Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 12, 2020–The United States that included a team rookie and a four-time Olympian won the Adequan Global Dressage CDIO3* Nations Cup Thursday to kick off the annual trans-Atlantic series whose schedule this year is uncertain because of coronavirus that will limit attendance at Wellington competitions beginning Friday.

Canada took silver and Denmark bronze. Israel’s first ever team in a dressage Nations Cup or senior championship placed fourth.

Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper with a score of 76.085% led the United States Dutta Corp. team to victory in the event over two days, the Grand Prix Wednesday and Special Thursday that is a similar format for the Olympics scheduled for Tokyo in July.

Denmark’s Agnete Kirk Thinggaard on Blue Hors Zatchmo placed second individually on 74.128% with Canada’s Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu on All In third on 73.489%.

The final team standings: 1. USA 439.992; 2. Canada 436.034; 3. Denmark 424.501; 4. Israel 395.586.

Japan started with a team of three that would have been the first in a Nations Cup series event but one combination was scratched and another retired leaving only Kiichi Harada on Egistar who rode as an individual.

The gap between the United States and Canada that was slender after Wednesday’s Grand Prix was widened by the time the third rider for each team completed their rides when America’s Adrienne Lyle and Harmony’s Duval were awarded 72.553% that was the highest score to that point.

The Nations Cup was the last event at this week’s competition at which the general public was allowed in, an extension of limits being imposed on gatherings at events worldwide and has led to cancellation and strict attendance limits at events of all types–including horse shows–around the world.

Effective Friday, Equestrian Sports Productions announced, the competition schedule for the Global Dressage Festival–including the Friday Night Under the Lights Freestyles and the accompanying Winter Equestrian Festival of jumpers and hunters will continue but be closed to the general public.

VIP pass holders will be allowed entry and food services will be available.

“It was very close overnight with Canada, it was 0.1%, so Debbie (McDonald, USA team coach) and I talked quite a bit and I believed that going in the ring we take the intensity from the training into the warm-up into the show arena, not an ounce more, but certainly not an ounce less, Steffen Peters, a four-time Olympian from San Diego, California who has been in Wellington for the winter circuit.

“That was the tactic today and it worked out beautifully. ‘Mopsie’ did a very clean test, even more relaxed than any of the other tests he’s done so far. This season was extremely therapeutic for both of us and we’re looking forward to the freestyle tomorrow.”

Anna Marek of Williston, Florida on Dee Clair was the rookie on the U.S. team along with veteran riders Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Alcazar, that she has competed in Nations Cups on both sides of the Atlantic, and Adrienne Lyle, herself and Olympic and World Games rider with Harmony’s Duval in the horse’s first Nations Cup.

“I wanted to go out and have a clean ride,” said Anna. “I was very thankful to be on the team and to get some team experience and experience this Nations Cup with awesome team mates.”

Results:

Nations Cup CDIO3* Grand Prix Special

Nations Cup CDIO Under-25 Grand Prix