Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 8, 2015–Chris Von Martels rode Zilverstar to victory in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival World Cup Intermediate Freestyle Sunday, the second straight musical performance win for the Canadian team prospects.

The duo’s best performance in the Prix St. Georges of 73.395 per cent during the show will also boost the pair to the top rungs of the small tour rankings for the Pan American Games to be staged in Toronto in July.

Chris and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding were placed first by all five judges in the Freestyle for a score of 74.950 per cent and came a month after their previous victory at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Fellow Canadian Christilot Boylen on Donatella was second on 72.050 per cent with America’s Silva Martin of Cochranville, Pennsylvania third on 71.950 per cent.

Chris is seeking to make his first Canadian senior championship team and the latest results should put him in the top rungs of the standings with Diane Creech and Robbie W on average Prix St. Georges/Intermediate 1 71.877 and Belinda Trussell and Tattoo on 71.081 per cent.

Nations can field teams of mixed Big Tour and Small Tour combinations at the Pan Ams but the single country that can qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro–must have at least one Grand Prix horse and rider on the Pan Am team.

Zilverstar, Chris said, was “fantastic from the first day of this competition. He has become very consistent as he has developed strength and confidence. Now he’s shining.”

He will ride the horse on the Canadian team at the Nations Cup in Wellington at the end of this month, the only non-championship team event in the Western Hemisphere.

Then, he will return to Canada to compete in the two CDis scheduled for the Toronto area in May and June.

He works with Ashley Holzer, the Canadian multi-Olympian and Sjef Janssen, former Dutch team coach.

Results: