Dressage-News

By ILSE SCHWARZ

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 30, 2025–This was the final class of Global Dressage Festival’s 2025 season and it was a class filled with quality. Over the course of 12 weeks and 6 qualifiers, 72 horses competed in the qualifying classes culminating in a really top line up of young horses.

Without exception, every horse in the final showed all the qualities required for a good horse, with the talent to continue developing their skills.

Of tremendous appeal was the quality of riding and training. Horses that were soft in the connection, uphill in carriage and filled with confidence really showed the importance of this series, and how it has developed since first introduced some years ago.

The winner was the first to go, Ashley Holzer and the nine-year-old KWPN gelding, Liberty L (Glock’s Toto Jr x Charmeur). Ashley participated in several of the qualifying classes over season leading to a secure, clean, accurate and uphill Prix St. Georges test from the young horse that was filled with confidence. There was a storm rolling in, lots of thunder throughout the ride but the heavens waited for her final salute to start heavy rain.

Next to go, and ultimately 3rd place finisher, Callie O’Connell and the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Franky Di Fonteabeti (Franklin x Wynton) was not so lucky, competing in steady rain for the entirety of her ride. Franky was so very focused on his rider despite the weather and produced a harmonious and fluid test with beautiful consistent balance and a soft connection.

The next group of horses and riders continued to show strong performances but here and then there a small mistake like a missed change, or in a few cases, some spooks at the water pouring off the VIP tent. The walk tour proved, as always, to be a big factor in scoring. If the walk pirouettes did not score solid 7’s the scores of many dropped from hovering around 70% to mid 60’s. Once this happened, regardless of the quality of the canter tour, it was not possible to restore the scores.

Speaking of walk pirouettes, this was one movement where the judges scores varied wildly. Multiple horses received sores of 4.0 and 7.0 for the same movement. I realize that the judges were viewing from different aspects, but as a knowledgeable spectator this did not make sense.

The class wrapped up with Ashley Holzer on Derek, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Morricone x Sandro Hit) who had the highest score in the qualifying tests. On paper, his bloodlines should make him super hot and spicy, but what we saw was a super elastic, cadenced and impressive horse. Shown in the snaffle, this horse carried collection with power through all the canter movements too. Incredible sit, balance and turning in the pirouettes and the best scoring tempi changes of the day. Unfortunately his legs got a little tangled in the walk pirouettes, which also affected his collected walk score, so he finished in second place giving Ashley 1st and 2nd places.

No sooner was this class awarded when the heavens truly opened with a lightning strike, deafening thunder clap followed by absolutely torrential rain which enables me to say that “AGDF 2025 finished with a bang.”

Results:

Buffalo Wild Wings Future Challenge Final – Prix St. Georges

Rank	Competitor	Score	E	C	M
1.	Ashley Holzer (USA) Liberty L	72.843%	74.118	72.059	72.353
2.	Ashley Holzer (USA) Derek	70.980%	70.294	70.735	71.912
3.	Callie O’Connell (USA) Franky DI Fonteabeti	70.392%	69.559	70.294	71.324
4.	Andrea Woodard (USA) Roxette	69.902%	70.882	68.971	69.853
5.	Molly O’Brien (USA) Fortunato H2O	69.118%	71.176	67.353	68.824
6.	Belinda Trussell (CAN) Quincy	67.059%	66.765	66.176	68.235
7.	Rebecca Cohen (USA) Prince of Hope	66.765%	66.029	66.471	67.794
8.	Camille Carier Bergeron (CAN) MSJ Fürst Zonik	65.686%	64.118	65.294	67.647
9.	Hope Beerling (AUS) Top Gem	65.343%	64.853	65.294	65.882
10.	Mary Haskins Gray (USA) Rutherford	64.951%	66.618	63.088	65.147
Find details on Equestrian Hub