Tag Archives: Kerrigan Gluch

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage

Iberian Horses Reign Supreme on Saturday at AGDF

Kerrigan Gluch & Mejorano HGF. Photo © SusanJStickle.com.

It was a long and nail-biting wait for Kerrigan Gluch (USA) to discover that she had won the Fair Sky Farm CDI3* Grand Prix Special. She was first to go, mid-morning, on Saturday of week 10 of the 2023 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. When the class finished, mid-afternoon, Gulch’s name was still atop the leaderboard with Mejorano HGF and their score of 68.872%. That included some big names, like Morgan Barbançon — winner of the qualifying Grand Prix on Thursday with Bolero — whose performances couldn’t better Gluch’s.

Susan Dutta and Don Design DC, the Dutta Corp.’s 13-year-old gelding by Der Designer, finished second with 68.702%. Korean rider Dong Sean Kim is still getting to know his new acquisition, Galleria’s Bohemian. The 13-year-old gelding by Bordeaux finished fourth in the freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics under Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour. This is just Kim’s second CDI on Bohemian, and their first Grand Prix Special together. They scored 68.574% for the yellow ribbon.

Mejorano was bred by his owners, Hampton Green Farm. Gluch began her career there as a working student 11 years ago, and then graduated into a sponsored rider. Having known Mejorano as a young horse, Gluch then picked up the ride full-time three years ago, and their partnership is going from strength to strength.

“He’s an extraordinary horse, super talented in all aspects of the grand prix,” said the 26-year-old. “I’ve really been focused on the flow of everything – in and out of transitions – so everything had a lot of harmony and that was the main goal for this weekend, and I think I accomplished that. My piaffe/passage tour was quite smooth and I was happy with how the changes felt in the ring. It’s a very long test, but I was able to settle in and enjoy it.

“Mejarano is a product of the breeding in the States that we strive for. It’s special to be able to do it with him knowing that he was born here and show that off. He tries his heart out for me every time,” added the Ocala-based Gluch, who has recently started training with fellow Ocala rider, Shelly Francis, after years training with Charlotte Bredahl.

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Dressage

USA Wins Nations Cup CDIO-U25 at 2019 AGDF

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Lauren Asher and West Side. Photo © SusanStickle.com

Wellington, FL – March 13, 2019 – The opening day of competition at the 10th week of the 2019 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) on Wednesday, March 13, featured the Nations Cup CDIO-U25 presented by Diamante Farms with victory for the team from the United States of America. Canada 1 team was silver, and the Canada 2 team took bronze.

For the third year, AGDF hosted CDIO-U25 competition, offering a great stepping-stone of international competition for young riders. The team from the USA, consisting of Lauren Asher on West Side, Natalie Pai on Unlimited, and Kerrigan Gluch riding Bolero CXLVIII, finished on a total team score of 138.559 in the FEI Intermediate II 16-25 test, which determined the team medals.

Asher (22) originally hails from Denver, CO and she rode the 16-year-old KWPN gelding by Florett AS owned by Select Equine International to a personal best score of 70.471%, which was also the second-highest score in the class.

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

Competitions, Dressage, USEF

Gluch Tops US Field at CDIO-Y Hagen, Final Event of USEF Dressage Young Rider European Tour

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Kerrigan Gluch and Vaquero HGF (Fotodesign gr. Feldhaus)

Hagen, Germany – The 2016 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Dressage Young Rider European Tour came to an end at the Future Champions event, CDIO-Y Hagen on Saturday. Led by Chef d’Equipe George Williams, the U.S. contingent of Lauren Asher, Barbara “Bebe” Davis, and Kerrigan Gluch gained valuable individual and team experience over the three days of competition. Gluch and Vaquero HGF were the highest-ranked U.S. combination, placing in the top 10 each day.

“The major goal of the tour is to give them experience and education so if they come back as senior riders they will be better and know what to expect. The Future Champions event is welcoming, but it’s a tough competition. They get to see the best of European riders and get a sense of the quality of other riders. I’m happy where we stand for the moment, but there is room for improvement. They were a great representation of the U.S. throughout the entire competition,” said Williams.

The U.S. began competition as a team on Thursday when they went up against seven countries in the Young Rider Nations Cup.  Gluch (Wellington, Fla.) and Vaquero HGF, Hampton Greens Farm’s 2007 Andalusian stallion, had a consistent test. They executed good half-passes and flying changes; however, they lacked elasticity and suppleness. The combination earned a score of 65.965% for ninth place. Asher (San Diego, Calif.) and her own De Noir 3, a 2000 Hanoverian gelding, excelled in the canter work and also displayed lovely flying changes. Unfortunately, the pirouettes hurt the combination, and they finished on a score of 65.746% for 11th place. Not on her usual mount, Davis (Wellington, Fla.) entered the event with Don Antonio, a horse borrowed from Jochen Arl. She and the 2004 Hanoverian gelding had great transitions. They tied for 12th with a score of 65.351%. Overall, the U.S. team finished in fifth place with on a total  of 197.566. Germany won the Nations Cup on a total of 226.842.

On Friday, the event transitioned to individual competition beginning with the Individual Test. Gluch and Vaquero HGF performed a respectable test, mimicking Thursday’s excellent flying changes. They led the U.S. contingent with a score of 66.754% for sixth place. In a reverse from the Team Test, Asher and De Noir 3 excelled in the canter and trot work, but struggled with their flying changes to end on a score of 64.781%. Davis and Don Antonio improved upon Thursday’s Team Test with a score of 63.816% for 16th place. All three qualified for Saturday’s Freestyle Final after finishing in the top 18.

Barbara "Bebe" Davis and Don Antonio (Fotodesign gr. Feldhaus)
Barbara “Bebe” Davis and Don Antonio (Fotodesign gr. Feldhaus)

Gluch and Vaquero HGF capped off the competition with a rhythmic Freestyle. The blossoming combination had amazing harmony, with beautiful flying changes, to place 10th with a score of 69.375%. Asher and De Noir 3 Davis also gave a graceful performance. Their energetic extended and collected trot, along with nice flying changes, earned them a score of 68.083% for 11th place. Davis and Don Antonio displayed smooth half-pirouettes but had trouble connecting in their test. They placed 18th with a score of 63.833%.

“Once we got here [Hagen], they came together and worked together well. The experience has been so invaluable to them. Each one faced different challenges throughout the tour. Kerrigan had a difficult time in the first competition, but did better each day. Bebe was faced with a different situation. She had her struggles in the first competition [Compiegne] then we had to substitute her horse [at Hagen]. Lauren’s first competition didn’t go as we had hoped. She tried to fight back, and today I think she did. She overcame a lot, and she got her confidence back with the ride she had today,” added Williams.

Complete Results from the Future Champions event.

AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: Dana Rossmeier/USEF