Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

AACHEN, Germany, July 21, 2019–World Equestrian Games riders Adrienne Lyle on Salvino and Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Alcazar posted career high scores in the World Equestrian Festival CDIO5 Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday.

Both riders based in Wellington, Florida qualified for the Freestyle after the USA team placed third in the Nations Cup behind a powerful German squad and the top riders from Denmark. Steffen Peters of San Diego, California on Suppenkasper, 11-year-old KWPN gelding, received 79.205% for the pair’s highest score outside their home state.

Adrienne and the 12-year-old Hanoverian stallion scored 83.560% for fifth place to surpass their 2019 World Cup Final score of 81.832% to become the top placed American combination at Aachen, considered the world’s premier horse show that features Nations Cups in five disciplines.

Adrienne also debuted Harmony’s Duval in Aachen, in the accompanying CDI4* Grand Prix and Special, in the Deutsche Bank Stadium that hosts dressage and holds 6,500 spectators.

Katherine and Alcazar, 14-year-old KWPN gelding she has been competing at Big Tour since March 2015, were awarded 77.665% for 12th place. For Katherine, the CDIO5* Nations Cup was emotional–returning to Aachen for the first time since Alcazar suffered a life-threatening colic here three years ago.

Adrienne, 34 years old, began competing Salvino at Big Tour in March 2017 almost three years after the retirement of Wizard that she rode for USA at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 World Games in Normandy.

The pair were on the U.S.silver medal team at last year’s wolrd championships in Tryon. Earlier this month, the duo competed at Leudelange, Luxembourg after participating in the winter-long Global Dressage Festival in Wellington that qualified the duo for the World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden. She and Salvino were ranked sixth in the Dressage Champion of Aachen final standings.

“I feel like this summer in Europe we have really broken through to a new level with Salvino,” she told dressage-news.com.

“We have carefully developed him over the past few years and I feel like his strength and understanding of the work are really starting to peak together.

“It’s very exciting.”

Duval, the 11-year-old KWPN gelding that was bred by Harmony Sporthorses in Kiowa, Colorado, was described by Adrienne as “absolutely wonderful.”

“I am thrilled at his strong performances at his Aachen debut,” she said.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to bring both these wonderful horses to this level.”

Katherine, 44 years old, is a former assistant trainer to Robert Dover, the six-time Olympian and U.S. team coach until the end of 2016.

She competed Nartan on the U.S. team at the 2010 World Games in Kentucky as well as other horses on both sides of the Atlantic.

Alcazar was first competed by Katherine at Small Tour in 2012 then moved up to Grand Prix two years later. The pair have competed extensively in Europe, where she works with Carl Hester who was at Aachen to coach Katherine as well as Charlotte Dujardin on Erlentanz.

“I had an amazing time,” Katherine told dressage-news.com, having logged personal best scores in the Nations Cup Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle. “From one extreme to the other but I have always loved Aachen so much.

“I honestly can’t even believe how well it went. And to have such great team mates who are honestly lifelong friends. I just feel so lucky.

“And personal bests in all three tests at the best show in the world. Crazy!”