Dressage-News

HAGEN, Germany, June 6, 2024–Danish Olympian Nanna Skodborg Merrald on her 2023 European Championship mount, Blue Hors Zepter, had a clear lead after the first of two days of the Horses & Dreams CDI3* Thursday while Adrienne Lyle on Helix and Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s Bohemian were the top Americans in third and fourth places.

Two Californians on the U.S. Olympic short list, five-time Olympian Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper and Anna Buffini on Fiontini, are scheduled to compete Friday in the first head-to-head contest between riders seeking a place on the team for the Paris Olympics at the end of July.

Nanna and the 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding Zepter were awarded 78.739% to go to a clear lead in the competition.

“It was amazing to have Zepter back in the ring,” she said. “That was the goal and also to have a clear, safe round. Nothing crazy special, but he felt really nice and was happy and wanted to do it.”

Patrik Kittel of Sweden on Jovian, the 10-year-old KWPN stallion that he took over competing after Andreas Helgstrand was suspended, was runner-up on 74.783%.

Adrienne Lyle on the 12-year-old KWPN gelding that she began competing at international level just over two months ago for Heidi Humphries’ Zen Elite Equestrian Center was in third position so far on a score of 71.956%.

Adrienne had mixed fortunes Thursday, retiring midway through her ride on Lars van de Hoenderheide, another Zen Elite horse that she began competing a couple of months ago.

“I chose to retire Lars because something in his body felt uncomfortable today when I went into the ring,” Adrienne explained. “The signs he was giving me may have been subtle for the observer but I could tell something wasn’t quite right so I chose to stop. Our partnership is still very new and I want to be sure he always trusts me and that I don’t push him if he isn’t feeling right. I am very fortunate to have an owner and trainer who think this same way and were fully supportive of the decision. We will of course get him fully checked to make sure he is feeling 100%. In the meantime he gets to rest for the rest of the weekend and cheer on his barn mate, Helix.”

Endel Ots, in his first ever Big Tour competition in Europe, was close behind on Bohemian, 14-year-old Westfalen gelding, on 71.891% for fourth place. Bohemian, previously competed by Danish star Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 Europeans, was a third Grand Prix horse bought by Zen Elite at the end of last year.

“It’s the first time showing the Grand Prix in Europe and I was quite nervous in the warm-up,” Endel said. “But I had to pretend that I wasn’t and it worked, I really had fun. Normally I don’t smile so much in tests, but I did today. It felt very at home, I really love the horse. He’s such a good boy.”

Ashley Holzer on the 11-year-old KWPN gelding Hansel was fifth on 71.456%.

Ashley, who narrowly missed qualifying for the USA short list, came to Europe to coach Katherine Bateson Chandler on Haute Couture and brought Hansel with her to seek one of the three places on the U.S. team in Paris.

“That was amazing, I’m so excited,” she said of her ride. “Hansel hasn’t done a lot and he hasn’t traveled a lot. P.J. (Rizvi) and I share him and Katherine (Bateson Chandler) is the most amazing coach. It’s just so fun to come to a show and feel him just grow in confidence. He was so scared at the beginning and it was tricky riding him through things. It’s rolling the right way now, he’s getting that focus in the ring now.”

