Jan Ebeling (USA) and Bellena. ©susanjstickle.com.
Wellington, FL – March 3, 2022 – There were no fewer than three grand prix classes on Thursday, March 3, the opening day of week eight of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). At only their second big tour show together, Jan Ebeling (USA) and Ann Romney’s Bellena captured the winner’s sash in the Grand Prix CDI4* (for freestyle), presented by IDA Development, with the day’s highest score at the level. Spain’s Juan Matute Guimón rode into second place on Quantico with 69.848%, while Canadian rider Ariana Chia’s personal best of 69.087% on Fiderflame secured third place of the 11 starters.
Despite Bellena being the equal-youngest horse in the class and making a costly mistake in the pirouette right, she achieved 71.739% and a unanimous victory. Ebeling could not hide his excitement about the young Belissimo M daughter.
“I’m stoked,” grinned the 63-year-old. “She’s a super talented horse. Probably the most talented I’ve ever had in my whole career. She’s still green, so she does stuff that green horses do, but what a horse. I was really happy about my one tempis because we’ve been battling with those, and we’ve always had mistakes here and there. Today was really the first line of 15 without a mistake. We got her when she was nine and she already knew a lot, but she had big gaits and needed to find her balance first, and that’s taken a bit of time.”
Alice Tarjan Takes Top Spot on Youngest Horse
Riding Serenade MF, the youngest horse in the class of 14 starters, Alice Tarjan (USA) topped the Grand Prix CDI4* (for Special), presented by Mission Control. Benjamin Ebeling (USA) captured second with 69.87% on Indeed and Canadian Naïma Moreira Laliberte rounded out the podium with 69.587% for third on Statesman.
Serenade MF was making her CDI debut, and Tarjan has owned the nine-year-old Sir Donnerhall I daughter since she was a foal.
“I bought her — black with white socks — and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s pretty. If I don’t like her, I can sell.’ It turns out the horse moves really well and was super easy to train, so I kept it,” said Tarjan, who won the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage National Championship in 2021 with the mare. “But she’s little and downhill. She’s very pretty and super sweet and easy, just not the most impressive thing. However, when you put her together and clock around, that horse lights up.”
For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.