Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

DEVON, Pennsylvania, Sept. 27–Dressage at Devon World Cup Grand Prix might as well have been renamed the Ashley Holzer show on Friday as the Canadian won the Grand Prix for the Freestyle on Breaking Dawn and the Special on Jewel’s Adelante.

Jacqueline Brooks, her 2012 Olympic team mate who is coached by Ashley, posted the highest Grand Prix score in her life. And one of Ashley’s sponsors, an amateur, rode Pop Art, owned by Ashley and competed by her at the 2008 Olympics, to fifth place in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle in only her sixth start on the 16-year-old gelding.

The New York City-based Ashley took the Grand Prix for the World Cup Freestye on Breaking Dawn, her mount in last summer’s London Olympics, with a score of 72.830 per cent.

Denmark’s Lars Petersen, based in Florida, had what he described as “the best ride ever” on Mariett to place second on 72.191 per cent. United States Olympic and World Equestrian Games combination of Tina Konyot of Palm City, Florida and Calecto V was third on 70.170 per cent.

Mikala Munter Gundersen on My Lady, Nations Cup Danish team mates of Lars in Europe this summer, was fourth on 69.936 per cent that came within 0.107 per cent of their personal best at Fritzens, Austria in July.

Jill Irving, an amateur and longtime sponsor of Ashley, rode Pop Art to the fifth spot on 69.809 per cent, a placing that Ashley described as “heart wrenching” for the thrill as a trainer that may have been greater than her own success.

Jacqueline Brooks, Ashley’s long time friend, student and team mate on two of Ashley’s four Olympics, placed sixth with a score of 69.298 per cent that was a lifetime high for CDI Grand Prix.

It came on the 85th Grand Prix start on four diferent horses, according to the official records that go back to April, 2007 and eclipses her previous best of 69.085 per cent that was also on D Niro and set in Florida in March, 2012.

On Jewel’s Adelante Ashley also captured the Grand Prix for the Special with a score of 72.000 per cent, a horse she is riding for a few weeks while the owner gave birth to her third child.

Michael Barisone of Long Valley, New Jersey, placed second on Ellegria. on 67.574 per cent with Australian Kelly Layne on Von Primaire in third on 66.787 per cent.

The Freestyle that is the third in the World Cup North American Lreague to qualify two combinations from North America for the final in Lyon, France next April will be held Saturday night.

Results: