Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 13, 2022–Germany’s Frederic Wandres rode Bluetooth OLD to a personal best score to win the Global Dressage Festival World Cup Grand Prix Thursday, the first international dressage competition in the world this year with some premier European events canceled because of coronavirus.

In the Florida debut of the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding after a successful 2021 in Europe, Frederic and Bluetooth scored 74.158% to easily surpass the previous best of 72.587% in the CDI4* at Aachen, Germany last September.

Anna Buffini on FRH Davinia la Douce was runnerup on 71.648%, the best result outside their home state of California for the partnership that began in November 2020 after the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare was acquired from Anabel Balkenhol of Germany.

“I was so happy that he was back in the same form as he showed in Aachen in September,” she said. Anna and Davinia were on the U.S. Nations Cup team at Aachen.

Ashley Holzer of Wellington and Havanna, 15-year-old Hanoverian mare that was bought by Diane Fellows from Jessica von Bredow-Werndl in 2017, placed third on 70.632%.

Frederic, a German team rider, first competed Bluetooth last April after his initial circuit in Wellington. Throughout 2021, the pair racked up three victories in 10 starts.

Bluetooth, he said, is his backup mount to Duke of Britain that he has ridden to the top of the World Cup Western European League rankings for the Final, scheduled for Leipzig, Germany in April. Coronavirus restrictions in Europe have raised concerns that the Final could be canceled for the third year.

The competition horses for Frederic were shipped from his base at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen, Germany to Florida in December earlier than in 2021 to give them more time to acclimate where the weather Thursday was warm and sunny with a temperature of 73F/22.7C.

Results:

World Cup Short Grand Prix

https://results.equestrian-hub.com/show/2861/dressage/41059