Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir ©SusanStickle.

Wellington, FL – March 7, 2021 – Week eight of the 2021 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) concluded on Sunday, March 7, with another win for USA’s Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services.

LaGoy-Weltz had her sights set on the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Gothenburg, Sweden and the ride secured her ticket for the North American League after earning another personal best, 83.570%.

“I think there was relief when we came down that final centerline,” admitted LaGoy-Weltz. “There was a small fear that since this was the last World Cup qualifier, something would go wrong, and you really just hope you make it to the end of the test.”

Though the pair was just on the cusp of 90% for their artistic marks, LaGoy-Weltz noted that she wasn’t sure how it went until the pair left the arena and she got feedback from her team.

“I don’t always know how it went,” she said. “I’ll come out like, ‘Was it good?’ and everyone’s like, ‘It was amazing!’ I think we are all such perfectionists, and we are always finding things here and there that could be better. He’s quite extravagant so I don’t always know what his legs are doing under me. When you come out and everyone is excited, there is relief. He’s such a special horse, and though he is getting older, it just seems like we are just getting better, and I feel very lucky that it’s going that way.”

LaGoy-Weltz didn’t alter her freestyle since the last time she rode it in the International Stadium, and explained her reasoning on keeping it the same, though she and the 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by de Noir owned Mary Anne McPhail and LaGoy-Weltz do have other variations of it.

“It’s still the same pattern and the same music,” she commented. “Marlene Whitaker made it for us and it’s really still the first draft, but I feel like she got it quite good, and I like familiarity. We have versions with small tweaks, but I feel like I know this one well, and it works, so why change it? It’s quite a challenging pattern. There’s a lot in it, and it takes a lot of focus to ride, on his part and mine, but I like it a lot and I think Marlene did a fantastic job with all of it.”

For more information and results, please visit www.GlobalDressageFestival.com.

Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir ©SusanStickle.

Wellington, FL – March 5, 2021 – Week 8 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) continued on Friday, March 5, and welcomed a win for the USA’s Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services. With their score of 75.739%, LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir, a 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by de Noir 3 that she co-owns with Mary Anne McPhail, soared to the top of the leaderboard in the final class of the day, qualifying them for Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W.

LaGoy-Weltz began, “I feel like he really stayed with me today. Our goal for today was to just go in there and have a clean test, and it was almost clean, apart from a little jig in the walk, but I’m not too worried about that. For me, he gives a lot, and my goal was to keep him back and more collected with more brilliance. That was the plan, and I feel like we executed that well. I feel like we have ridden that line for a while where I keep him quiet but there is less brilliance, or there is brilliance but then it’s hard to keep the consistency, so it’s just getting better and better.”

The score was enough to give the pair a personal best, and LaGoy-Weltz said, “It feels really awesome to get a personal best, especially when it feels like it was just another day in the office. We were already really happy with the last show, and in the last show if it had been clean, our score would’ve been closer to this type of score. This one would’ve been even higher if it was totally clean, so I’m feeling good about it.”

The duo has their eyes set on the 2021 FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final at the end of March, and LaGoy-Weltz said that she won’t put pressure on herself in regard to the Olympics just yet. “For the moment,” she explained, “our strategy is to just focus on the World Cup Final. We had a different plan, but our timeline got pushed back, so I made the decision to just focus on World Cup at this point and take the pressure off trying to squeeze in Grand Prix Specials before that as well. I’m trying to do my best with that, and then take the Olympics as it follows. We want to do as well as we can and see where it goes from there.”

For more information and results, please visit www.GlobalDressageFestival.com.

Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and Rassing’s Lonoir. ©SusanStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – January 17, 2021 – Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir danced to yet another victory on Sunday, January 17, concluding week one of the 2021 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival with their personal best score, an 81.545% in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W presented by Lövsta.

Second place in the class was awarded to Yvonne Losos de Muniz (DOM) on Aquamarijn, her own 16-year-old KWPN mare by United (78.165%), while third place went to USA’s Anna Marek on Dee Clair, Diane Morrison’s 13-year-old KWPN mare by Sir Sinclair, who earned a 76.100%, another personal best.

