USA’s Nick Wagman & Don John Won the Wellington CDI3* Grand Prix With 3 Top Placegetters All Posting Personal Best Scores

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Nick Wagman and Don John in the Global Dressage Festival CDI3* Grand Prix. © 2021 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 11, 2021–Nick Wagman rode Don John to victory in the Global Dressage Festival CDI3* Grand Prix Thursday, with all three top placegetters from three different countries posting personal best scores.

Nick of San Diego, California and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding scored 73.848% to easily beat the pair’s previous best of 70.587% set a year ago at this same Palm Beach International Equestrian Center grounds in the rider’s campaign to earn a place on America’s team for the Olympics delayed a year because of coronavirus.

This was also the first Big Tour win for Nick and Don John outside their California home base, that includes competitions in Florida and Europe in the pair’s three years at international Grand Prix.

Canada’s Lindsay Kellock on Sebastien logged a career high Grand Prix personal best 72.326% to place second, beating the previous high of 71.587% on the 15-year-old Rhinelander gelding that the duo set in Devon, Pennsylvania more than two years ago.

Susan Pape of Great Britain on Harmony’s Eclectisch placed third on 71.826% to surpass the previous top result of 70.522% posted here last month.

Nick Wagman, 47 years old, admitted that he was nervous in the duo’s first Big Tour of the year.

“He was pretty hot in there,” he said of Don John, “but we turned up centerline, and he knows his job, so I think that was his biggest strength, despite the fact that I was nervous. He didn’t let me down.

“I felt like he was exuberant but he did look fairly controlled when I watched the (video) re-play. I’m glad that I got this one under my belt, so now we can really focus on getting our confidence back.

“One down now! We just have to get the cobwebs off, because show nerves are not our friend.”

He plans to do the Global CDI5* later this month, he said, and depending on how their standing in the U.S. rankings he might stay for the Palm Beach Dressage Derby in early one more show in March.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix for Special

Judges: Agnieszka Majewska Henning Lehrmann Claudia Thaler Gabriela Valerianova William Warren
Pl. Score Nation Athlete Horse E H C M B
1. 73.848 USA Nick Wagman Don John 72.391 76.522 74.457 73.152 72.717
2. 72.326 CAN Lindsay Kellock Sebastien 71.957 72.391 72.391 72.283 72.609
3. 71.826 GBR Susan Pape Harmony’s Eclectisch 71.848 72.826 73.043 70.435 70.978
4. 71.000 USA Jennifer Williams Millione 70.761 72.174 72.283 72.5 67.283
5. 70.630 USA Jessica Howington Cavalia 70.543 70.217 73.152 71.957 67.283
6. 68.631 USA Dawn White-O’Connor Bailarino 69.348 68.261 68.913 68.37 68.261
7. 68.413 USA Mette Rosencrantz Dzeko 68.043 68.152 71.522 66.196 68.152
8. 68.022 USA Bianca Tota Cadento V 67.609 68.152 69.891 67.935 66.522
9. 67.978 CAN Jill Irving Arthur 68.478 67.065 67.717 67.717 68.913
10. 67.304 USA Mikala Münter Salsa Hit 66.63 67.174 68.913 66.522 67.283
11. 66.870 CAN Diane Creech Chrevis Christo 65.652 66.957 67.283 67.609 66.848
12. 65.978 USA Günter Seidel Equirelle 65.435 67.065 65.87 63.261 68.261
13. 65.609 GER Michael Klimke Harmony’s Diabolo 66.739 67.174 64.348 65 64.783
14. 65.217 USA Reese Koffler-Stanfield Bingo 64.565 67.065 67.717 64.13 62.609
15. 60.478 SUI Barbara Bertschinger Sir Schiwago 60.978 58.804 61.087 59.783 61.739
16. 59.283 CAN Krystalann Shingler Fidelio 59.783 59.022 59.891 61.522 56.196
SCR VEN Patricia Ferrando Elvis