Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 22, 2019–Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Friday night to move a step closer to a start of the globe’s top 18 combinations at the championship final in Gothenburg, Sweden in April. Sweden’s seven-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén on Don Auriello appeared assured of a start at the home final with second place.

Kasey and the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding scored 83.425 per cent for the win, competing in the mid-winter temperature of about 80F/26.6C. The final qualifying competition for Kasey and Dublet as well as world No. 2 Laura Graves on Verdades is scheduled for the Palm Beach Dressage Derby in Wellington next week.

Tinne and Don Auriello scored 80.950 per cent for runner-up and to move the rider up to eighth place in the Western European League standings, one slot behind team mate Patrik Kittel.

Shelly Francis of neighboring Loxahatchee, Florida on Danilo third on 80.050 per cent.

Kasey said afterward Dublet, her partner on United States Olympic and World Games medal teams, made it known before the ride he was going to perform well.

“I can tell already in the stable how he’s going to do,” she said, “it’s kind of weird but I can feel his vibes.”

The highlights of the performance to music by Tom Hunt, who did the same for Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, brought a simple response: “Everything!”

If next week’s qualifier goes as planned, she said, that will be enough competition before the final in Sweden.

The performance Friday night completed Tinne’s campaign to make it to the World Cup Final at Gothenburg in her homeland that would be her seventh final and the fifth on Don Auriello.

The 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding began his Big Tour career in Florida in 2011 and since then has taken Tinne to two Olympics, two World Equestrian Games, two European Championships as well as four World Cup Finals. Tinne wasn’t sure whether this would be the last Florida competition for Don Auriello.

The most enthusiastic applause from spectators was for the entertaining musical ride by Shelly Francis and Danilo, the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding she took to the Paris World Cup Final in 2018. The crowd started clapping in rhythm to the final passage tour and burst into loud cheering at the end of the ride.

Clive Halsall of Great Britain, president of the ground jury, described the competitions as: “I think we saw three very professional, skillful riders who were very good under pressure. They’re chasing the qualification for the World Cup and in a very atmospheric arena. They all proved themselves in this environment. They ride difficult tests and they make it look easy, and that is a great skill.”

Results: