Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

TRYON, North Carolina, April 20, 2018–Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet won the World Equestrian Games CDI3* Grand Prix test event Friday in the second competition for the United States Olympic team bronze medal partnership since returning from an eight-month break.

Kasey and Dublet scored 73.935 per cent in their first competition at the Tryon International Equestrian Center that is in the midst of major construction to prepare for September’s World Games of driving, dressage, endurance, eventing, jumping, reining, vaulting and para-dressage that are staged only once every four years.

Adrienne Lyle and Horizon placed second on 71.957 per cent, the highest score so far in the three CDI Grand Prix since the 2012 Olympic rider and the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare began Big Tour last month.

Belinda Trussell, seeking to qualify Tattoo for a place on Canada’s WEG team, was third 70.043 per cent.

There were big differences in scores from the five judges for Kasey and Dublet.

The duo was awarded 77.174 per cent by American Anne Gribbons at B, 75-plus from Katrina Wüst of Germany at C and Christoph Umbach of Luxembourg at M, almost 73 per cent from Lee Tubman of Canada and 69 per cent from Annette Fransen Iacobaeus of Sweden at E.

Dressage is one of three WEG test events being conducted this week, the others being para-dressage and driving at the 1,200-acre show grounds.

Kasey and the 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding competed once at this year’s just concluded Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida where the 30-year-old rider is now based, for a score of 73.217 per cent.

The pair was already on the U.S. Elite squad, and the two scores above 73 per cent confirm their position and is expected to be invited to go to Europe in early June with a group of about eight American horses and riders to compete at at major shows seeking to earn a spot on the four-member WEG team.

Adrienne Lyle is also in the top squad with Salvino and in the pre-Elite group with Horizon. Both horses are owned by Elizabeth Juliano.

Kasey described the venue as “amazing, a world class venue, especially when it’s all done for the World Equestrian Games. It’s going to be very similar to Aachen, maybe even better. They’ve done a great job with the stabling and the arena and the atmosphere.”

Dublet, she said, “already feels a lot better than he has ever felt. It’s really fine-tuning the small things. Getting a little bit of his nerves out of the arena and focusing a bit more on me and the connection. He’s a spectacular horse.

“Points will start coming up because he knows what he’s doing.

“Compared to last year we’re a little bit more secure in our test work. Now we’re going back being really meticulous about the small things to get points wherever we can.

“I think there’s a lot more in there. If I really focus on my test work I think I can really bump up my score to where the top score was today. He’s done it once before. It wasn’t a fluke thing. He has that talent.

“There were some bumps in the road, but now I feel like I’ve got him back to where he was in 2016.”

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix test event for World Equestrian Games

Judges-E: Annette Fransen Iacobaeus-SWE H: Lee Tubmann-CAN C: Katrina Wuest-GER M: Christoph Umbach-LUX B: Anne Gribbons (USA)