Kevin Kohmann Wasn’t Sure He Could Do Best by Dünensee when Horse Returned to USA after 8 Years in Europe–Duo Were Stars on American Nations Cup Team

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Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee winning CDIO3* Nations Cup Grand Prix Special gold at the Global Dressage Festival. © 2024 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 24, 2024–Kevin Kohmann wasn’t sure he could do the best by Dünensee when the Hanoverian gelding returned to the USA after eight years in Europe. The American rider on Saturday won the Nations Cup CDIO3* Grand Prix Special after leading the U.S. team to the silver medal.

Kevin admits he had to be convinced by Devon Kane, now his wife, and coach Christoph Koschel of Germany to give the Hanoverian gelding a chance after leaving the barn in Wellington as a five-year-old then returning eight years later.

“You’re totally crazy, absolutely crazy,” he said when asked whether he could imagine being on the top of the podium with a gold medal after the Special where he rode Dünensee to a winning score of 69.467%.

“I didn’t believe that I could show the horse a year ago and they said, ‘yes you can, just do it because they said it’s good enough’. I didn’t think it was good enough and we went out there and it was good enough like they were right I was wrong, very wrong. They were both like, ‘no you’re going to show this horse now,’ and I’m like, ‘I cannot ride one clean line of changes at home’. The first time I ever got them clean really was out here and from that moment on I think we just started trusting each other.

“I trusted him, he trusted me, and our relationship just grew at this point. I walk into the barn, and the horse is just ears forward, every day it’s nice.”

This coming week he and Dünensee will seek to qualify for one of three spots reserved for North America at the World Cup Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in mid-April.
If he succeeds in earning a start, he plans to stay in Europe after the World Cup for at least a couple of months to compete there.

The pair competed on the U.S. team at the Nations Cup in Rotterdam, Netherlands last June as well as other shows.

“I don’t know what the limit is right now,” he said of Dünensee. “The horse just keeps getting better and better and better.”

“This horse is going to stay forever in the family,” he said and confirmed by Terri Kane ,who owns the horse and his home at her Diamante Farm in Wellington. “I think now he earned his spot. He will never be sold now.”

Results:

Stillpoint Farm Nations Cup – CDIO3* Grand Prix Special
RankCompetitorScoreEHCMB
1.
Kevin Kohmann (USA)
Dünensee
69.468%69.89469.46870.21367.97969.787
2.
Michael Klimke (GER)
Domino 957
67.766%66.80968.19169.14968.93665.745
3.
Erin Nichols (USA)
Elian Royale
67.128%66.27767.87269.68168.08563.723
4.
Jennifer Williams (USA)
Joppe K
66.915%68.93667.66066.91566.80964.255
5.
Denielle Gallagher (CAN)
Come Back de Massa
66.362%64.89465.63867.76666.06467.447
6.
Rakeya Moussa (CAN)
Davidoff V.H. Trichelhof
66.043%66.27767.97963.29867.76664.894
Find details on Equestrian Hub

 

CDI3* Grand Prix Special
RankCompetitorScoreEHCMB
1.
Susan Pape (GBR)
Harmony’s V-Plus
72.936%72.87272.23472.87273.61773.085
2.
Ariana Chia (CAN)
Guateque IV
70.298%70.10668.93670.85170.00071.596
3.
Jill Irving (CAN)
Delacroix 11
69.809%70.42670.00068.72370.53269.362
4.
Bianca Berktold (USA)
Imperial
68.425%69.25568.61771.38368.29864.574
5.
Tina Konyot (USA)
J Everdale
68.361%69.57468.40467.55369.25567.021
6.
Pablo Gómez Molina (ESP)
Servus Ymas
68.149%69.78768.83066.38368.72367.021
7.
Eliane Cordia Van Reesema (USA)
Codiak
66.596%69.36265.21364.25567.34066.809
8.
Tom Dvorak (CAN)
Cyrus
65.617%66.17065.95764.89466.38364.681
9.
Ellen McCarthy (GBR)
Brave Heart
65.319%65.85166.59663.61766.06464.468
10.
Barbara Bertschinger (SUI)
Sonnenbergs Solisco CH
62.298%63.40460.10662.34063.72361.915
WD
Paula Matute Guimón (ESP)
Galactico
withdrawn
WD
Tina Irwin (CAN)
Guernsey Elvis
withdrawn
Find details on Equestrian Hub