Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

MYAKKA CITY, Florida, May 3, 2024–Adrienne Lyle rode Helix to victory in the TerraNova CDI3* Grand Prix in the last competition to decide the short list of riders and horses to go to Europe for selection of the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics. Ashley Holzer and Hansel was runner-up with Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s Bohemian was third.

Adrienne, based in Wellington as were all the other top U.S. riders in the competition, and the 12-year-old KWPN gelding owned by were awarded 72.826% for the win. and needs only to perform the Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday to confirm their standing as one of up to eight combinations to go to Europe. Adrienne placed fourth on Lars van de Hoenderheide, 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, on a score of 71.196% but will compete in the Grand Prix Special Saturday to complete qualifying.

Ashley Holzer, a four-time Olympian for Canada but who competes for the U.S., was runner-up on Hansel on 72.500% the highest score of seven Grand Prix results qualifying results on the 11-year-old KWPN gelding.

Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s ,Bohemian, 14-year-old Westfalen gelding, placed third on 71.891%. Bohemian like the two Grand Prix horses competed by Adrienne is owned by Heidi Humphries’ Zen Elite Equestrian Center of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Steffen Peters with Suppenkasper and Anna Buffini with Fiontini completed qualifying in California and were not required to be at TerraNova before the European squad is announced early next week.

Adrienne, who competed Wizard at the 2012 Olympics in London and on the silver medal team on Salvino at the Tokyo Games, said she was “very happy” with both horses and, if selected for Europe, would take both horses.

Aside from what she described as an “uncharacteristic” kicking out by Helix in the two-tempi changes, “I think we’re finding even better balance in the trot work.”

With so many new combinations,  she said, her two and Bohemian with Endel that were available just this year “I think they’re going to keep progressing in their training and their scores and I think that’s exciting. We have a little bit more than we maybe thought we were going to have six months ago.

“It is “really just impressive. It was always the hope, but everyone involved has been very realistic, too, about what you could expect in such a short amount of time. And I think, speaking for my team, I think they’ve surpassed really what I could have expected in such a short amount of time to be so reliable in different venues, different shows, back to back. Now we still have a lot of training and getting to know each other going forward, but just to get this initial qualifying done and have it be so successful, I’m thrilled.”

Ashley said of her ride on Hansel, owned by P.J. Rizvi, said: “I’m not going to lie, it’s been a road with that horse.”

Her initial reaction to the qualifying criteria was that Hansel needed a lot more shows than the provision for three–“he’s a mega talent, but he’s hot as spicy mustard.”

Endel Ots said that Bohemian displayed “the most power that I’ve had in the ring. Iust got a little bit nervous in a couple of little spots and I should have supported him a little bit more and he thought I was going to be there and then I stumbled and cantered. It was all my fault. He was really with me. I mean, I was really happy with him and just the power that he had. So yeah, I just want to go and have fun with the freestyle and go over to Europe.”

Meantime, he wants to have fun Saturday with the freestyle.