Omaha, Neb. – Three strong dressage combinations will represent the U.S. in the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final at the CenturyLink Center Omaha, Neb. Running from March 30 – April 1, 2017, Laura Graves & Verdades, Kasey Perry-Glass & Goerklintgaards Dublet, and Steffen Peters & Rosamunde are in excellent form heading into the Final.
Graves (Geneva, Fla.) has found much success since her last Final appearance in 2015, where she finished fourth with her own Verdades. She and the 2002 KWPN gelding won team gold and individual silver at the 2015 Pan American Games, following that up with team bronze and individual fourth-place finishes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in their Olympic debut last summer. This year, Graves and “Diddy” have won at every turn at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) and earned numerous scores above 80%.
Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) will make her Final debut with Diane Perry’s Goerklintgaards Dublet, and the pair is a serious combination. She and the 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding impressed in their Olympic debut last year, helping to bring home a team bronze medal. They have continued to shine since their time in Rio, most recently winning the Grand Prix CDI-W and Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W and earning a score of 80.805% in the Freestyle during week eight of the AGDF.
Peters (San Diego, Calif.) will make his fifth Final appearance in Omaha with Four Winds Farm’s talented 2007 Rheinlander mare, Rosamunde. He and “Rosie” have continued to develop their partnership since they began competing together in 2014. They garnered top placings throughout 2016, including wins in the Grand Prix CDI3* and Grand Prix Special CDI3* at CHIO Rotterdam. The pair began 2017 by winning the Grand Prix Special CDI3* and Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*at the Las Vegas High Roller CDI & Open Show, and head into the Final having finished second in the Grand Prix CDI-W and third in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W during week seven of the AGDF.
Competition for the Final begins Thursday with the FEI Grand Prix beginning at 2 p.m. CT. Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle begins at 2 p.m. CT, with its results determining the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Champion. Watch the live stream on FEI TV.
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has announced the three athlete/horse combinations that will represent the United States at the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final, March 30 – April 1, 2017 at the CenturyLink Center Omaha, Neb.
The following combinations qualified during World Cup Qualifying Events in the North American League held throughout the 2016-2017 season:
Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) with her own Verdades, a 2002 KWPN gelding
Kasey Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) with Diane Perry’s Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding
Additionally, the FEI confirmed an extra starting place for:
Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) with Four Winds Farm’s Rosamunde, a 2007 Rheinlander mare
Wellington, FL – March 4, 2017 – Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet achieved a win and their second FEI World Cup Finals qualifying score during Saturday night’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage, at the 2017 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.
2016 Olympic bronze medalists Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x La Costa x Olympic Ferro) owned by Diane Perry, earned a winning score of 80.805% in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage.
“[My trainer] Debbie [McDonald] and I have been working really hard on his performance in the ring, and it just seems to get better and better,” said Perry-Glass. “We are slowly getting there and I try not to pressure him too hard. He’s still growing. But to win tonight, it felt good. It felt like I could finally breathe.
“My choreography was created by Adrienne Lyle,” said Perry-Glass of her freestyle choices. “She did the whole thing, and I’m so blessed to have her as a friend. Tom Hunt did my music. He is also the creator of Charlotte Dujardin’s music. I’ve been working with him for four years now. He just wanted something very special for Dublet, and I think he nailed it.”
Along with the freestyle victory, their score also puts Perry-Glass and Dublet on the road to their first FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Omaha, NE at the end of the month.
“I am so excited for Omaha,” said an emotional Perry-Glass. “I get to hopefully go with two of my Olympic teammates, and this is my first FEI World Cup so I’m over the moon about it. It wouldn’t be possible without Debbie McDonald, or my mom and husband and my dad. I’m just very lucky. I have a really good horse, and they all just make it a very positive experience for me.”
Second place in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W was awarded to Chase Hickok (USA) and Sagacious HF, a 1999 KWPN gelding (Welt Hit II x Judith x Cocktail) owned by Hyperion Farm Inc., with a 75.620%.
Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF
This was Hickok’s first Freestyle under the lights in the open division. “We really came into tonight with no expectations,” said Hickok. “We just wanted to have a good, clean test, and I think we achieved that. To be sitting next to these two whom I look up to so much is just great.”
Hickok described her freestyle music. “My music actually came with Sagacious, and it was put together by Marlene Whitaker. It suits him and varies from upbeat in the trot to slower for the canter work. It highlights his strengths, so I’m very appreciative for whoever picked it originally.”
Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding (Diamond Hit x Gurena x Renoir I) owned by Patricia Stempel, took third place with a score of 75.565%.
Commenting on her ride, Francis said, “It was a little interesting because he was a bit edgy tonight for some reason, a little more than normal. We had some interesting parts of the test. The right pirouette on the left lead – I think we should have gotten some extra points for that! He was just a little tight here and there. He was a good boy, even though it wasn’t quite as smooth as I wanted it to be. He’s usually very fun to ride.”
Francis also rides to a freestyle created by Whitaker. “My music is from the movie ‘Big’. I helped with the choreography because my horse is kind of handy when he’s not too nervous. The music suits him as well; it’s fun.”
Judge at C, Christof Umbach (LUX), noted, “We had a very clear winner this evening. The other top four placings were very close, and all of the riders really fought for their marks. Compared to last week, all of the riders have improved. It was a super evening.”
Endel Ots, from sponsor Everglades Dressage, commented, “We really love supporting the dressage world quietly and from behind the scenes, and I think it’s so awesome to have one of our riders (Hickok) also place in the top three. We really love being here and supporting the sport.”
The Palm Beach Dressage Derby exhibition class, presented by Yeguada de Ymas, took place earlier in the day on Saturday featuring riders competing at Small Tour level with unfamiliar horses to see who could ride to the best score.
Round one was a match up against defending champion Chris Von Martels (CAN) and Christoph Koschel (GER), riding Truhana De Ymas, a 2009 PRE mare (Envidiado De Ymas x Nicaragua III) owned by Yeguada de Ymas S.L. Ultimately Koschel came on the top with a score of 69.605%, knocking the last year’s winner out of the competition. Juan Matute Guimon (ESP) and Mikala Munter Gundersen (DEN) competed in round one on Action Ace, a 2005 DWB gelding (Ijsselmeer x Promised) owned by Janice Murdoch. Munter Gundersen won the round with a 69.474%.
Koschel and Munter Gundersen advanced to the final knockout round of The Palm Beach Dressage Derby competition during the mid-way point at the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, with both riders piloting Wrazzmatazz, a 2003 KWPN gelding (Jazz x Madame x Darwin) owned by Sara Hellner.
The final round brought excitement to the Global Arena as Koschel rode a well-executed test, clinching the win with a score of 72.588%.
“This is always special in an atmosphere like this,” said Koschel. “I don’t know if this horse was ever in an atmosphere like this so you don’t know what you get or what you can expect. I think it was a perfect horse for this final because he was very, very honest and nice to ride, and it made it easier for both of us.”
Koschel is no stranger to derby riding; he was the winner of the 49th Dressur-Derby of Hamburg, as well as the Munich Derby. Munter Gundersen also competed in the Hamburg Derby, finishing second.
Munter Gundersen added, “The horse has not been in an atmosphere like this before. I was happy that Chris went first, so if the horse was going to be spooky, [it was] with him and really nice with me! He was really great with both of us though, and I had a super clean test with only a few mistakes in my three-tempis. It takes a special horse to go in there with strange riders and be so nice.”
AGDF Director of Sport, Thomas Baur, concluded the evening by stating, “This was the first time we had the derby under the lights. It was also the first time we used the Spectator Judging app for the overall result, and it worked out quite well. We are going to continue to do that and are looking forward to the coming years.”
Wellington, FL – March 2, 2017 – Week eight commenced on Thursday, March 2, at the 2017 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL with a victory for Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Peacock Ridge.
2016 Olympic bronze medalists Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x La Costa x Olympic Ferro) owned by Diane Perry, were the winners in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Peacock Ridge. They earned an impressive score of 73.420%.
Commenting on her ride, Perry-Glass said, “The trot work was good, and that has been a little tricky for us the last couple of weeks. I feel like we lost a little steam in the canter, which then led to mistakes in the ones and the two-tempis. Overall though, I felt like he was very honest. There is so much room for improvement, and I just need to ride a clean test. That’s going to be my goal for this year.”
Perry-Glass also discussed her upcoming Freestyle this Saturday night.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “I think that the freestyle is something that Dublet and I are really good at, and he feels more comfortable with it. That’s kind of the last ‘hurrah’ before the FEI World Cup Finals, to see if I get to go or not. So I am anxious, but I’ll be happy either way. I would love to go, and I think Dublet would love it too.”
Second place in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W was awarded to Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and Lonoir, a 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding (De Noir x Lorani x Loran) owned by LaGoy-Weltz, with a score of 72.920%.
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Lonoir
“I was really happy with my ride today,” said LaGoy-Weltz. “It’s the most solid he has felt in there, and he felt more confident.”
On Lonoir, LaGoy-Weltz continued, “He’s 13 now, and he’s sound and he’s sane and he’s fit. These are his golden years.”
Third place went to Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding (Diamond Hit x Gurena x Renoir I) owned by Patricia Stempel, with a 71.920%. Francis also competed mount Danilo, a 2004 Hanoverian gelding (De Niro x Annabella x Andiamo) owned by Stempel, to a sixth-place finish with a score of 70.440%.
Earlier in the day, Jennifer Baumert (USA) and Handsome, a 2005 Hanoverian gelding (Hochadel x Wyona x Weltmeyer) owned by Elizabeth Juliano, topped the FEI Prix St. Georges CDI 1*, sponsored by Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, with a score of 71.228%. Second place went to Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven (SWE) and Esperance, a 2009 KWPN gelding (Sorento x Violita x Rosseau) owned by Lövsta Stuteri, with a 71.096%. Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Harmony’s Duvall, a 2009 gelding (Rosseau x Riverman) owned by Kylee Laurie, took third place with a score of 68.289%.
Wellington, FL – February 23, 2017 – Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades claimed another victory in Thursday’s FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by The Axel Johnson Group, during the seventh week of competition at the 2017 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.
2016 Olympic bronze medalists Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades, a 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Florett AS x Liwilarda) owned by Graves, ended the day with another win in the Global Arena and a score of 80.240%.
“It feels much more secure. It’s nice to know that what happened at the 5* wasn’t a one-hit-wonder,” Graves said of her second 80% score in the FEI Grand Prix. “It’s still pretty awesome. It’s a really, really exciting way for us to go in to the big things we have planned.”
Of her ride, Graves continued, “His ride-ability was really super. I was happy with my zig-zags. I feel like we covered a lot of ground in both directions. The pirouettes were really on; I was really happy with my final centerline. I think we ran out of a little steam. It was warm, and they were running a couple of minutes behind. He just doesn’t ever say ‘no,’ so he tried his best.”
Placing second and third to Graves in in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W were 2016 Olympic teammates and bronze medalists, Steffen Peters (USA) and Kasey Perry-Glass (USA).
Peters and Rosamunde, a 2007 Rhinelander mare (Rock Forever x First Lady) owned by Four Winds Farm, took second place with a score of 74.820%.
“I still had a little more energy than I wanted,” said Peters about his ride with Rosamunde, “but it was so much better than two weeks ago. I’m super happy with her. She did awesome trot half-passes, beautiful extensions, the piaffe and passage transitions were better. She is just so much fun to ride. She’s so beautiful in the bridle (and) always goes. Most of the time we have to say, ‘Hey wait, not that much!’ So it was a beautiful step ahead, and I thought that showing here in this arena a bunch of times would help her. Certainly, that worked out as planned.”
Steffen Peters and Rosamunde
“Apparently, our tattoos have been working!” joked Peters of the Olympic Rings tattoos that the USA Olympic Dressage Team members recently got together. “It’s nice to be here with the two teammates.”
Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x La Costa x Olympic Ferro) owned by Diane Perry, came in third with a 73.200%.
“I feel like it’s all still changing, and it’s going to change a lot because this is only his second year,” said Perry-Glass, of her progress with Dublet. “Two weeks ago, I felt like I was coming out and he was a little bit more amped to be in there. This week we finally found that relaxation in the ring, to where we can eventually add more power and consistency to it.”
Laura Graves and Verdades (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The U.S. Dressage Team won the Bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Friday following the conclusion of the second half of team competition, the Grand Prix Special. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, the team, comprised of Allison Brock and Rosevelt, Laura Graves and Verdades, Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet, and Steffen Peters and Legolas 92, won the Bronze medal on a final score of 76.667%. Germany won the Team Gold on 81.936%, while Great Britain claimed the Team Silver with a score of 78.595%.
The third day of dressage team competition featured the top six teams and eight individual combinations from the first two days’ Grand Prix at the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center. Each team’s top three scores from both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special were averaged together to determine the team medals.
It took a personal best score of 80.644% from anchor rider Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her own Verdades, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding, to claim the Team Bronze medal as The Netherlands moved slightly ahead of the U.S. before her ride. The pair held fifth place individually going into the Grand Prix Special and their performance was truly spectacular. The duo scored mostly 8s or above throughout the test and earned six 9s for their left canter pirouette down centerline and for their flying changes in canter.
“We’ve captured the elusive 80% – it does exist!” said a thrilled Graves, who was one of only five riders to score above 80%. “I knew the test was going well, but you just always hope that your reflections match up with the judges. I had no idea going into the ring what I needed for a score and to see my teammates so happy and then to achieve my personal best score – and a score I’ve been reaching for – was just icing on our cake today.”
Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Peters (San Diego, Calif.), competing in his fourth Olympic Games, rode Legolas 92, a 14-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Four Winds Farm. The pair held sixth place individually going into the Grand Prix Special and produced a superb test with one mistake coming at the beginning of the test in the left trot half-pass. The duo quickly recovered to produce a score of 74.622%.
“I’m super happy with Legolas. We delivered for the team; that was my goal and that’s what we did,” said a delighted Peters. “We had a couple of little fumbles – he lost his balance in the left half-pass which is uncharacteristic of him and we had a little delayed reaction into the first piaffe, but then he did it beautifully.
“The rest of the test was very clean,” he continued. “He did his changes very nicely, but I knew that after the half-pass ‘fumble’ that if we had one more mistake in the flying changes then we’d be below the required average score to stay ahead of The Netherlands. I knew going into the ring exactly what score I had to get and I’m super happy that it worked out – but it was close!”
Olympic first-timers Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Rosevelt, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun, were the trailblazers as the first U.S. pair to perform its test. The duo executed a solid and confident test, earning a score of 73.824% from the seven judges with many good highlights throughout, earning high marks their first extended trot, flying changes, and extended canter.
“I was really happy with him,” remarked Brock. “He was really good. He was better than in the Grand Prix and did a clean test. That’s what we needed to do to set the stage for my teammates and we did it, so I’m really happy with him. I laughed a little at the end of my test because I said thank you [to Rosevelt] for doing this for me because it got hot in the ring and I just had to give him a lot of credit. He tried really hard. Bless him.”
Second up for the U.S. was Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) and Diane Perry’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Dublet. The pair produced a fluid test in the Grand Prix Special with especially beautiful passage work. Unfortunately, the pair had a mistake from the passage into the extended trot, but quickly regrouped and completed with a respectable 73.235% in their first Olympic Games.
“It wasn’t our best, but you know I have to give it to Dublet as he’s really trying to stay with me,” said Perry-Glass. “We have a couple kinks to work out, but it’s our first year and we moved up very fast, so I have to give him credit on that for staying patient and really trusting me in the ring. My plan was just to give him a good experience and also I was thinking about the team. I really wanted to do this for the team, but sometimes it’s just not your day.”
Reflecting on the Bronze medal win, Peters said, “First of all, a big thank you to Robert Dover [U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe], who was also on the team in 2004 [the last time the U.S. Dressage Team won a Team Olympic medal]. Today we knew it had to be above 75 percent and all four riders and horses are capable of delivering 76-77 percent, so we knew we had a chance, but when it actually happened it was amazing! If you wanted to see a 52-year-old guy acting like a 10-year-old boy, you should’ve seen me in the stands when Laura was coming down centerline – I was crying my eyes out and it was just one of those absolutely amazing experiences. There’s a lot of people who are certainly a big part of this medal.”
The top 18 competitors from the Grand Prix Special will now go on to compete in the Individual final, the Grand Prix Freestyle, on Monday. Only three athletes from each nation are eligible compete in the Freestyle, which ultimately decides the Olympic Champion. Graves, Peters, and Brock all qualified.
Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.
Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department
Allison Brock and Rosevelt (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Dressage competition got underway Wednesday at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, as 29 of the total 60 competitors representing 19 countries took to the main arena under cloudy skies at the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center to perform in the Grand Prix, the first test in the team competition. The U.S. team, going eighth in the order of the 11 nations, finished day one in fourth place after two superb performances from Allison Brock and Kasey Perry-Glass. Leading the team standings is Germany, while The Netherlands sits in second place, and Great Britain holds third.
Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.), competing in her first Olympic Games, had the position of riding as pathfinder for the U.S. but kept her cool aboard Rosevelt, a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun. The pair has had much success at the international level over the past three years, both in the U.S. and Europe, and it clearly showed. With the exception of a mistake in the canter two-tempi changes, they executed a fluid test with several high points. They received many scores of 8 for their transitions and extended work in the walk and trot from the seven judges including Peter Holler (K), Susanne Baarup (E), Gary Rockwell (H), Stephen Clarke (C), Maribel Alonso (M), Thomas Lang (B), and Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode (F). The pair earned a score of 72.686%, placing it tied for seventh in the individual standings.
“Rosevelt felt great as he cantered in and halted, and his first trot extension felt amazing!” said a delighted Brock after her test. “He was trying really hard, and I have to give him a lot of credit as it’s both of our first Olympic Games and it’s a lot to be here, but he handled everything quite well. He has a super walk, and his trot work is really strong, but mostly he’s really fluid and consistent. The mistake in the two-tempis was totally my fault. My mind drifted when I heard the music playing in the background and I lost count. He’s a very sweet horse; he always tries to be a gentleman and is really reliable. He likes it here and likes this venue. I’m really pleased with how it went today.”
Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Second to go for the U.S. were Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) and Dublet, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Diane Perry. Going late in the day, the Olympic first-timers made the most of their moment in the spotlight, earning a score of 75.229% to hold fifth place individually. Despite some noise distractions, the pair performed a smooth and elegant test, which earned many high marks, including multiple 8s from the judges for their passage work and flying changes. The pair also scored several 9s for movements including the right canter pirouette, piaffe-passage transition, and the final halt and salute.
“I was really proud of Dublet today,” said Perry-Glass with a smile. “He hung in there really well for me, especially with all the unexpected noise. To be able to keep him focused and together was a challenge for both of us, but he was there and ready to go! I really thought his piaffe-passage tour was really good, as were his two-tempis. We’re just fine-tuning the little things as it’s our first year competing in the Grand Prix internationally, so we’re just thrilled to be where we are!”
Competing for the U.S. in the second half of the Grand Prix on Thursday is Steffen Peters with Legolas 92, riding at 10:54 a.m. ET. Laura Graves and Verdades will anchor the U.S. team, entering the arena at 2:06 p.m. ET.
Leading the Individual standings after day one is Germany’s Dorothee Schneider with Showtime FRH on 80.986%, while countryman Sonke Rothenberger and Cosmo hold second with a score of 77.329%. Great Britain’s Fiona Bigwood and Orthilia are in third place on 77.157%.
