Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén and Jennifer Williams Shine under the Lights at AGDF
Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén & Hyatt. ©Centre Line Media
Wellington, Fla. – February 27, 2026 — Two top-level classes highlighted the ‘Friday Night Stars’ gala evening during Week 8 at the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (SWE) led the Donato Farms CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle, while Jennifer Williams came out on top of an all-female Donato Farms CDI4* Grand Prix Special riding Joppe K.
As Vilhelmson Silfvén passaged one-handed down the final centerline of her charming freestyle test on Lövsta Stuteri’s 14-year-old Hyatt, whoops and cheers rang out. Their final score of 78% was their second highest to date. Germany’s Michael Klimke rode the youngest horse in the class, 12-year-old Harmony’s Fado (Fairytale x Sir Donnerhall), into second place in the horse’s second-ever CDI freestyle, with a new personal best of 74.77%. U.S. athlete Susan Dutta rounded out the podium representing a third nation with her 72.895% ride on Flying D Equine Company’s 16-year-old Don Design DC (Der Designer x Sir Donnerhall).
Vilhelmson Silfvén has been riding Hyatt (Apache x Sandreo) since March 2023 and has always maintained her belief in the compact, willing mare’s talent for the higher scores. Her prediction is proving well-founded.
“Last year, I didn’t dare to compete Hyatt in the Friday night class because she is really motivated and very awake,” said the seven-time Olympian who earned week eight’s Leading Lady Freestyle Rider Award, sponsored by Frank & Eileen. “Over the past year, I started to think it could work. I took her in the five-star and she got really excited, but today she was super.
“I’m always searching for the balance between power and relaxation, and I don’t always succeed,” she continued. “What horses need is to have trust in you and to like their work. You need a smart setup for every horse, which is different for every animal, so you figure out what’s good for them. For sure, the chance to ride here in the winter, at this show with perfect atmosphere, is a super opportunity to teach the horses how to go.”
Jennifer Williams Claims Special
Five female American riders battled it out in the Donato Farms CDI4* Grand Prix Special, with Jennifer Williams and Joppe K logging 70.128% to take the blue ribbon — their first four-star victory. The judges could not decide between Ashley Holzer’s test on Hawtins San Floriana and Meagan Davis’s ride on Toronto Lightfoot, awarding both an overall score of 69.192%. The placings were decided on the collective marks, with Holzer garnering a higher harmony average to bag second place with her own and Diane Fellows’s 14-year-old mare by San Amour. Davis and Scott Durkin’s 13-year-old Totilas gelding were awarded the yellow ribbon.
The 2026 AGDF is Joppe K’s seventh straight season competing in Wellington, so it comes as no surprise that he is relaxed in the ring. The 12-year-old gelding by Rousseau has been competing at international grand prix for four years, and this was his highest Special score since April 2024.
“It was a great night,” enthused Williams, who trains with Oded Shimoni and Christophe Theallet. “The atmosphere was helpful for us, and the weather was cooler, with a bit of a feeling of a storm brewing, and he felt that energy. I really wanted the harmony and the joy to come out in the ride. I felt like we were united and well connected.
“I felt blessed that they put the special into tonight’s program [rather than during the day], because that’s where Joppe really shines. Sometimes the 80-degree weather can be a lot, and I want to keep him motivated. With Joppe, it’s important that we keep things fresh and fun, so we do a lot of hacking. He obviously knows the movements now, so fitness is the key, along with keeping things light.”
Wellington International
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