Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, June 23, 2018–Adrienne Lyle and Horizon won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special Saturday, the first ever European victory for the American Olympic rider and in only their fourth Big Tour event.

Adrienne and the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare being competing outside the United States for the first time, were awarded 70.681 per cent.

Sweden’s Juliette Ramel and Wall Street Jv were second on 70.660 per cent and Italy’s Riccardo Sanavio on Glock’s Federleicht in third on 70.426 per cent.

The victory on the horse that Adrienne started riding three years ago for owner Betsy Juliano who had bought Horizon as a three-year-old, was the first ever in Europe for Adrienne, 33 years old of Ketchum, Idaho. She first competed in Europe on Wizard in 2010 later riding for the United States at the London Olympics in 2012 and the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France in 2014.

Adrienne also rides Salvino that is also owned by Betsy and is one of the eight combinations on the U.S. Elite squad in Europe vying for a spot on The Dutta Corp. team at the WEG in Tryon, North Carolina in September.

Adrienne’s success Saturday was a big recovery from the Grand Prix a day earlier when she received a score of 67.747 per cent for a ride that included mistakes in the horse’s first competition in Europe and an arena that is so compact there is no room to ride outside the rails before starting and where spectators are literally feet away.

She did not, however, make excuses putting the performance down to inexperience and a lot of “firsts” after competing in the more horse friendly and spacious arenas of Wellington, Florida and Tryon.

The plans is to compete Horizon in Leudelange, Luxembourg next month and the result there will determine whether to start in Aachen, Germany a month from now.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Judges–E: Isabelle Judet-FRA H: Maarten van der Heijden-NED C: Peter Holler-Ger M: Andrew Gardner-GBR B: Susan Hoevenaars-AUS