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix

Rank	Competitor	Score	E	H	C	M	B
1.	Nanna Skodborg Merrald (DEN) Blue Hors Zepter	78.739%	78.478	79.565	78.261	78.696	78.696
2.	Patrik Kittel (SWE) Jovian	74.783%	74.022	76.848	74.674	73.913	74.457
3.	Adrienne Lyle (USA) Helix	71.956%	71.739	71.739	74.348	72.065	69.891
4.	Endel Ots (USA) Zen Elite’s Bohemian	71.891%	72.826	73.696	73.696	68.696	70.543
5.	Ashley Holzer (USA) Hansel	71.456%	72.283	72.717	71.630	70.000	70.652
6.	Nanna Skodborg Merrald (DEN) Blue Hors Znickers	71.348%	71.957	72.609	70.435	70.761	70.978
7.	Sofie Lexner (SWE) Inoraline W	71.130%	71.630	72.935	71.196	69.130	70.761
8.	Katherine Bateson Chandler (USA) Haute Couture	70.674%	72.391	68.370	71.848	70.652	70.109
9.	Juliette Ramel (SWE) Gideon K.H.	70.239%	70.326	71.304	69.348	69.783	70.435
10.	Malin Wahlkamp-Nilsson (SWE) Zackson	70.087%	71.304	68.478	70.000	69.457	71.196
11.	Marcus Orlob (USA) Jane	69.957%	71.196	69.022	70.870	70.217	68.478
12.	Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (SWE) Hyatt	69.891%	69.674	71.196	69.891	69.783	68.913
13.	Anna Marek (USA) Fire Fly	69.848%	70.978	69.783	70.109	69.348	69.022
14.	William Matthew (AUS) Mysterious Star	69.434%	69.891	69.130	70.978	69.130	68.043
15.	Henri Ruoste (FIN) Quentano 2	68.848%	68.478	67.935	67.500	70.000	70.326
15.	Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) Heartbeat W.P.	68.848%	68.696	69.239	67.826	69.348	69.130
17.	Nuno Palma Santos (POR) Fortunity S	68.131%	67.826	67.935	68.152	68.370	68.370
18.	Jessica Dertell (AUS) Cennin	68.087%	70.109	68.696	65.761	68.804	67.065
19.	António Vale (POR) Fine Fellow – H	67.413%	69.348	67.174	66.304	67.826	66.413
20.	Emma Kanerva (FIN) Feldrose FRH	67.304%	67.609	68.587	65.978	68.043	66.304
21.	Chris von Martels (CAN) Eclips	66.935%	67.935	67.065	67.283	65.761	66.630
22.	Stella Hagelstam (FIN) Kiss me	66.652%	68.152	65.978	65.978	65.978	67.174
23.	Jorinde Verwimp (BEL) Charmer	66.544%	67.174	66.522	66.304	66.196	66.522
24.	Susan Pape (GBR) Harmony’s Giulilanta	66.348%	64.783	66.087	67.609	65.543	67.717
24.	Svenja Grimm (CHI) Doctor Rossi	66.348%	67.065	67.283	66.630	63.804	66.957
26.	Alexa Fairchild (BEL) Mala Skala’s Hermes	66.226%	67.283	67.174	65.109	64.348	67.217
27.	João Pedro Moreira (POR) Drosa Fuerst Kennedy OLD	65.913%	68.478	66.739	63.587	65.870	64.891
28.	Heiner Schiergen (GER) Semias	65.717%	63.696	66.848	65.543	65.652	66.848
29.	Günter Seidel (USA) Jack	65.391%	65.587	64.500	67.109	64.391	65.370
30.	Anna-Lena Kracht (GER) Florinio 2	65.217%	64.891	66.630	64.348	66.413	63.804
31.	Elisabet Ehrnrooth (FIN) Daytona	64.957%	65.870	64.891	64.783	65.000	64.239
32.	Joanna Robinson (FIN) Glamouraline	64.370%	62.826	63.261	65.109	66.413	64.239
33.	Susan Dutta (USA) Don Design DC	64.283%	62.717	65.326	64.565	65.870	62.935
34.	Mary Hanna (AUS) Ivanhoe	64.087%	64.674	64.891	64.348	61.957	64.565
35.	Ville Vaurio (FIN) Dante NL	63.500%	63.587	64.022	62.500	62.391	65.000
36.	Yvonne Österholm (FIN) Ironman H	63.283%	59.783	66.087	64.130	64.783	61.630
37.	Rachel Bastady (FRA) Quintesse 8	62.739%	64.348	63.804	61.848	61.522	62.174
38.	Susanna Steinberg (FIN) Rhapsodie	62.348%	63.261	63.587	63.478	62.391	59.022
39.	Monica Burssens (MEX) Elfentanz	61.218%	60.870	58.696	60.652	63.370	62.500
40.	Akiko Yonemoto (JPN) Aaron	60.283%	60.435	62.174	59.348	59.457	60.000
RT	Adrienne Lyle (USA) Lars van de Hoenderheide	retired
	Patricia Ferrando (VEN) Honnaisseur SJ	UPCOMING
	Anna Buffini (USA) Fiontini	UPCOMING
	Susan Pape (GBR) Harmony’s V-Plus	UPCOMING
	Henri Ruoste (FIN) Tiffanys Diamond	UPCOMING
	Steffen Peters (USA) Suppenkasper	UPCOMING
	Maria Pais Do Amaral (POR) Hot Hit OLD Campline	UPCOMING
	Ashley Holzer (USA) Hawtins San Floriana	UPCOMING
	João Victor Marcari Oliva (BRA) Feel Good Vo	UPCOMING
Find details on Equestrian Hub