Adrienne Lyle Rides Helix to Highest Grand Prix Special Score of American Contenders for Paris Olympics in Winning TerraNova CDI4*

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Adrienne Lyle and Helix at TerraNova. © 2024 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

MYAKKA  CITY, Florida, April 6, 2024–Adrienne Lyle rode Helix to the highest Grand Prix Special score of any American contenders for the Paris Olympic team in winning the TerraNova CDI4* Saturday.

In the first Grand Prix Special for Adrienne and the 12-year-old Helix the pair were awarded 73.979% a day after winning the Grand Prix on 72.021%. The average of the TerraNova results and a Grand Prix at Wellington a week ago move the two-time Olympic rider into third place in the U.S. rankings that will decide a “short” list of about eight rider and horse combinations to go to Europe for final selection of the American team for Paris.

Ashley Holzer, based in Wellington, on Hansel, 11-year-old KWPN gelding, was runner-up on 70.766%.

Canada’s Jill Irving on Delacroix, 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, placed third 70.681%.

“I was super happy with the feel in the ring today!” Adrienne told dressage-news.com. “Helix was more relaxed and rideable today, and I was able to ride with a softer contact and a more open frame, which we have been working hard at.

“He is such an incredible horse, with so much scope and power. I think the Special will be a great test for him because it really highlights his elasticity and ability to go from powerful extensions to expressive collection. He is so honest and tries so hard. I am incredibly grateful to his owners at Zen Elite for giving me the chance to ride such a special horse.

“And a huge thank you to Debbie McDonald for her great coaching. It has been great collaboration of minds to figure out how to get acquainted with a new horse in such a short period of time.”

Helix and Lars van de Hoenderheide as well as Zen Elite’s Bohemian ridden by Endel Ots were bought by Heidi Humphries’ Zen Elite Equestrian Center of Ft. Lauderdale near Wellington at the end of 2023.

By the time Helix arrived from Sweden in mid-winter in January and became acclimated to Wellington’s sub-tropical climate it was late that month before Adrienne, a two-time Olympian–on Wizard in 2012 and Salvino at Tokyo on the silver medal team–began riding the horse.

The current standings are Sarah Tubman of Wellington on First Apple on 73.469% based on scores from the team gold medal performances at the Pan American Games last October, Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper at 73.145%, Adrienne and Helix that by unofficial reckoning by dressage-news.com at 72.761%, Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s Bohemian at 72.626%, Adrienne and Lars van de Hoenderheide at 71.922% and Anna Buffini on Fiontini at 71.664%.

Sarah and First Apple as well as Adrienne on both Helix and Lars and Endel also of Wellington on Bohemian are entered in the World Equestrian Center’s CDI3* in Ocala next week, the second last qualifying competition in Florida by the “short” list deadline of May 6. Both Steffen on Suppenkasper and Anna on Fiontini are entered in the CDI4* in Del Mar, California also next week.

The Grand Prix Special is key in both selection of a U.S. team as well as Olympic competition. Ten nations in the Grand Prix at Paris will advance to the Special that will decide team medals.

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix Special
RankCompetitorScoreEHCMB
1.
Adrienne Lyle (USA)
Helix
73.979%74.68174.78773.93673.29873.191
2.
Ashley Holzer (USA)
Hansel
70.766%70.53270.42669.46870.95772.447
3.
Jill Irving (CAN)
Delacroix 11
70.681%73.19170.10668.72370.63870.745
4.
Naïma Moreira Laliberté (CAN)
Statesman
69.681%71.91568.61768.93669.78769.149
5.
Camille Carier Bergeron (CAN)
Finnländerin
68.724%71.59667.55368.83067.97967.660
6.
Mathilde Blais Tetreault (CAN)
Fedor
68.064%69.68168.19166.91568.51167.021
WD
Denielle Gallagher (CAN)
Come Back de Massa
withdrawn
Find details on Equestrian Hub

 

More to come

Results