Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

TRYON, North Carolina, April 21, 2019–Adrienne Lyle on Harmony’s Duval won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special Sunday for the second victory for the U.S. team rider at the Tryon Spring Dressage before taking the American-bred gelding to Europe for the first time.

Adrienne and Duval, an 11-year-old gray KWPN scored 73,851% in the fourth Special since beginning Big Tour competition at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida in February. The combination won the Grand Prix Friday with a personal best score. The duo had competed at Small Tour in 2017.

Canada’s Naima Moreira Laliberte and Statesman placed second on 72.404% in only the fourth start since beginning Big Tour a month ago following a European circuit in the Under-25 division last summer. The horse had previously been competed by Jordi Domingo Coll of Spain through the World Young Horse Championships to the 2017 European Championships. (see separate story to come).

Jill Irving, also of Canada, and Degas were third on 69.596%.

Adrienne, 34 years old, rode Wizard at the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2014 World Equestrian Games. She competed Salvino on the silver medal team at the World Games here last September and at the World Cup Final in Sweden earlier this month.

Duval (Rousseau x Riverman) was bred by Leslie Malone’s Harmony Sporthorses of Kiowa, Colorado and is now owned by Duval Partners LLC, a group of supporters in the Pacific Northwest.

With the two victories this weekend, the pair have now won six of their eight starts, and two second places.

“I think his piaffes are getting more solid and confident on the spot,” Adrienne said. “He has super technique for it.”

Adrienne was awarded the $25,000 Anne L. Barlow Ramsay Grant to showcase American-bred horses and plans to take Duval with her to Europe along with Salvino in mid-June.

Specific plans are not completed, but Salvino is expected to compete at Leudelange, Luxemburg and on the U.S. team at the CDIO5* Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany in July. She plans to stable both horses with the American riders based in Belgium for about six weeks.

Pablo Gomez Molina of Spain was successful in two separate divisions.

He won the CDI3* Intermediate 1 Freestyle on Furst Fiorano Ymas with a score of 76.125% The pair won the Prix St. Georges two days earlier.

On Servus Ymas in the six-year-old division, Pablo received a score of 88% from the three-judge panel. That is the highest posted in the U.S. this year. Pablo plans to go to the U.S. Young Horse Championships in Chicago this summer, as the owner, Cristina Danguillecourt, is an American citizen.

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