Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 29, 2024–Jemma Heran rode her Saphira Royal to a personal best score to win the Global Dressage Festival CDI3* Grand Prix Thursday, the first Big Tour victory for the 27-year-old Australian rider. German team rider Frederic Wandres who is Jemma’s coach was runner-up on Joy Game,  10-year-old KWPN gelding making its international competition debut.

Jemma and the 15-year-old Rhinelander mare in their second Global winter-long circuit was awarded 70.717% for the win.

“Today she was amazing,” said Jemma whose success came a few hours after her compatriot, Kate Kyros, and fellow resident of the state of Queensland’s Gold Coast added to her multiple wins in her inaugural Wellington season. “Saphira was full of energy, super fit, ready to go.”

Frederic Wandres, who borrowed Jemma’s Total Recall to ride on Germany’s team that won their fourth straight Nations Cup here a week ago, scored 69.913% to place second on Joy Game.

Canada’s Denielle Gallagher and the 14-year-old Lusitano gelding Come Back de Massa was third on 69.239%.

Kevin Kohmann, based in Wellington, rode Dünensee to victory on a score of 68.891% in the World Cup Grand Prix in their bid to claim one of the three places for North America in the Final in Saudi Arabia in mid-April. Benjamin Ebeling and Anna Marek have already clinched starting spots.

Susan Dutta of Wellington on Don Design DC was runner-up close behind on 68.739%.

Jemma Heran who did not compete heavily in 2023, her first season in Wellington accompanying Frederic, her coach, this year has worked on developing Saphira.

“This season’s been really good,” she said. “I think Saphira really gave us the opportunity to show her and show her and show her and really get to know each other. We can take that now to Europe and continue on.”

She’s reluctant to talk about Paris Olympic prospects with the horse she bought a year ago that is the most experienced of four she is developing–two with her in Florida and two others in Europe–pointing to more successful Australian combinations based in Europe.

“I’m just really focused on me and the mare and our career moving forward and making sure that it continuously progresses over time,” Jemma said. “I think I have a more long term focus with her to really improve the results and really grow as a pair in the ring.”

She likes the Global circuit that provides back-to-back weeks of competitions and the opportunity to get more show experience.

Jemma plans to remain in Europe for summers and winters in Florida for now, though she admits to missing her home in Australia.

And the experience with Frederic riding Total Recall on the German team a week ago meant Jemma went from groom to riding within a few days.

“Being Freddie’s groom was fun,” she said.

She initially went to Europe and planned to stay there until she met Frederic who brought her to Wellington for the winter in 2023.

“It worked out best for everyone; so you can blame him for everything,” she laughed.

“I’ve trained with a few different people and I really think Freddie and I align with horse management and horse care. We spend a lot of time with the horses and we get them out at the stable three times, four times a day and we graze them. I think this is something that sometimes some stables lack. I can’t speak for other people’s staff. I think we really align with our training style and our management style. It’s very hands on.”

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix (Qual. for GPS)

Rank	Competitor	Score	E	H	C	M	B
1.	Jemma Heran (AUS) Saphira Royal 2	70.717%	70.652	73.152	70.000	70.326	69.457
2.	Frederic Wandres (GER) Joy Game	69.913%	68.478	72.935	67.935	69.891	70.326
3.	Denielle Gallagher (CAN) Come Back de Massa	69.239%	68.587	70.435	67.283	70.109	69.783
4.	Camille Carier Bergeron (CAN) Finnländerin	69.087%	68.696	71.413	67.283	68.370	69.674
5.	Laurence Vanommeslaghe (FRA) Havalon	68.913%	66.522	72.826	69.239	67.391	68.587
6.	Kiichi Harada (JPN) Impression	68.065%	67.935	69.457	66.630	67.826	68.478
7.	Katie Duerrhammer (USA) Paxton	68.043%	67.065	68.696	68.804	69.239	66.413
8.	Susan Pape (GBR) Harmony’s Eclectisch	67.674%	67.609	69.239	67.826	66.087	67.609
9.	Patricia Ferrando (VEN) Honnaisseur SJ	67.087%	65.978	69.565	66.739	65.978	67.174
10.	Allison Carmichael (USA) Figaro	66.891%	66.848	69.674	67.174	65.217	65.543
11.	Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) Heartbeat W.P.	66.609%	65.652	66.413	67.826	67.391	65.761
12.	James Irwin (CAN) Simsalabim	65.891%	64.891	65.761	64.891	65.978	67.935
13.	Tina Irwin (CAN) Fancy That	65.674%	65.217	67.174	67.065	65.870	63.043
14.	Melissa Taylor (USA) Dixie WRF	65.609%	65.217	68.152	61.304	65.761	67.609
15.	Bianca Berktold (USA) Imperial	64.913%	62.609	66.522	63.043	64.239	68.152
16.	Patricia Ferrando (VEN) Elvis	62.869%	63.043	65.761	60.652	62.065	62.826
17.	Susanne Dutt-Roth (CAN) Hulk Hogan	62.370%	63.043	62.174	61.957	59.674	65.000
18.	Lori Bell (CAN) Flirt	62.348%	63.804	60.761	62.283	61.848	63.043
19.	Jessica Howington (USA) Serenade MF	61.891%	60.217	64.239	62.174	64.783	58.043
20.	Ashley Rand (CAN) Heimdals Champ	61.587%	59.239	61.957	59.565	63.261	63.913
21.	Tina Irwin (CAN) Guernsey Elvis	61.413%	61.304	61.957	57.391	65.217	61.196
Find details on Equestrian Hub

World Cup Grand Prix (Qual. for GPFS)

Rank	Competitor	Score	E	H	C	M	B
1.	Kevin Kohmann (USA) Dünensee	68.891%	68.587	70.978	67.500	68.478	68.913
2.	Susan Dutta (USA) Don Design DC	68.739%	67.717	69.783	67.283	70.870	68.043
3.	Micaela Mabragaña (ARG) Bradley Cooper	66.500%	65.761	67.935	65.109	68.261	65.435
4.	Ellen McCarthy (GBR) Brave Heart	64.956%	65.652	66.413	63.043	65.217	64.457
5.	Charlotte Jorst (USA) Zhaplin Langholt	64.305%	65.761	64.457	64.022	61.848	65.435
6.	Amy Swerdlin (USA) Quileute CCW	64.261%	63.804	65.543	63.913	64.130	63.913
7.	Paula Matute Guimón (ESP) Galactico	61.957%	63.804	61.739	61.196	60.109	62.935
8.	Fiorella Mengani (ARG) Assirio D Atela	59.217%	59.891	60.217	53.696	60.435	61.848
9.	Adriane Alvord (USA) Selfmade	57.109%	56.630	56.848	58.370	56.522	57.174
Find details on Equestrian Hub