Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 11, 2019–Laura Graves and Verdades debuted the “Coming to America” Grand Prix Freestyle prepared for last year’s Tryon World Equestrian Games to win the inaugural Adequan Global Dressage Festival World Cup musical performance of 2019.

Laura, who a day earlier was named USA Equestrian of 2018, and the KWPN gelding that officially became 17 years old on Jan. 1, were awarded 83.220 per cent, all five judges marking the world No. 2 combination above 80 per cent.

The freestyle at this Global opening show was the first international event for Laura and “Diddy” since the Tryon World Games where the musical competition was cancelled because of bad weather and the first freestyle since the CDIO5* in Aachen, Germany six months ago.

Shelly Francis of neighboring Loxahatchee, Florida on Danilo was second on 79.280 per cent that moved her into second place in the North American League behind Laura and Verdades. She plans to keep trying to earn a start in Gothenburg.

Sweden’s seven-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén on Don Auriello, who also is seeking to go to the final in her homeland, was third on 77.710 per cent.

Laura of the Orlando community of Geneva, Florida, wants to go to her fourth World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden next April, shot to the top of the North American League which gets to send two combinations to the annual world championships. Shelly and Danilo are second in the standings with 79.280 per cent and Steffen Peters of San Diego, California, on Suppenkasper in third with a score of 77.800 per cent, attained at Del Mar last April.

North American qualification for the final requires three scores this year, one more than previously.

Laura, 31 years old, was runner-up to world No. 1 Isabell Werth of Germany and Weihegold OLD in both 2017 and 2018.

This was the first of four scheduled qualifiers for Wellington with three on the calendar at the West Coast Dressage Festival in Temecula, California for this year’s final.

Laura said she wasn’t sure what music to use and does not practice ahead of time but had worked on this freestyle with classic rock pieces of Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America” that she wanted to perform for WEG with so many riders coming to the U.S. as well as music from the Eagles and Van Morrison.

“I crossed my fingers that it worked out and it did,” she said. “There were a couple of big mistakes tonight; I came out a little strong.”

Jill Irving of Canada on Arthur won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special with a score of 65.543 per cent with Michael Klimke of Germany on Royal Dancer second on 64.404 per cent and Bent Jensen of the U.S. on Chance third on 63.149 per cent.

The start of the eighth year of the Global winter-long circuit of 12 weeks of dressage-including seven CDIs–also saw the introduction of paperless judging and final scores displayed on scoreboards before combinations leave the arena.

Results:

World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle

CDI3* Grand Prix Special