Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

TRYON, North Carolina, April 19, 2018–Adrienne Lyle rode Harmony’s Duval to a personal best score to win the CDI3* Grand Prix Friday posting the fifth victory since starting Big Tour less than three months ago in the first CDI outside of their winter base in Wellington, Florida.

In a day interrupted by thunderstorms and threats of tornadoes sweeping across the southern United States, Adrienne and the American-bred 11-year-old KWPN gelding scored 75. 130%, easily beating the pair’s previous best of 71.565% set two months ago.

This was the first dressage event at the Tryon International Equestrian Center since the World Equestrian Games last September. Adrienne competed Duval at small tour throughout 2017 and moved up to Grand Prix this past February.

Adrienne will be going to Europe with Salvino and Duval this summer, and looks on the success of Duval, bred by Leslie Malone’s Harmony Sporthorses of Kiowa, Colorado as a “stepping stone”to bigger things to come.

“Being able to start putting in consistent, clean tests is a big accomplishment for this horse, who has had to learn to stay focused,” she said. “This show marks one year since our first national Grand Prix, and I think I’m starting to figure out a routine that works best for him at shows, and he’s starting to become more relaxed and confident in his work.

“He is an incredible horse with tremendous power and an engine that never stops. I am very excited about his future.”

American team mate Ashley Holzer and Havanna placed second on 72.478% in only the second competition since July last year. Ashley has an eye on taking the  12-year-old Hanoverian mare to Europe with an American squad.

She has tentatively committed to compete her Small Tour horse Valentine for the United States at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru at the end of July.

Jill Irving on Degas was third on 70.978% in their first score required after April 1 to be considered for Canada’s Pan Am team. Jill and the 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding are the leading Grand Prix combination for the Pan Ams. Teams riding to fill one of two places at the 2020 Olympics need to include a Big Tour horse. She placed fifth on her other Grand Prix mount, Arthur, with 69.696%.

Compatriot Naima Moreira Laliberte on Statesman also posted a personal best score of 70.261% for fourth place, the only other result above 70%.

Spain’s Pablo Gomez Molina on Furst Fiorano Ymas won the Prix St. Georges on 72.353%.

Jennifer Baumert of Wellington on Handsome, battling for a place on U.S. Pan Am team placed second on 71.765% with big disparities in the three-judge panel–75.441% from Janet Foy of the USA at C and 66.912% from Isobell Wessels of Great Britain at B with Lee Tubman of Canada at H on 72.941%.

The judges explained that the different positions–C and H on the short side and B the only judge on the long side–provided different views but they had discussed the disparity.

Endel Ots also of Wellington on Lucky Strike who is slightly ahead of Jennifer and Handsome in the team rankings placed third on 71.324%.

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