Endel Ots, in 2nd Competition on Zen Elite’s Bohemian, Posts Grand Prix Special Score of 74.256%
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar 3, 2024–Endel Ots, in just his second competition ride on Zen Elite’s Bohemian, on Sunday posted a Grand Prix Special score of 74.256%, the highest by an American this year though it was a national event before two judges and not a CDI before an international panel of five.
The Special at the Global Dressage Festival brought louder cheers from the crowd than the inaugural outing in the Grand Prix two days ago and remarks from some foreign riders who witnessed the ride that the partnership gave the appearance of a prospect for the American team for the Paris Olympics at the end of July.
Endel said he took the advice of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour who rode Bohemian to success at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 European Championships and kept riding in the competition the power and strength the 14-year-old Westfalen gelding displayed in the warmup.
And moving the horse from the stables of owner Heidi Humphries an hour away near Ft. Lauderdale to Wellington where the 38-year-old Endel is based also helped.
“This time I rode the horse,” said Endel who has yet to perform an international Grand Prix. “The first one I didn’t have my belt, my helmet was too loose. I was quite nervous.
“But this one was really fun. It was very present, very clear, and, yeah, this time I had fun.
“I think it was nice to do these tests and then figure him out a little bit more in the warm-ups and in the tests and where I need to let him be him and then where I can support and then help set him up a little bit more.
“I tried to take all the information everybody would give me, and I want as much information as possible, but it was hard to just trust myself. He’s such a special horse. Just be comfortable making mistakes and have fun doing it.”
The next step is a CDI of which there are five in Florida by the cutoff date early May when a squad of about eight rider and horse combinations will be selected for a European tour that will include the CDIO5* events in both Rotterdam, Netherlands and Aachen, Germany from which the Olympic team of three and a reserve will be selected.
The events in Florida are two CDIs at Global in Wellington, Mar 12-17 and Mar. 27-31; two at Terra Nova in Myakka City, April 4-7 and May 2-5, and one at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, April 10-14.
“He’s looking pretty amazing,” Endel said of Bohemian. “I try not to force anything. I have a general scheme of what I’d like to do. And then if it fits in the easiest, nicest way possible.
“We need to get him back home, feed him a bunch of carrots and give him a bunch of nice days off.”