The dressage team competition continues tomorrow, Thursday, August 11. The top six teams from the Grand Prix will move forward to Friday’s Grand Prix Special, after which each team’s top three scores from both tests are added together in order to decide the Team medals. The top 18 competitors from the Grand Prix Special will go on to compete in the individual final, the Grand Prix Freestyle, on Monday, August 15. Only three athletes from each nation are eligible compete in the Freestyle.
Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.
Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department
Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Dressage competition at the Rio Olympic Games got underway at the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center Monday with the horse inspection. A total of 59 athlete-and-horse combinations representing 18 countries are set to compete in Wednesday’s Grand Prix, the first test in team competition. The U.S. has drawn eighth in the order of 11 teams and will be represented by Allison Brock, Laura Graves, Kasey Perry-Glass, and Steffen Peters. The U.S. team is led by U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, a six-time Olympian and winner of four Team Bronze medals.
“I have been thrilled with all of the riders,” said Dover. “Individually, Allison Brock and Rosevelt have been ramping up day-by-day to show more and more brilliance. Kasey Perry-Glass has been thrilling to watch and truly, for a young person at her first Olympic Games, the learning curve, even here during the last week, has been awesome to watch. Verdades [ridden by Laura Graves], has scope beyond scope and Laura is paying the greatest attention to the minutia, the details that tend to set apart the very, very best from everybody else with nice horses. And then of course Steffen Peters, here at his fourth Olympic Games with Legolas, has actually found new strengths, new scope, and abilities and so I’m just very, very hopeful and really proud to be a part of their team.”
U.S. team will compete in the following order.
Day one, Wednesday, August 10: Leading the way for the U.S. will be Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.), a first-time Olympian, who will ride Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s Rosevelt, a 2002 Hanoverian stallion. This longtime partnership has been developing at the Grand Prix level over the past three years with consistent successes in the U.S. and Europe. This spring at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the pair capped off the season by winning the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special in the CDI3* presented by Stillpoint Farm.
Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.), a first-time Olympian, will be next in the order with Diane Perry’s Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding. Following a solid career at the Small Tour level, the pair moved up to the Grand Prix this winter and has had remarkable success in just a few short months. The pair placed in the top three in all of its 2016 CDI outings during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including as members of the Gold medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm, where they also won Individual Silver. This summer in Europe, Perry-Glass and Dublet won the Grand Prix at CDIO5* Compiègne as part of the Gold-medal winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team.
Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Day two, Thursday, August 11: First in the ring for the U.S. on day two of the Grand Prix will be Peters (San Diego, Calif.), a four-time Olympic veteran with a Team Bronze medal (1996). He will ride Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding. Last summer, Peters and Legolas 92 represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games, winning Team and Individual Gold medals. This winter, the pair won in all of its West Coast CDI outings. Competing in Europe this summer, the pair won the Grand Prix at CDI4* Roosendaal.
Anchoring the U.S. team will be first-time Olympian, Graves (Geneva, Fla.), riding her own Verdades, a 2002 KWPN gelding. 2015 was an immensely successful year for the pair as it finished fourth in its first Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final appearance, earned Team Gold and Individual Silver medals at the Pan American Games, and was crowned The Dutta Corp./USEF Dressage Grand Prix National Champions. Competing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival earlier this year, the duo won both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the CDI5* presented by Diamante Farms, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI4* presented by Havensafe Farm, and were members of the Gold medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at the CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm, where they also won Individual Gold. This summer, the pair was a part of the Gold-medal winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO5* Compiègne, and the Silver-medal winning U.S. team at CDIO5* Rotterdam where they also topped the Grand Prix Special.
The first test in team competition, the Grand Prix, runs August 10-11. The second and final test of team competition, the Grand Prix Special, will follow on August 12. Dressage competition concludes on August 15, with the Grand Prix Freestyle.
Keep up-to-date on equestrian competition at the Rio Olympic Games on the USEFNetwork.com. Coverage includes links to live streams and TV coverage, athlete bios, behind-the-scenes photos, and more.
Classic Communications/USEF Communications Department
Clockwise from top left: Laura Graves, Steffen Peters, Allison Brock, and Kasey Perry-Glass.
Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named four athlete-and-horse combinations to the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team and one traveling reserve athlete-and-horse combination for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. One direct reserve horse has also been named. A direct reserve horse would be an automatic replacement should the original horse on which the athlete was named need to be substituted. Dressage competition at the Olympic Games will take place August 8-15, 2016 at the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The following athlete-and-horse combinations will compose the Team (in alphabetical order):
Allison Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s Rosevelt, a 2002 Hanoverian stallion
Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her own Verdades, a 2002 KWPN gelding
Kasey Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) with Diane Perry’s Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding
Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) with Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding
Direct Reserve
Four Winds Farm’s Rosamunde, a 2007 Rheinlander mare
The following combination has been named as the traveling reserve:
Shelly Francis (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Patricia Stempel’s Doktor, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding
Further information regarding the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team selection process can be found on USEF.org. All nominations to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
Wellington, Fla. – Closing out the Adequan Global Dressage Festival on a high note, Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass placed first and second, respectively, in the Grand Prix Freestyle as part of the CDIO3* presented by Stillpoint Farm. The evening capped off a week of great success for The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team, who topped the podium for the fifth consecutive year in the country’s only dressage Nations Cup competition. Graves and Verdades posted their third personal best score of the week, winning the class with a score of 82.800%. Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet also added another personal best to their record, scoring 81.325% for second place. Also representing the U.S. in the Freestyle, Arlene “Tuny” Page and Woodstock scored 75.925%, tying for fourth place.
Graves (Plymouth, Fla.) and her 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades, continued their winning ways with a spectacular Freestyle performance, becoming back-to-back double Gold medalists at CDIO3* Wellington, having topped the team and individual podiums in 2015. In a test that garnered huge cheers from the packed house at the International Arena, the pair fed off the electric atmosphere, showcasing brilliant extensions, pirouettes, piaffes, and passage. Graves added the score of 82.800% to her list of new personal bests earned this week. In team competition, Graves won the Grand Prix with a score of 76.860%, and the Grand Prix Special with a score of 78.294%.
Speaking to the feeling of marking the highest score in the history of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival tonight, Graves said, “It’s amazing. Obviously it’s a goal every time we go in the arena. It was an incredible atmosphere here tonight. I could not ask for a better high to end our season with: Team and Individual Gold medals and personal bests. Really exciting looking forward to the rest of this year and the amazing team USA we’re creating.”
Perry-Glass (Wellington, Fla.) and Diane Perry’s Goerklintgaards Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding, completed their first season at the Grand Prix level in commanding fashion. In only the second Grand Prix Freestyle of their career, the pair went into the arena with determination and were rewarded for their effortless harmony and accuracy. With a score of 81.325%, Perry-Glass not only eclipsed her previous Freestyle score, a 75.750%, but produced two personal record setting performances this week, having posted a new best score in the Grand Prix Special with a 74.882%. The pair finished second in the Grand Prix Special and the in the Grand Prix, where they scored 73.000%.
Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet (SusanJStickle.com)
“I want to thank all the sponsors here tonight, my coach Debbie [McDonald], and my mom [Diane Perry] who is also my owner. I am so blessed. I could not have asked for a better year here,” said an emotional Perry-Glass. “At the beginning of the season I went in [the ring] just thinking ‘this is my first season at Grand Prix’ and never really went for it. It was a progression throughout the season and Dublet and I really formed a relationship to where I can have a conversation with him in the ring. He trusts me enough to push him enough and he showed that tonight.”
Rounding out the performances for the U.S. was Page (Wellington, Fla.) and her own Woodstock, a 2003 Dutch Warmblood gelding. The pair, who has been having a breakout season, performed a harmonious test under the lights. Adding yet another record setting personal performance to the night, the pair earned a score of 75.925%.
Head of the Ground Jury, Stephen Clarke of Great Britain, expressed how fantastic the level of competition was this evening. “We saw such harmony, lots of risk taking, high degrees of difficulty, and beautiful music interpretation. Just really super tests.”
Belinda Trussell of Canada and Anton placed third in the class on a score of 76.350%.
