Fla.) cemented victory for USA I with her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades, scoring 75.882%. Not only did the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games veterans produce the best Grand Prix Special score of the day, they contributed 77.3882 to USA I.
Chris Hickey and Ronaldo (SusanJStickle.com)
USA II Team
Chris Hickey (Wellington, Fla.) and Cecelia Stewart’s nine-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Ronaldo, produced an impressive effort on Thursday afternoon to score 72.228%, leaving the USA II Team in a competitive position.
Kasey Perry (Orangevale, Calif.) continued to impress in her U.S. team debut as she rode Diane Perry’s 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Goerklingtgaards Dublet, through tension to earn a mark of 71.079%.
Catherine Haddad Staller (Wellington, Fla.) and Rowan O’Riley’s 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Mane Stream Hotmail, rounded out the USA II Team effort with a score of 69.373%, and with the bonus contributed a score of 70.873.
“I was so proud of every single one of them,” said McDonald. “Chris Hickey brought a personal best for himself today. Kasey Perry was again on a very hot horse and she’s still young at this, but she rode with such composure, and Catherine Haddad Staller is doing an amazing job. We are still trying to find the perfect warm-up and into the arena and finding that strategy.”
With the USA I Team victory, the United States now has 10 points in the FEI Nations Cup Dressage Series, and plans to contend more Nations Cups throughout the 2015 Series.
Laura Graves and Verdades. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.
Lisa Wilcox and Galant Capture PSG CDI1* Win
Wellington, FL – March 25, 2015 – The first half of the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* competition began today at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) with Team 1 of the USA leading the way after their overall performance in the FEI Prix St. Georges and the FEI Grand Prix classes. The team composed of Allison Brock, Kimberly Herslow, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, and Laura Graves reached a total score of 223.304 for the first portion of the competition. The Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* will continue tomorrow with competition in the FEI Grand Prix Special for Large Tour pairs and the FEI Intermediaire-1 for Small Tour entries, after which the team medals will be awarded. Canada Team 1 currently sits in second place, while USA Team 2 is in third. The final week of AGDF, sponsored by Stillpoint Farm, Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, and Regal Horse Products, continues through Saturday, March 28.
USA Team 1 put in a dominant performance to handily take the lead in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* after the FEI Prix St. Georges and FEI Grand Prix classes. The team, which is composed of two Large Tour combinations and two Small Tour pairs, performed spectacularly. Not a single member of Team 1 scored below a 70.000% overall. Chef d’Equipe for Team 1, Robert Dover, was thrilled with the performance of the team as a unit and the statement they made about the resurgence of dressage in the United States. “First of all I’m so proud of all of our American riders. They have made everyone so proud,” he said. “The riders themselves came to this arena to do a job, and they will continue to go on doing that job until the end of the competition. They showed why we are ready to be ranked among the best nations in the world.”
Laura Graves and Verdades put in another solid performance, giving them another great prep test for their FEI World Cup Finals debut in April. Verdades is becoming incredibly consistent at the Grand Prix level. Graves, who went last in the class as the team’s anchor rider, felt that their late ride time was to their advantage. “I like going last, especially when it’s hot like this and the class is at this point in the day I think it’s an advantage for us,” she remarked. “I’m so lucky to be on a team with three other women who are equals and incredible competitors. I’m really very proud to be a part of this team.”
As the pair has major international plans ahead of them, Graves hopes to remove all of the kinks from their routine now so that they can get the most out their performances. “We’re still green at this. Hopefully by the end of this year, which will be our second full year riding Grand Prix, I think we will be able to ride a bit more confidently,” she noted.
Allison Brock and Rosevelt
Allison Brock and Rosevelt had the second-highest score, just behind Graves in the Grand Prix, with another very stellar test from the young stallion. Brock has taken her time with Rosevelt, as he is very sensitive and reactive. “He got a little hot in the warm-up with some of the commotion, but he came back to me and I was just trying to gauge with the heat how much time I needed. I wanted to take a horse in that still had gas, but wasn’t too reactive. I think we did a good job feeling that out,” said Brock. “My goal was to go and have a really clean test and for the most part he was very honest, and he went for it. He was with me, and I’m really pleased with him.”
The first to go for Team USA, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz felt some pressure before leading off, but said that “Lono” made some great improvements and it was the most extravagant test, movement-wise, he has shown so far this season. “We did have a few uncharacteristic bobbles in the test, but he was still fabulous and continued to settle as the test went on, which is great to know that he is progressing to where he can do that,” she remarked.
Kimberly Herslow, who continues to search for the perfect warm-up routine with Rosmarin when the weather is hot, felt that considering the time the pair had to warm-up today, their test went very well. “We both tend to lose a little bit of focus in the heat because it’s hard to push for the max in that, but I’m really happy with how he went considering last time it was this hot, I couldn’t create power,” she remarked. “I don’t feel like we’re maxed out at all, and I am really happy with where we are. I know he has a lot more to give still and we’ll keep building off that.”
Kasey Perry and Goerklintgaards Dublet, members of USA Team 2 in Perry’s debut international team competition, impressed in the Prix St. Georges class scoring a 73.816% to lead that class. “Dublet” came in very hot to the test, but Perry rode beautifully to keep the talented gelding composed. “It is so comforting to be on a team when something like that happens because there are so many people around you, and it really calms your nerves,” she said. “Right when I went down the centerline though, I felt him check in with me, and I knew that I had his attention and we were good to go. He never missed a beat, and he was with me the entire time.”
For LaGoy-Weltz, Brock, and Perry, this is their first international team competition, and all three felt that the team environment changed not only their attitudes about the competition, but their mentality and focus. “You feel the pressure. You’re learning the process and wanting to do well for everyone else; that’s what makes it a team thing,” said LaGoy-Weltz. Graves, who has participated in team competition before, was quick to express her pride in being named to this specific team with her fellow competitors. She expressed, “(It’s great) being with my teammates in the barn all day and feeling like we’re all in this for the same reason, and we love our horses. Having such a strong team has shown what everyone is working towards and that we are growing the depth in our sport.”
Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Galant, a 2006 Belgian Warmblood gelding, topped the FEI Prix St. Georges CDI 1* class, presented by Regal Horse Products, with a score of 69.868%. Diane Creech (CAN) and Diana C followed in second receiving a 69.368%, and Mary Rollins (USA) aboard Royal Prinz was third with 68.553%.
Lisa Wilcox and Galant
Wilcox, who has been steadily improving aboard the fiery chestnut gelding all season, was thrilled with their performance in the first class of Small Tour competition this week. They were the first to go in the large class, meaning they led from start to finish. “The early bird gets the worm, as they say. It’s cooler and when you feel the temperature now, during the day, there are advantages to going early. It was helpful for us this morning,” she remarked. “I was really happy with him. We’ve been going through a phase where he’s almost too light. He was wonderful, and we’re at a great point in our development.”
Wilcox and Galant have had success at AGDF before as they took home wins in the FEI Prix St. Georges and FEI Intermediaire-1 last year, but this was their first CDI win so far in 2015. “We’ve had him since he was four, and he’s nine now so it has been a real journey. The development between him and me and the amount of trust we have in our relationship is immense. He’s very horse shy, and things that we would find difficult in the past have greatly improved this season,” said Wilcox. “I’ve seen so much growth in him this year alone, and I have noticed that I can keep his focus and the relationship between the two of us has really been built upon.”
Galant, who is a typically nervous horse, has truly settled for Wilcox in the warm-up and as a result, in the ring, which is why she feels their improvement has been so consistent this season. “I always felt like I had to choreograph my warm-up to what other horses in the ring were doing because he would get nervous when he felt his space was being invaded,” she explained. “The best thing for him and for us was to get out and do it this season and constantly feel surrounded by it. He finally, at some point, just let go and even though it’s still there, it’s manageable and that’s been a huge turning point for us.”
Competition at AGDF continues through Saturday March 28. Team medals will be awarded on Thursday evening, and the finale of the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* will be individual medals following the freestyle classes on Friday evening. FEI CDI3* and CDI1* competition continue through the week for the conclusion of the 2015 AGDF circuit. For more information and full results from 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.