“It’s great to get a personal best,” LaGoy-Weltz began. “Whenever you’ve been out for a long time – it’s been since February 2020 for us because of COVID – you always wonder if you’ll remember how to do it. You’re a little rusty, the test riding needs polishing, and the horse has to settle. It’s nice to be coming out this strong, and that makes you feel good about the whole program.”

Riding to pieces of the Simon and Garfunkel hit “Cecelia” with freestyle music created by Marlene Whitaker, LaGoy-Weltz and the 17-year-old Danish Warmblood by De Noir 3 owned by LaGoy-Weltz and Mary Anne McPhail perfected some of the suggestions given to them during the Grand Prix CDI-W on Friday.

“Last night I went over my test in detail,” explained LaGoy-Weltz, “and went over judges’ feedback from the last test to figure out where we are in the evolution of trying to allow more of this horse out, to look at the things I held back on Friday. For example, feedback on my last test was ‘Open up more in the changes,’ and I knew I could do that this time around. Here and there, taking the feedback and making the best of it is really important.”

For more information and results, please visit www.GlobalDressageFestival.com.

Olivia LaGoy-Weltz with Lonoir. ©️Susan Stickle.

Wellington, FL – January 24, 2020 – The 15-strong FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by U.S. P.R.E. Association, produced a flurry of personal bests. One horse after the other rose to the occasion in front of packed crowds for the evening class under lights in week three of the 2020 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida.

Honors were reserved for the last-to-go combination of Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and her 16-year-old Lonoir who pulled off a spectacular new personal best of 80.495%, breaking the magic barrier for the first time. Juan Matute Guimon of Spain finished second, with the rainbow of flags from different nations on the podium being rounded out by Canada’s Lindsay Kellock.

LaGoy-Weltz had revised her previous floorplan with the son of De Noir and increased the level of difficulty, resulting in some very impressive transitions, like extended canter into collected walk to a Simon & Garfunkel-themed soundtrack.

“We tried to choreograph it to make 80% possible,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is back in the international ring with Lonoir after an 18-month absence following a farrier issue. “We spent months setting it up for the highest degree of difficulty possible and then I just hoped we pulled off the technicality and the judges like the music.

“He can be incredibly hot, but he came out and handled the warm-up and the applause super well. This whole weekend for me, having not been in the ring for such a long time, I feel like we really achieved what we set out to. He’s a super horse and we are just tapping into what’s to come. Overall it was the perfect night.”

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

Lonoir and Olivia LaGoy-Weltz.

Wellington, FL – January 23, 2020 – After a break of 18 months, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and her long-time partner Lonoir came back to the competition arena to claim the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by U.S. P.R.E. Association. They led the 19-strong class with 73.435% on the opening day of CDI action in week three of the 2020 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida.

This was the 16-year-old De Noir gelding’s first international show since Aachen in Germany in July 2018, and he won with more than 3% in hand over Lindsay Kellock (CAN), whose 70.087% on Enterprise Farms LLC’s 14-year-old Sebastien was good enough for second place. Spain’s Juan Matute Guimon, who is a regular at AGDF, filled third on his father’s 17-year-old gelding Don Diego, by Don Frederico. The class was a qualifier for the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W under lights on Friday night, which will also feature demonstrations from Blue Hors and the US P.R.E. Association.

LaGoy-Weltz had already been considering a very quiet 2019 for Lonoir in preparation for their Tokyo 2020 Olympic campaign, and the decision was finally taken out of her hands after a farriery issue in December 2018 put him out of action.

“He had a bad shoeing session and his foot growth was completely stunted; when the foot is that aggravated, it takes a long time for it to start growing again,” explained LaGoy-Weltz. “He has asymmetric feet anyway, with one very flat and one upright. So I think the competition break was meant to be and we really wanted to come back from the time off better than ever.”

Their triumphant return proved that the notoriously electric horse has benefitted from the break, but he still looked lively and fresh in the prize-giving.

“He’s been a very sturdy horse and I think we’re tapping into his best now,” added LaGoy-Weltz. “I have a feeling it’s going to have paid off big-time. He feels fresh and amazing and happy to be in there. I’m happy that we could just go out there and clock out a clean test for 73%.

“He’s always been very hot and we’ve always tried to make it quiet, and now I finally feel really ready to try and ride him more on the edge. That may make for some spectacular things and some mistakes also, but I think we’re really ready to take those risks and feel like all the training and maturity is coming together.”

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

LaGoy-Weltz and Lonoir. Photo Credit: ©SusanJStickle.

Wellington, FL — March 16, 2018 — Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) and Lonoir chalked up their fifth win from six starts at the 2018 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) by taking the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4*, presented by Havensafe Farm. Their resounding score of 76.6% in week 10 of AGDF at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida was a personal best for the pair, whose previous high freestyle score was 74.425%, achieved in Aachen in July 2017.

“I was really happy with him, especially as he was epically airborne last time we were in this setting, so I’m thrilled we kept our feet on the ground,” said LaGoy-Weltz of her own 14-year-old Danish warmblood gelding by Le Noir. “When he’s waiting for me and on the same page, it’s a pretty cool feeling and there’s a lot available there — even more than we’re showing now.”

LaGoy-Weltz upgraded her music last year, adapting an existing small tour freestyle soundtrack.

“We hadn’t used it a whole lot, so I asked Terri [Gallo] if we could grow it. I like the music — it’s called ‘Ain’t Misbehaving’, which is somewhat fitting. Though we are working on something new as he’s a much ‘bigger’ horse now, it seemed to work for tonight, so we’re not in a huge hurry,” she added. “This one is not overly complicated as it was designed as a starter one, so we’ll have more challenging stuff in the next one. And we’ll highlight the flow and power that he’s so good at.”

Second-placed Arlene ‘Tuny’ Page (USA) finished second on Woodstock, logging their second best ever freestyle score of 75% exactly.

“He’s matured a lot in the last three months,” said Page, who rode to music from the movie Amistad that she used with her former grand prix horse Wild One. “We had a super rough start as he’s very sensitive with wind, but at every show this season he’s developed more.

“This was only ever starter music, but I knew one day I’d have another horse who it would suit, and Marlene Whitaker is a flipping genius and she reworked the music to suit Woodstock,” said Page.

The test is a technically demanding one, which Page designed two years ago with the intention of maximizing the difficulty.

“It’s full of difficult things in difficult sequences; the idea was to layer complicated sequences one after the other. I’m actually comfortable riding it now, and Woodstock is a horse with a lot of alacrity and sensitivity, though he can be a scallywag. It’s nice riding the freestyle because he never anticipates — because I rarely practice.”

Juan Matute Guimon, Spain’s 20-year-old riding star, was once again on the “Friday Night Stars” podium, finishing third on his father’s Don Diego Ymas, a 15-year-old by Don Frederico.

“Last time we had a few miscommunications,” said Matute, who was riding to music put together by his mother and a floorplan he designed with his double Olympian father. “But today he felt rather good, the piaffe felt better and I was pleased with the overall performance. My horse perhaps doesn’t have the highest quality of gaits, but we know how to fight with what we’ve got — and dressage is about trying to reach the full potential with what you’ve got.”

Judge Janet Foy, who was presiding from C, said: “Having judged these guys over the season, there has been so much improvement. It’s really exciting to be able to sit there as judges and give eights and nines. All three of these top tests were so clear and focused, so we could really enjoy watching and judging.”

Canada’s long-time, much loved combination of Jacqueline Brooks and D Niro bowed out of competition at AGDF, taking their final salute at the venue which has been so much part of the pair’s journey together. They finished sixth with 70.6%, and the 19-year-old grey gelding — fondly known as Goose — will now return to Canada. Familiar faces on the AGDF circuit since 2012, the crowd showed their appreciation for this popular duo with a standing ovation.

Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Juliano, whose Havensafe Farm sponsored the class, said: “It’s been a privilege to be involved with the AGDF from the beginning; it’s unique in that it’s an excellent facility with excellent management and ample opportunity to show. As you could see from the appreciation for Goose tonight, we are all one family, regardless of nationality. The performances tonight were spine-tingling — really a thrill.”

Beatrice ‘Trixi’ Marienau secured back-to-back wins, having also triumphed in the grand prix. She also took the winner’s sash in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by The Dutta Corporation. Riding the equal oldest horse in the class, 19-year-old Gribaldi gelding Stefano 8, she posted 72.1% — the only plus-70% of the class.

The German-born 47-year-old American is an unlikely dressage winner, having formerly showjumped, then become a cowgirl on a ranch, before finally turning to dressage — despite what she terms “ring-phobia” that requires her to meditate before each test.

Their double win in week 10 was a first for Marienau, who has only two previous wins in the five years they have been competing together at international grand prix. Their winning freestyle score is their second highest ever, and their best for two years.

“He’s a firecracker, and I appreciate every day I have with him,” said Marienau, who bought ‘Fino’ in 2012. “I feel his age sometimes, so in the training we really work a lot on the suppleness so he can come through with the beautiful exercises that he knows how to do. Tonight I asked him to dance for me, so he did.

“He was already a trained grand prix horse but in the beginning the switch from a man to a woman rider was difficult, so we took our time and have been working with Lilo Fore ever since. I only rode my first grand prix in 2011, so Fino has done so much for me, including going to the Festival of Champions and onto my first Nations Cup team, which was a big dream of mine,” she added.

James Koford (USA) was second on Sherry Koella’s 11-year-old home-bred colored Friesian sport horse mare, Adiah HP (69.555%), with Canada’s Jill Irving finishing third on her own Jazz gelding Arthur with 69.12%.

Tina Konyot (USA) and PSD Partners LLC’s Desperados gelding Diamantino II led the huge Prix St Georges CDI1* class, which was sponsored by Horseware Ireland. Of the 26 entries, the top three all broached 70%, with Konyot posting 70.343 — bolstered by her high score of 73.088% from the judge at C, Janet Foy.

This was the horse’s second win in his nine small tour FEI starts, having kicked off his CDI career in January of this year. This was the first time he had scored north of 70%. American Lauren Asher (Honnerups Event) and Germany’s Michael Klimke (Harmony’s Diabolo) tied for second place, posting 70.098%.

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

LaGoy-Weltz and Lonoir. Photo Credit: ©SusanJStickle.

Wellington, FL — March 15, 2018 — In both CDI4* grand prix classes of the day, it was the last horse who took home the winning sash and rug. Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) was the beneficiary in the Grand Prix CDI4*, presented by Havensafe Farm, putting an unassailable 73.783% on the score board. It was the showcase class on the second day of week 10 of the 2018 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida.

LaGoy-Weltz and her own Lonoir, a 14-year-old Danish warmblood gelding by Le Noir, have won four of their last five CDI starts — interrupted only by Adrienne Lyle (USA) on Salvino.

“We managed to get everything in that test,” said LaGoy-Weltz, a Virginia native, referring to mistakes made in previous tests this season. “It seems like it’s been a case of if we get one thing, then something else goes away. There’s still stuff that can be better; he can pirouette for an eight in training, for example, but in there he was anticipating them and making them a hair too small. But I was super happy with his rideability and relaxation today.

“In Wellington, I keep him over at Oded Shimoni’s place and go to Debbie McDonald’s for lessons,” she explained. “If I’m riding at Oded’s then either he or Robert [Dover] is keeping an eye on me, so the past few weeks I haven’t been allowed to get off the straight and narrow.”

LaGoy-Weltz’s ultimate aim for the season is the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, North Carolina, in the fall, and she is conscious of peaking at the right time.

