Adrienne Lyle & Horizon Post Personal Best to Win Wellington CDI3* St. Georges
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 15, 2017–Adrienne Lyle rode Horizon to the 10-year-old mare’s first Prix St. Georges victory with a personal best score at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI3* Wednesday.
Adrienne who began competing the Oldenburg mare at CDI in January this year scored 71.447 per cent for the victory in the event that was sponsored by Elizabeth Juliano’s Havensafe Farm, the owner of Horizon since the horse was three years old.
“Obviously Horizon knew,” Adrienne said. “You couldn’t wish for more.”
Lars Petersen the Florida-based Danish Olympian, placed second on Quascai Nexen with a score of 70.447 per cent in the pair’s first CDI competition in six months.
Spain’s Juan Matute, Jr., also based in Wellington, on Dhannie Ymas was third on 70.368 per cent.
Adrienne rode in an oversize pair of boots that she found in a second-hand store after a horse trod on her right foot that swelled too much to fit in her regular boot right before this show.
Even so, she rated the ride, her fourth CDI St. Georges, as the best so far but it will be the last Small Tour series of this winter circuit as the duo hopes to qualify for the United States Intermediate championship in Gladstone, New Jersey May 18-21.
“To have her just as fresh, confident and happy, that’s your goal training them,” Adrienne said, “to see them loving it the last time they go down the centerline as the first time out. She’s for sure not wrung out. She’s ready to go a few more times.”
Since she rode Wizard for the United States at the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 World Games, Adrienne, who has worked for and with Debbie McDonald for 11 years, has focused on developing several horses for big sport.
In addition to Horizon, she rode Harmony’ Duval to 10th place on a score of 67.053 per cent in the St. Georges.
Adrienne plans to compete Salvino on which she has been successful at national Grand Prix, in the 10-year-old Hanoverian stallion’s first CDI Grand Prix in the Global CDI3* next week. Salvino was named Sandronnerhall when bought by an American syndicate from Spain two years ago.
Betsy Juliano, a successful self-made business owner, is a member of Salvino’s ownership group as well as owner of Horizon and also of Handsome that was ridden by Jennifer Baumert to fourth place on a score of 69.342 per cent in the St. Georges. She also owns Riccidoff, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding that Adrienne is scheduled to compete at national Intermediate 1 this weekend.
A tearful Betsy said after the Prix St. Georges about the development of Horizon by Adrienne and Debbie McDonald, “Step by step they’ve been very careful, very classical and very kind. She shows it; she loves what she does. She’s a huge busybody, love’s getting into everybody’s business. She loves going to these shows. The atmosphere never intimidates her. I can’t wait to see her continue to develop because she loves what she’s doing. I love seeing it happen.
“To see it happen here at Global which means so much to all of us, it’s really an honor.”
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