Danish Couple Lars Petersen & “Hot” Mariett Log Another Win–Wellington CDI4* Grand Prix
11 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Danish Couple Lars Petersen & “Hot” Mariett Log Another Win–Wellington CDI4* Grand Prix
WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 6, 2014–The 16-year-old Mariett that Lars Petersen said was “hotter than she’s ever been,” logged another victory when the Danish partnership won the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI4* Grand Prix Thursday.
“I love an older woman who gets hotter and hotter,” said the Danish Olympian based in Florida and looking to become an American citizen within the next year.
Lars and Mariett–who had more than a year off with what was thought to be a career-ending injury in which one of her hooves was torn off–scored 70.960 per cent for the win over the Unted States Olympic combination of Adrienne Lyle of Hailey, Idaho and Wizard on 69.600 per cent and and Denmark’s Mikala Munter Gundersen, also based in Florida, and My Lady third on 69.460 per cent.
The record for Mariett has been remarkable since the horse’s return to competition. Owner Marcia Pepper had bought the horse for her to ride as an amateur but during the rehabilitation from the freak accident opted to let Lars compete her.
In the two years since starting the Big Tour then, the results have been remarkable–15 victories in 35 starts on both sides of the Atlantic.
The pair are ranked 18th in the world–their highest placing so far for Lars and Mariett.
“It was not one of my best tests,” he said after the ride. “She was very hot. I’ve never ridden her that she was that hot. When they get a little older and they want to go like that, that’s a good thing.”
Lars, an Olympic, world championship and World Cup star for Denmark and until last year an organizer of top dressage competitions in Loxahatchee that is a neighboring community of Wellington, described the Global Dressage Festival grounds as “perfect.”
“There is no place like this in the world,” he said. “This is so great. This venue is perfect.”
Mikala joked about a mistake in the one-tempi changes on My Lady that placed her third–a position she wants to move up from.
“I stopped counting and then I stopped to think about how many changes and she stopped.”
Adrienne said she was cutting the warm-up time with Wizard in half.
The horse ran out of gas in the test, she said, but she wanta “to get enough experience in the ring without wearing him out.”
Results:
