Kevin Kohmann on Dünensee Wins Wellington World Cup Freestyle to Earn Start at Basel, Switzerland Final
4 weeks ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Kevin Kohmann on Dünensee Wins Wellington World Cup Freestyle to Earn Start at Basel, Switzerland Final
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 28, 2025–Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee won the Global Dressage Festival World Cup Freestyle under lights Friday night to earn a start in the championship Final in Basel Switzeland.
With a victory on 79.240% that came down to the last American qualifier, Kevin will make his second World Cup appearance having competed on the 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding at the championship in Saudi Arabia in 2024.
Anna Marek of the Ocala area community of Dunnellon on Fire Fly who was also in Saudi Arabia, placed second on 77.640%.
Kevin will join Adrienne Lyle and Helix based in Wellington and Geñay Vaughn and Gino, based at Elk Grove, California, all of the United States, as the three North Americans to compete in the lineup of 18 horses and riders in the Final.
Kevin and Anna came into the last of 10 North American qualifiers with three points that added extra excitement to the Wellington competition.
All three Americans achieved the maximum of 60 points.
Kevin, who was reunited with Dünensee after the horse was sent to Europe to be sold because the partnership had not worked, said: “I think it’s coming more and more together and he’s helpng me every day in the ring. I cannot thank the horse enough. I said no pressure, but there was a little bit of pressure sitting next to me here right now (Anna Marek). That did not make it so easy.
“But once again, I trust the horse, the horse trusts me, and this arena is not so easy. But I think at this point we know our freestyle well enough, we like the music, it flows nice, and in fact the freestyle helps me.”
Dünensee means everything, Kevin said, “he has brought me into the international Grand Prix ring. I’ve shown Grand Prix internationally before, but never like this. And with this horse, it just has gotten better and better and we’re peaking at the right time.
“It’s a very bittersweet thing here right now. Me and Anna are good friends and that was not an easy competition today.
“We already told the horse, he’s staying in the family, nobody will ride him after me. After this, he’s going to stand on the field and have a great life. He’s family.”
Anna said that following Kevin’s ride, “I had nothing to lose. So I was just like, well, I’ll just go for it and take some risks I might not normally do on Firefly. But today it all worked. He was really, really good. I was proud of him.”
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Kohmann (USA) Dünensee | 79.240% | 79.775 | 78.650 | 78.875 | 78.725 | 80.175 |
| 2. | Anna Marek (USA) Fire Fly | 77.640% | 78.075 | 77.325 | 77.125 | 78.700 | 76.975 |
| 3. | Camille Carier Bergeron (CAN) Finnländerin | 75.325% | 77.025 | 76.575 | 76.000 | 73.125 | 73.900 |
| 4. | Susan Dutta (USA) Don Design DC | 73.085% | 75.125 | 73.650 | 73.125 | 71.675 | 71.850 |
| 5. | Jan Ebeling (USA) Jubi’s Tenacity | 70.910% | 72.975 | 67.950 | 72.675 | 73.025 | 67.925 |
| 6. | Karen Lipp (USA) Infinity | 70.560% | 70.650 | 72.950 | 70.025 | 69.025 | 70.150 |
| 7. | P.J. Rizvi (USA) Vanilla Ice | 69.540% | 68.850 | 70.225 | 67.075 | 72.600 | 68.950 |
| 8. | Monica Burssens (MEX) Elfentanz | 69.485% | 65.525 | 69.375 | 69.200 | 70.450 | 72.875 |
| 9. | Adriane Alvord (USA) Selfmade | 68.615% | 67.650 | 70.225 | 66.250 | 68.250 | 70.700 |
 Find details on Equestrian Hub |
