Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 20,2015–Mikala Gundersen on My Lady won the $120,000 CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle on a chilly Friday night under lights, the second straight win for the Danish World Games team partnership at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

Mikala, with coaching help from her jumper husband, Henrik, as her longtime trainer Ernst Hoyes was not in Wellington, rode the black mare to a score of 75.625 per cent to take first prize of $24,000 at the CDI4* present by Dutta Corp. at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Canada’s World Games team duo of Karen Pavicic on Don Dacquiri placed second on 72.250 per cent with amateur rider Kasey Perry of Orangeville, California on Trostruplunde Scarlet third on 72.025 per cent.

The winning ride by Mikala and My Lady can be seen here.

Anna Marek of Williston, Florida on Unico G posted the second international win of their career when the pair won the CDI3* Freestyle with 68.075 percent earlier Friday.

German team rider Christoph Koschel on Tiesto was second on 71.600 per cent and Lauren Sammis of South Orange, New Jesey on Whitman third on 68.075 per cent.

The event marked the midway point of the Global circuit of seven CDIs–four World Cup events and the only CDI5*, CDI4* and Nations Cup in the Western Hemisphere, with more than $650,000 in prize money.

This six-day international and national events had well over 600 rides, surpassing any previous horse show in size in the Western Hemisphere, and among the largest in the world. It came in the fourth year of the Global festival that was created on unused polo fields to be a companion of the Winter Equestrian Festival of jumping and American hunters.

Mikala, who was second ranked money winner in 2014 and heading to the title again this year behind full-time fellow Wellington resident Lars Petersen, said: “Can I say again thanks to Lars for not showing up so I can win, like I did at this same event last year.”

Ernst Hoyes, who is frequently in Wellington along with more than a dozen of the top trainers in the world, has been the longtime coach of Mikala and Lisa Wilcox from when both riders were based in Europe.

In his absence, Mikala depended on husband Henrik for coaching.

It worked. She was ranked first by all five judges.

Despite the cold and wind–not by European winter outdoor temperatures but in the low 50 degrees fahrenheit (10C) with gusting winds that is much colder and with flapping flags and tents colder and more distracting than typical European indoor competitions, the Freestyle attracted a crowd of more than 1,00 spectators.

Mikala said the warmup on the 15-year-old Danish Warmblood mare by Michellino owned Janne Rumbough, former Dane now American living on Palm Beach, with Henrik providing eyes on the ground–he described it less glamorously–may have been the best ever for the pair.

Kasey Perry, the American amateur rider, said she smiled through her entire ride and was starstruck to be at the Freestyle awards with the World Games combinations.

Results: