Adrienne Lyle & Wizard Win Florida’s Global Dressage Festival CDI5* Grand Prix
13 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Adrienne Lyle & Wizard Win Florida’s Global Dressage Festival CDI5* Grand Prix
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 29–Wizard returned from a month off to heal a sore back fitter and more confident than ever to be piloted by Adrienne Lyle to victory and a personal best score at Grand Prix in North America’s only CDI5* in 2012 at the Global Dressage Festival. Germany’s Anja Plönzke and Le Mont d’Or were second in the field of 20 horses and riders in the event presented by Diamante Farms.
The score of 73.021 per cent for Adrienne of Ketchum, Idaho, and the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Weltmeyer x Pica Classiker) owned by Peggy Thomas surpassed their previous best of 72.191 per cent attained at Estes Park, Colorado, last August.
Anja, who is in Florida for the second time this year and gave the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Landjuwel Gold x Wie Andrea x Wie Weltmeyer) most of the week off in readiness for the third straight weekend of competing, scored 71.851 per cent. Ashley Holzer and Breakng Dawn, her prospect for Canada’s London Olympic team, was third on 70.957 per cent.
Perhaps the unluckiest combination was Todd Flettrich of Wellington and Otto who were heading to a top three finish with one of the best rides for the 2010 World Equestrian Games team partnership when they made their first ever error of course that dropped them to a fifth place tie with Heather Blitz, also of Wellington, and Paragon, on a score of 70.830 per cent. Todd and Otto have been consistently in the top ribbons this season.
But the limelight in the Grand Prix that paid $12,000 (€9,000) in prize money out of the $120,000 (€90,000) for the DI5* with the lion’s share going to the freestyle Friday night belonged to Adrienne and Wizard. In February, the last time they competed in this same arena that is the centerpiece of the new multimillion dollar Gobal Dressage Festival grounds, Wizard was suffering from a sore back. The horse was given a month off while undergoing therapy.
“He feels like he’s back to his old self, even a bit better,” said Adrienne, 27, who is coached by Debbie McDonald, the rider and trainer of Brentina, now retired.
“He seems much more happy in his own skin, more brilliant than before.
“The goal was just to get him back in the ring, develop his confidence again. We accomplished that.
“Everything seemed easier, more confident.”
They fly back to their California base next week and will compete at the Del Mar CDI3* in California a month from now as their last show before the U.S. Olympic selection trials in Gladstone, New Jersey, in June.
This is the fourth time in Wellington for Anja Plönzke and Le Mont d’Or. The pair have competed at three World Dressage Masters Palm Beach.With construction of the new show grounds and $270,000 in prize money at the five Global Dressage Festival CDIs this winter circuit, she returned to a place she loves.
She gave Le Mont d’Or most of this week off, and hacked him looking for crocodiles in the lake in the center of the equine complex where she is stabled and turtles beside the road.
Aside from a mistake in the one-tempi changes, she said, “I think we managed it very good.”
The top eight combinations move to the freestyle that will open with a laser light spectacular Friday night.
The Grand Prix Special will be held earlier Friday.
Complete Grand Prix results:
| E: Tornblad ‘5*” – DEN | H: Steiner ‘5*’ – USA | C: Fouarge ‘5*’ – NED | M: Cunningham ‘4*’ – PER | B: Zang ‘5*’ – USA |
| Rider | Ctzn | Horse | E % | H % | C % | M % | B % | T % | Pl. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyle, Adrienne | USA | Wizard | 73.511% | 73.936% | 73.617% | 71.383% | 72.660% | 73.021% | 1 | |||||||||||
| Plonzke, Anja | GER | Le Mont d’Or | 72.128% | 70.426% | 73.404% | 70.638% | 72.660% | 71.851% | 2 | |||||||||||
| Holzer, Ashley | CAN | Breaking Dawn | 71.702% | 69.362% | 70.532% | 70.957% | 72.234% | 70.957% | 3 | |||||||||||
| Konyot, Tina | USA | Calecto V | 71.277% | 70.213% | 70.106% | 70.319% | 72.340% | 70.851% | 4 | |||||||||||
| Blitz, Heather | USA | Paragon | 71.277% | 70.319% | 70.213% | 72.128% | 70.213% | 70.830% | 5 | |||||||||||
| Flettrich, Todd | USA | Otto | 70.745% | 69.787% | 71.915% | 67.553% | 74.149% | 70.830% | 5 | |||||||||||
| Harding, Shawna | USA | Come On III | 67.447% | 70.426% | 69.043% | 68.723% | 66.277% | 68.383% | 7 | |||||||||||
| Bateson, Kathrine | USA | Nartan | 67.553% | 65.426% | 69.362% | 69.787% | 67.979% | 68.021% | 8 | |||||||||||
| Koford, James | USA | Rhett | 67.553% | 67.447% | 67.766% | 68.085% | 68.511% | 67.872% | 9 | |||||||||||
| Marcus, David | CAN | Chrevi’s Capital | 68.830% | 66.277% | 67.447% | 65.957% | 69.149% | 67.532% | 10 | |||||||||||
| St Jacques, Pierre | USA | Lucky Tiger | 67.979% | 68.085% | 66.170% | 68.298% | 66.809% | 67.468% | 11 | |||||||||||
| Brooks, Jacquline M. | CAN | D Niro | 67.447% | 69.574% | 64.574% | 66.809% | 67.766% | 67.234% | 12 | |||||||||||
| Losos de Muniz, Yvonne | DOM | Liebling II | 67.979% | 67.340% | 65.532% | 63.617% | 67.553% | 66.404% | 13 | |||||||||||
| Hickey, Christopher | USA | Douglas Hilltop | 66.170% | 64.255% | 66.809% | 68.191% | 65.213% | 66.128% | 14 | |||||||||||
| Page, Arlene | USA | Wild One | 63.191% | 63.936% | 65.957% | 66.596% | 65.745% | 65.085% | 15 | |||||||||||
| Peters, Joni Lynn | CAN | Travolta | 63.511% | 64.574% | 62.553% | 63.085% | 63.511% | 63.447% | 16 | |||||||||||
| Strasser, Evi | CAN | Action Tyme | 64.468% | 64.149% | 62.872% | 62.660% | 62.021% | 63.234% | 17 | |||||||||||
| Austin, Elisabeth | USA | Olivier | 64.043% | 63.085% | 63.085% | 62.872% | 62.234% | 63.064% | 18 | |||||||||||
| Winter, Victoria | CAN | Proton | 65.106% | 61.915% | 60.745% | 64.362% | 61.915% | 62.809% | 19 | |||||||||||
| Vander Ploeg, Gary | CAN | Cezanne | 62.447% | 63.404% | 57.979% | 60.638% | 61.489% | 61.191% | 20 |
