France’s Morgan Barbançon on Habana Libre Wins Wellington CDI4* Grand Prix Special on Her Highest Special Result Since 2014 World Games

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Morgan Barbançon and Habana Libre. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 28, 2023–Morgan Barbançon on Habana Libre won the Global Dressage Festival CDI4* Grand Prix Special Saturday on a score that was the highest for the French rider in the Special since competing Painted Black at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy in 2014.

The score of 74.404% brought the rider to tears as she left the arena on Habana, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding that she has had since the horse was four and one of three that she brought with her to Florida. The highest Special result before Saturday was 74.902% on Painted Black at WEG but that she also rode for Spain at the 2012 Olympics in London.

The win was the second since the 30-year-old Morgan arrived for her first Florida winter circuit, having captured a CDI3* Freestyle on Bolero in her first show a week ago.

Morgan was not expecting too much from the Special with Habana–“I thought we would get a 72% or maybe 73%, and I would have been super happy with that, especially after the Grand Prix, which we didn’t have such a great ride, with too many mistakes and a lot of tension, and I was feeling a bit disappointed.

“Today I had such a floaty ride and fluid, and I didn’t push,” she said, “really my goal was to give him confidence in the ring, and have a fault-free test. And that’s what I had.  I was over the moon.”

She cried, she said, “because Habana has come a long way. We have had him since he was four, and it wasn’t always the easiest. so today made it very special.”

A possible start in the next few weeks may be in the CDI5*, she said., but as she will be here until the end of March will take it week by week.

She is also currently a contender for the World Cup Final in Omaha the first week of April that immediately follows the Florida winter circuit.

Germany’s Anna Christian Abbelen on Sam Donnerhall placed second on 71.234% with Pablo Gómez Molina of Spain on Ulises de Ymas third on 69.915%.

Susan Pape of Great Britain on Harmony’s Eclectisch won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special on 70.021%.

Caroline Chew on Blue Hors Zatchmo was runner-up on 68.128% with Christopher Hickey of Wellington on Stenagers Wyatt Earp third on 67.936%.

Susan, who is based in Germany, said of the 14-year-old KWPN stallion, “He’s been a very good, easy horse to take over. He was very well trained. He just wants to go in there and do it right. He’s in a good mood every day. If he were a person, he would be like, ‘come on, let’s go out and have a drink.’ He’s just a real pal.”

CDI4* Grand Prix Special

Judges: Christof Umbach Monique Peutz – Vegter Kurt Christensen Carlos Lopes Kjell Myhre
Place Score Nation Athlete Horse E H C M B
1. 74.404 FRA Morgan Barbançon Habana Libre A 74.787 73.936 74.468 73.617 75.213
2. 71.234 GER Anna-Christina Abbelen Sam Donnerhall 71.809 71.170 72.128 71.064 70.000
3. 69.915 ESP Pablo Gómez Molina Ulises de Ymas 71.702 69.787 69.468 69.787 68.830
4. 68.298 GER Michael Klimke Harmony’s Sanrino RHP 68.830 69.043 67.128 67.128 69.362
5. 68.191 ARM Carrie Schopf Saumur 68.936 68.404 68.617 67.234 67.766
6. 68.170 USA Lehua Custer F.J. Ramzes 70.106 69.255 66.064 67.979 67.447

 

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Judges: Sandra Hotz Christof Umbach Monique Peutz – Vegter Kurt Christensen Carlos Lopes
Place Score Nation Athlete Horse E H C M B
1. 70.021 GBR Susan Pape Harmony’s Eclectisch 70.213 69.787 70.106 69.894 70.106
2. 68.128 SGP Caroline Chew Blue Hors Zatchmo 66.702 69.362 69.894 68.085 66.596
3. 67.936 USA Christopher Hickey Stenagers Wyatt Earp 69.787 66.596 69.043 67.234 67.021
4. 66.745 USA Geñay Vaughn Gino 68.830 66.064 66.809 66.702 65.319
5. 66.659 CAN Ariana Chia Fiderflame 65.000 67.021 65.319 67.553 68.404
6. 65.915 USA Shannon Stevens Ferrari 66.809 67.128 65.745 66.915 62.979
7. 65.851 USA Jan Ebeling Jubi’s Tenacity 64.277 68.851 63.851 66.191 66.085
8. 65.340 USA Nancy Smith Eragon VO 66.809 65.745 66.170 63.723 64.255
9. 64.957 VEN Patricia Ferrando Elvis 65.532 64.468 63.830 65.638 65.319
10. 64.617 USA Emily Smith Dublin 65.000 63.404 65.745 66.064 62.872
11. 64.532 USA Katie Poag Zonnekoning 65.957 65.426 64.149 62.340 64.787
12. 64.319 USA Amy Swerdlin Quileute CCW 66.596 59.362 63.191 67.234 65.213
13. 62.149 USA Lauren Sprieser Guernsey Elvis 61.702 60.000 62.340 63.404 63.298
SCR USA Sylvia Gugler Conteur’s Cadeau 2
ELIM USA Heather Mc Carthy Au Revoir