Lövsta Future Challenge 2025 Final–Young Horse Grand Prix
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By ILSE SCHWARZ
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 28, 2025–The quality of all the horses in the Lövsta Future Challenge for developing Grand Prix horses at the Global Dressage Festival shows just how the importance of this series has developed. It is one of three Future Challenge events that are offered only at Wellington in all of the Americas.
When it started, the age requirements for this class was 8 to 10 years old, and often the qualifiers had only two or three starters. This year every qualifier saw a lineup of at least eight to 12 rides culminating in a final of nine combinations, all of whom look ready to start the Grand Prix with confidence.
In 2024 the age restriction was raised to 11 years, an important step in encouraging more riders to compete.
There were 48 combinations over the qualifying period, a record number. Quite a few of these horses had competed in the final last year, and this year returned as horses really looking ready to step up to the Grand Prix.
This was especially true of winner Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Canada and the KWPN gelding, Jaccardo, an 11-year-old by Desperado x Jazz owned by Jill Irving. This combination was the standout with an appearance of maturity and confidence in all movements; well, maybe still some young horse antics in the tempi changes. They were elegant, powerful and the horse showed tremendous harmony, always uphill and had an extended walk that drew scores of 8.0 or 8.5 from of all judges.
This combination competed in the final in 2024, with unremarkable scores and placing. I asked Brittany what she had done over the last year to develop this now international-looking horse: “I worked my bum off,” was the succinct answer. “He has not been an easy horse, super hot, but has learned to really focus on his rider.”
One of the additions to the class this year was Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, a seven-time Olympian for Sweden, and Karin Pavicic a high performance competitor and FEI judge adding a brief summation after each rider. Tinne was a representative of Lovsta, and Karin a young horse judge. Their comments on this combination echoed mine.. harmonious, ready for the Grand Prix and a joy to watch.
Second place went to Marcus Orlob and the nine-year-old Danish stallion JJ Glory Day (Grand Galaxy Win x Deemster) owned by Alice Tarjan. Marcus has been riding the stallion since he was aged four and it is easy to see that they have developed a real partnership.
Marcus presented him in the snaffle. Again, we see why this class is so important. The weather was less than perfect in this class with strong winds and rain squalls blowing through the stadium. That, plus the stands starting to fill up with people arriving for the CDI4* freestyle class that was to follow, led to Glory Day being quite aware of his surrounds and as Tinne put it, “The flowers were biting today.” This horse is also pure quality and will likely start in more national Grand Prix classes next year. Glory Day was another horse that has used these development classes, having been a place-getter in the developing Prix St. George class.
Third place went to Kelly Layne and the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Living Diamond by Livaldon x Furst Rousseau. Kelly also placed third last year on this horse but this year he really looks like a horse ready to start the Grand Prix.
Secure and expressive in all the work with a beautiful uphill profile throughout. He was ridden in the young rider classes all year, with Kelly getting the exclusive ride on him just two months ago. She has also secured ownership of this absolutely delightful gelding so we can look forward to seeing them together in the international arena next year.
The overwhelming sentiment at the conclusion of these finals that this series is doing exactly what Antonia Ax:son Johnson had in mind when she and Tinne started it. Developing the sport, creating confident young horses ready to move into the international sport. Creating horsemanship, sustainability and an overwhelming love of horses.
Results:
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu (CAN) Jaccardo | 72.500% | 73.947 | 72.500 | 72.632 | 70.921 | 72.500 |
| 2. | Marcus Orlob (USA) JJ Glory Day | 70.842% | 69.211 | 71.579 | 70.658 | 71.053 | 71.711 |
| 3. | Kelly Layne (USA) Living Diamond | 68.579% | 69.079 | 68.158 | 67.895 | 69.474 | 68.289 |
| 4. | Jennifer Williams (USA) Babylon Berlin | 67.974% | 67.237 | 67.368 | 67.632 | 68.684 | 68.947 |
| 5. | Hannah Bressler Jaques (USA) Jim | 67.395% | 66.053 | 67.500 | 66.842 | 67.632 | 68.947 |
| 6. | Austin Webster (USA) Guildenstern Sol | 66.447% | 66.842 | 65.789 | 67.105 | 67.895 | 64.605 |
| 7. | Amanda Perkowski (USA) Sonata MF | 65.605% | 65.263 | 65.000 | 64.605 | 65.526 | 67.632 |
| 8. | James Irwin (CAN) Flirtfaktor S | 64.053% | 63.289 | 62.895 | 63.289 | 67.237 | 63.553 |
| 9. | Erin Nichols (USA) Kind Pleasure | 63.737% | 63.289 | 63.421 | 61.974 | 66.842 | 63.158 |
 Find details on Equestrian Hub |
