By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
GLADSTONE, New Jersey, May 21, 2017–Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet, the American Olympic team bronze medalists, became the United States Grand Prix champion Sunday.
The pair won the Tim Dutta Grand Prix three days ago and placed second in Sunday’s freestyle with a score of 73.325 per cent that was enough to hold off a challenge from Adrienne Lyle and Salvino that took the musical performance with a score of of 76.325 per cent in the first freestyle for the pair.
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz on Lonoir that won the Grand Prix Special was third on 73.250 per cent in the freestyle.
Adrienne commented that with the top three all friends and working with Debbie McDonald the results were “all in the family.”
Kasey, 29 years old based in Wellington, Florida said the championships on the 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding were “not out best competition” with success in the Grand Prix but not in the Special.
At times, she said, Dublet can get tired and a little dull but she will be going to Idaho to “work on things we struggled with this weekend.”
Olivia of Haymarket, Virginia upgraded the freestyle from Lonoir’s small tour but they had “outgrown it.”
Lonoir, who won the Special, had been toned down from being hot and expressive but the performances this weekend showed she had “to hunker down and jazz him up a bit.”
“I think there’s a whole other echelon to tap into,” she said, “we just have to have the guts to do it.”
Adrienne of Ketchum, Idaho said she borrowed the freestyle from Wizard that she rode at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 World Games for the first ever musical performance on Salvino.
Gary Rockwell, a FEI 5* judge who was president of the ground jury, described the championships as “exciting” with changes in the overall lead in the three divisions at stake during the four days of competition.
“It was fun because it was up and down,” he said. “Clearly everybody made their best effort and it paid off.”
Results:
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