Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 13, 2019–Shelly Francis and Danilo led the United States to the front midway through the CDIO3* Nations Cup at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wednesday overtaking a strong Canadian team boosted by a top Small Tour score from Tina Irwin on Laurencio back in the ring for the first time since an injury to the rider last month.

The score of 73.534 per cent for Shelly on the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding, 70.609 percent for Charlotte Jorst on Kastel’s Nintendo  with a bonus of 1.5 per cent added to each Grand Prix result and a Prix St. Georges award of 73.765 per cent for Ashley Holzer on Valentine gave the Dutta Corp. USA team a clear lead in the two-day team event based on the mixed Big and Small Tour format used at the Pan American Games to be staged in Lima, Peru in July.

The standings after the first day: 1. USA 220.917; 2. Canada 216.693; 3. Germany 204.570; 4. Mexico 200.81; 5. Colombia 196.772.

The Nations Cup, the first of eight in the trans-Atlantic series begun seven years ago, will be decided Thursday with the Intermediate 1 and Grand Prix Special results added to Wednesday’s scores of the top three combinations on teams of four.

The ride by Tina Irwin and Laurencio earned the pair a score of 74.912 per cent to put Canada on top of the standings after the Prix St. Georges.

The rider was injured in her left hand and the thigh when kicked by a horse last month, but fears she might be out of contention for Canada’s Pan Am team were allayed when doctors reported no bones were broken.

Lindsay Kellock on Floratina with a score of 71.824 per cent consolidated Canada’s standing.

Ashley Holzer on Valentine placed second in the St. Georges with a score of 73.765 per cent.

Michael Klimke on Royal Dancer with a Grand Prix total result of 69.304 per cent Christoph Koschel on Ballentines with 68.413 per cent put Germany into third place.

USA captured the CDIO-Under 25 Nations Cup with Canada 1 taking silver and Canada 2 bronze.

Results: