by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 20, 2026
With the international number one- and two- ranked riders, as well as the defending champion, declining to make the trip across the Atlantic for the FEI Dressage World Cup, the competition presents an opportunity for less high-profile athletes and their horses to shine.
Those who decided not to participate are focusing on this summer’s world championships in Germany with their top mounts. World Number One Justin Verboomen of Germany had a nice back-up to his top horse, Zonik Plus, but that understudy was sold. So no Justin.
In the days when Las Vegas regularly hosted the Cup finals in dressage and jumping, it always (except for its first presentation) sought a year without a world championship or Olympics. That assured the best competitors would have no other goals to distract them from participating in the Cup.
But even without the high-profile combinations, eight of the top 20 will be there, a group that includes exciting prospects to watch at the event April 8-11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
One will be the USA’s Christian Simonson. He is the top-ranked U.S. rider, ninth in the global standings, even though at age 23, he also still would be eligible to compete in the U25 ranks. He’s a student of three-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle, who in turn was a student of former U.S. chef d’equipe and Olympic, world championships and World Cup veteran Debbie McDonald.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock.
Christian is sponsored by Florida-based Zen Elite Equestrian, which also is the sponsor of the Dressage World Cup organized by the Split Rock Show Jumping Tour. His mount, Indian Rock, formerly of the Dutch Olympic team, performs an inspirational freestyle to the musical themes from the Rocky movies. Because the horse’s nickname is Rocky, naturally.
Kevin Kohmann is the only other U.S. rider competing. He will be riding Dünensee. Although Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor is not a U.S. citizen, he is a resident of North Carolina, so the Pan American Games individual gold medalist and Jewel’s Goldstrike will definitely get audience support from the home side.
The highest-ranked rider who will be coming from abroad is Great Britain’s Olympic team medalist Becky Moody with her homebred Jagerbomb. She’s number four in the world. Number five, Sweden’s Patrick Kittel — the 2024 Cup titleholder — will be on hand with Touchdown.
Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee.
What could be very interesting for the U.S. audience is a chance to watch Poland’s Sandra Sysojeva and the graceful Maxima Bella, only a 10-year-old and already an Olympic veteran. And doubtless even more interesting from a curiosity standpoint would have been Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, once the queen of dressage, until she was suspended in 2024 for using a whip to repeatedly urge a student’s horse forward in a videotaped lesson several years before that.
But Charlotte, slated to ride the aptly named Alive and Kicking, dropped out a week before she was set to travel to Texas. Her countrywoman, Cup defending champion Lottie Fry, did not plan to compete.
Want to see the Cup in person?
Single-session tickets are available starting at $35, but there are special pricing and package opportunities available for groups of nine or more. To buy, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 5, 2026
For a quarter-century, Challenge of the Americas has presented incredibly creative dressage as entertainment benefiting a good cause.
But on Friday, it gave its last glittering performance in Wellington, Fla., after raising more than $3 million for breast cancer research over the decades.
Why stop when everyone appreciates what it offers?
“You know when you know; it’s time,” explained founder Mary Ross, who is at the heart of an attraction that has engaged hundreds in a labor of love and charity.
“I have literally enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve made a lot of good friends and we raised a lot of money for breast cancer.”
Even the horses wore costumes with this group. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com
However, she pointed out, “I’m not getting any younger and it’s quite a large event.”
Mary added with a smile, “I have a good core of people who help me out, and they’re not getting any younger.”
The concept premiered in 2002 with three horses at a Palm Beach Dressage Derby luncheon.
“It was in memory of my mother, Jean Cruse, who died of breast cancer,” Mary said.
“I think she would have loved it. She didn’t ride, but she loved the horses.”
And her presence is still felt.
“She’s in charge of the weather. So far, she’s done a great job, so I think she’s liking it.”
Remembering how COTA began, Mary got the idea after seeing a pas de trois on TV.
“People said, `You’ll never get the riders, because it’s their busy season. They won’t have the time.’ ”
But the skeptics were wrong.
As Mary noted, “The first people I asked said yes.”
They were Betsy Steiner, who went on to take part every year; Patrick Burssens and Linda Alicki.
“Terry Gallo came on as the choreographer. Other people came and said, `We want to ride.’
“It grew. It was the riders who made it grow. It was the community wanting to get behind the breast cancer research. Everybody knows somebody who had breast cancer. so the support was there for it and off we went. Wellington is about the only place you could pull this off, you have so many Grand Prix riders and their horses in one location.”
Precision and style always were hallmarks of the quadrilles. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
Ruth Poulsen was at that initial luncheon, and played a role in COTA’s growth.
While “it has become the event of the season, it’s a huge amount of logistics and the time it takes for Mary. I totally understand it coming to an end,” Ruth commented.
“I’m sad to see it end, because it’s a very important fundraiser for me. My mom had breast cancer. I have been honored and humbled to do it and I know Mary feels the same.”
There have been “whispers” that COTA may not be gone forever.
“Maybe something else will come, and change is sometimes good,” mused Ruth, a professional trainer who has been the coach/choreographer and music editor for Team Winged Foot.
A variety of costumes has been part of COTA’s appearl. Photo © Susan J. Stickle.com)
“I think the horse community has been amazingly supportive. Inside and outside the horse community, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer in some way, either their family or themselves.”
The benefits of COTA have gone beyond its fundraising achievements.
“It’s a rare opportunity to have so many dressage riders working together,” Ruth pointed out.
“I have made some of my very best friends over these years with my different teams, and getting to know people who are my colleagues I might not have gotten to know so well.”
She pointed out that although time is gladly given, sacrifice is involved in being part of the COTA effort.
“It’s hundreds of hours worth of work during your biggest season. During December-March, I don’t have any spare time.”
Those who get involved with organizing teams have to figure out who can ride with each other and who can sustain the pattern.
“You’re basically doing a freestyle for six horses at a time,” said Ruth, noting that dressage otherwise is an individual sport. Outside of COTA, horses only work with other horses in an arena during warm-ups.
While the end of the tradition is sad, “It just feels like it’s the time. We want to have a real blowout this year.”
Tigger Montague, meanwhile, “would like to see it go on in a new way. It’s the one thing that really brings the dressage community together in Wellington. That part is so important, because we get so tied up in our own little worlds.”
If it does continue at some point, she observed, “it is time to kind of change the format. We’re having a hard time getting riders now because they’ve already done it. It not only takes a lot of time, it takes a different skill set you have to develop to ride in a quadrille. You have to think differently as a rider, you can’t just think about your (own) horse.”
Then there’s “the timing, the music; there are a lot of factors. It’s a very hard thing to do well.”
Tigger, who has been making musical freestyles since 1990, majored in theater arts and film during college, an appropriate background for dramatic equestrian presentations.
She sees the COTA experience as “an expanded version of a Kur, working together as a team and not letting personalities get in the way.”
Her role is multi-faceted, including being a coach, choreographer and overseeing the music. Biostar, Tigger’s company, has been a sponsor for one of the quadrilles that she coaches.
One year, she did a quadrille inspired by the Broadway show, “Hamilton.” The show’s facebook group posted the last 30 seconds of the quadrille on line and got 99,000 likes.
Precision is an important part of having six riders perform as one. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
Another quadrille called, “Time: Past, Present and Future,” had riders create a choreographic clock, with a pony as the second hand.
“Dressage isn’t only for the big warmbloods. We need to be a sport that’s inclusive. Galvinizing the community is a very powerful thing, because the vibration is so positive and uplifiting.”
With the help of trainer Kelly Soleau, she even has included a quadrille that involves jumping.
“It brings the jumper crowd in,” she noted.
Terry Gallo noted that expansion of the rider base for the event speaks to the importance of the movement. So many people are willing to volunteer their time to make this happen.
“Quadrille is a very unique thing. Everyone is used to seeing individual freestyles. When you’re on a team, it’s very reminiscent of what you might see in the Spanish Riding School.
Pink is properly prominent at COTA. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
“It’s a new way of looking at the sport, very entertaining. You don’t have the same restrictions you would in a standard freestyle. We can use any music we want; there’s costuming, so the entertainment value is very high, which is a big draw as well.”
Also part of the appeal is the fact that it’s a way to help.
“We don’t often get the opportunity to volunteer for something this worthy. To have the opportunity to give back, both for the sport and the cause, has personally been very important to me.”
As the world has gone from analog to digital during COTA’s span, she noted, “My team has been with me for over two decades…that is huge dedication. I will personally miss the creativity involved. Mary and I have grown friendships from this that are very deep.”
COTA has been honored with the naming of The Play for P.I.N.K. Challenge of the Americas Award by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in conjunction with Play for P.I.N.K. The grants have been presented to Dr. Benita Katzenellenbogen from the University of Illinois, whose groundbreaking research focuses on metastasis, treatment and tumor biology.
Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge), or PFP, is a 501(c)(3) grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research through sporting and lifestyle events.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 3, 2026
An emotional evening filled with smiles, tears and riveting stories made precious memories at the Show Jumping Hall of Fame’s annual induction gala.
The gathering Sunday at the Wellington National Golf Club was sold out, an indication of its importance to the sport and those who play a part in it, whatever their role.
The guests got what they came for, poignant salutes to inductee Lee McKeever and well-chosen words from Debbie Dolan Sweeney, the owner of equine inductee Albany, a thoroughbred whose career included an Olympic gold medal.
Also featured were the presentation of the International award to Ireland’s Kevin Babington and a tribute to Mary Mairs Chapot, a female Olympic show jumping pioneer.
Lee, the sport horse manager and advisor to Olympic multi-medalist McLain Ward, was overcome with the significance of the moment as he made his acceptance speech. Many in the room who had benefited from his expertise and counsel over the years cheered his heartfelt remarks.
Baylee, Erica and Lee McKeever; Mclain, Lauren and Madison Ward.
“I’m more comfortable behind the curtain than I am in front of the microphone,” Lee told the crowd.
He then recounted arriving in the U.S. from Dublin 36 years ago and going to work for McLain’s father, Barney Ward, at Castle Hill Farm in New York.
He’s still there.
Of Barney, Lee said, he “gave a kid an open door that changed my life.”
As for being voted into the Hall, he commented, “It’s a dream I’ve imagined, but one built on the backs of great horses and a family I built along the way. It’s a huge honor, and I’m incredibly grateful.”
He gave credit to the horses, commenting, “they gave us everything in the ring and I take great pride in giving them everything in the barn. The horses have been my greatest teachers.”
Lee said that while the Olympic medals and other international honors have been important, he explained, “the win that probably meant the most to me was watching my daughter, Baylee, win the North American Young Rider Championship.”
Lee, who also was the FEI groom of the year in 2018, cited his wife, Erica, as his “rock” and McLain, “a true best friend.”
McLain, who introduced Lee at the ceremony, called him his right-hand man and best friend. The foundation of the friendship was formed early. The rider recalled how as a kid, he would sleep on the floor of Lee’s room when things went sideways in his home.
“There have been some really difficult moments,” McLain admitted.
“We’ve had some challenges that we have overcome and we have had some great, glorious triumphs.
“But for me, the true story of what makes Lee’s story and his career so phenomenal is everything in between those moments. It’s the hard work and the grit and the determination that saw us through some of those times.
“He’s had my back at every turn, he’s been by my side at every victory and been there for me at every dark moment.”
Members of the Hall of Fame Back row; Lee McKEever, Laura Kraut, Leslie Burr Howard, Beezie Madden, Norman Dello Joio. Middle row: Peter Doubleday, Michael Matz, Robert Ridland, Linda Allen, David Distler, Steve Stephens. Front row: Anne Kursinski, Margie Engle, Melanie Smith Taylor, Katie Monahan Prudent, Mary Mairs Chapot. (Photo © 2026 by Nancy Jaffer)
Debbie Dolan Sweeney flew in from a family reunion in California to tell everyone about Albany, who was foaled in Oklahoma in 1975. She noted he was a two-time Horse of the Year, and the 1984 Mercedes that came with the honor is still running.
She identifies Albany with courage, explaining he jumped the demanding American Invitational with Joanne Kovacs as a seven-year-old, then went on to the gold medal team at the 1984 Olympics with Leslie Burr Howard.
When she learned Albany was going to be inducted, she though of “the joy she brought to our family as newcomers to show jumping. We were blessed to be part of his career. And thank you to Leslie Howard and Bruce Burr for seeing his potential and inviting the Dolan family along for the ride.”