“There’s still a lot to improve, but we’re stepping in the right direction and things are becoming a little less exciting than they were in the first two shows,” she added. “It’s really crucial to try to make sure your curve goes up and up to that spot and it’s quite a few months that we’re working over; starting here and wanting to continue to make things better. We’re heading in the right direction — even though there is a bit more homework to do.”

The all-American, all-female top three featured Arlene ‘Tuny’ Page, whose 70% on Woodstock, a dainty 15-year-old by Havel, was good enough for second. Katherine Bateson-Chandler was a whisker under 70% in third, finishing on 69.696% with her own Contango gelding Alcazar after she took an uncharacteristic wrong turn.

From last draw of 11 starters in the Grand Prix CDI4*, presented by Mission Control, Canada’s Brittany Fraser’s 71.957% — a personal best in the grand prix test for her and the 13-year-old All In — was enough to grab victory by 0.1% from Shelly Francis (USA) and Danilo, who had led the class from the outset. Fraser’s trainer Ashley Holzer — a four-time Canadian Olympian who now rides for the United States — finished third on Havanna 145 (70.783%).

“That was awesome,” enthused Fraser. “I had a really good feeling coming up to this show — we were working on getting the piaffe a little more confirmed — and every time I sent him forward, he came right back to me. He was really on my aids and it was the first time we’ve won a grand prix. On the last center line he was right there for me; I aided and he did it. It’s his third year at grand prix and I feel he finally knows his job and feels more confident in what he’s doing. I’m so happy!”

Fraser bought the horse as a five-year-old from the Equine Elite Auction in the Netherlands, after riding him “for 10 minutes”. Even then, the big-gaited horse had immense power.

“At five he was already huge, but awesome, and felt like a rocket ship taking off,” recalled the 29-year-old, who was logging her first win of the season on the Tango gelding. “I started at first level with him and worked my way up. He’s been an amazing horse for me and I’m so thankful.”

Fraser has been based in New York with Holzer for the past five years, but in September 2017 she and her husband Marc-Andre Beaulieu bought a house in Montreal.

“I’m married now and thought that I need to start my own business and do my own thing, and took All In there for a rest in the fall after competing in Europe last year,” she said. “Then I came down to Wellington to train with Ashley in December. But because Ashley has half the grand prix horses in all these classes, Jacquie Brooks has been amazing to step up and help me. We all work together and it’s an amazing, supportive team. That’s how you make it.”

She has not decided yet whether to compete on the European circuit in the summer of 2018, and it is not mandatory for Canadian riders wishing to put themselves forward for selection for WEG in September. The pair’s next stops include the Tryon CDI in April and Ottawa CDI in May.

Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven brought Benetton Dream FRH back into the international arena for the first time in over a year and won the Grand Prix CDI3* (for special) with 71.522%. She and Lovsta Stuteri’s stallion held the lead from first draw at 8am, just 30 minutes after the sunrise in South Florida, thanks to the recent change in the clocks for daylight savings.

Despite a year off due to injury, this was the Brentano II son’s second highest score in the grand prix test, and his first international win since his hugely successful young horse class days. This is the 14-year-old’s fourth year in a row contesting the big tour classes at the AGDF in Wellington.

Megan Lane (CAN) and her own 17-year-old Caravella came closest to beating Vilhelmson-Silfven — and was even trending higher at some points in the test — but had to settle for second place with 71% after a break to canter on the final center line. Third place went to the USA’s Adrienne Lyle, who was riding Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Juliano’s 11-year-old mare Horizon at international grand prix for the first time. The pair scored 70.109%.

It was another all-American podium in the FEI Grand Prix CDI3* (to qualify for the freestyle), with Beatrice Marienau and her own Stefano 8, by Gribaldi, taking the spoils with 68.174%. Stefano was the equal oldest horse in the class, at 19, and he has been competing at international grand prix since 2010.

Bianca Tota filled second on her own Cadento V (66.804%) in the horse’s third ever FEI test, and first-drawn James Koford was third on Sherry Koella’s striking colored Friesian sport horse mare, Adiah HP (65.804%).

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