Debbie pointed out that the same year Albany reached the pinnacle of the sport at the Olympics, she earned her first grand prix win on him. She offered thanks to all who had helped, including David Snyder, his Olympic groom and Dr. Rick Mitchell, his veterinarian. She also spoke about “two people integral to team Albany, my mother and father,” Charles and Helen Dolan.
“Albany was the spark for a four-decade love of horses.”
The journey included the World Cup, world championships, Olympics, Pan Am gold and multiple Horse of the Year honors. Among Debbie’s many victories with Albany was the 1989 Ladies Show Jumping Championship in Great Britain.
“Over all that time, it wasn’t ambition, awards or recognition that drove them,” she said, referring to her parents.
“It was a desire to give…because they wanted to make you smile. They wanted to make you happy. They did this for you, not themselves. Albany started it all. Thank you, Albany, for the memories, the lessons and the inspiration that lasted decades after your illustrious career.”
Marty Bauman, David Snyder, Debbie Dolan Sweeney, Leslie Burr Howard, Peter Doubleday.
Kevin Babington, another Irish immigrant, addressed the guests from his wheelchair. Six years ago, a fall in a grand prix damaged his spinal cord and left him paralyzed.
His time as a show jumping star was over, along with his ability to walk and move on his own. But he has continued to fight, and remains part of the scene by teaching and staying in touch with all his friends and supporters.
Kevin Babington with Dianna Babington and their daughters, Marielle and Gwyneth.
He told everyone at the dinner that he was proud of finishing fourth in the 2004 Olympics with an Irish flag on his jacket, “but it was on an American-owned horse (Carling King) and I will never forget that. I would like to say thank you to everybody. It’s a very special moment for me. I’m very honored.”
Mary Chapot, a member of the Hall’s Class of 1992, is a native of California who made history by riding in the Olympics when women were permitted to compete in show jumping at the Games for the first time in 1964, the year after she won double gold at the Pan American Games on her brilliant Tomboy.
Mary, who also rode in the 1968 Olympics, married her teammate, Frank Chapot. Their daughters, Wendy Chapot Nunn and Laura Chapot, are top-notch riders.
Laura Chapot, Mary Chapot and Wendy Chapot Nunn
They read a speech that she wrote, which began: “Dream, believe, achieve; words that i have tried to follow when I can.”
She recounted that her first horse was a $300 off-the-track thoroughbred. Mary took lessons at the Flintridge Riding Club and cared for her horses in a backyard barn. Scouted by U.S. Equestrian Team Coach Bertalan de Nemethy as part of a nationwide screening trial, she was invited to the team headquarters in Gladstone, N.J., for training. Then she rode with the team at the Washington International Horse Show, where President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, were in the box seats.
“Show jumping is a game of extreme highs and unfortunate lows, but boy, is it worth it if you have the desire and work ethic to make it happen,” she wrote.
“I want to end with my wish for all. If you have a dream, go chase it. If you feel hope, don’t waste it. Tomorrow is undecided Never take a single success for granted. Enjoy, appreciate and get on to the future. The story is yours; go write it.”
2025 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series Rider of the Year JJ Torano, center, with Mary Bauman, the Hall’s executive director and its chairman, Peter Doubleday.
The evening was one to cherish. Seeing so many legends in the room was both inspiring and heart-warming for everyone who was a part of it.
Expressing his gratitude for those who keep the gala going, McLain said, “It is incredibly important to our sport that we honor our heritage, that we remember the greats who have led the way for us in the sport. And it’s important that we don’t let these things die out.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 3, 2026
Karl Cook is a thinker, with meticulous attention to detail that has been a key element of his career in grand prix show jumping.
An example is what he did after winning the $200,000 4-star JTWG grand prix on Candy at the Winter Equestrian Festival last weekend.
Karl and Candy on the way to victory.
Even with the victory lap and trophy presentation wrapped up, the Californian still was analyzing the way he edged Ireland’s Darragh Kenny on Collibelle Hero Z by a mere 0.85 seconds. So Karl walked back into the ring to examine his tracks.
“The last line was eight or nine (strides), but the eight was a tall ask,” Karl recounted about the end of the tiebreaker route.
Musing on the way his mare jumped the next to last fence, he revealed, “I actually went to look at my landing prints. I was far to the right of the standard. I wasn’t planning to have that much of an inside line, and that made the eight not that big of a deal.”
That single stride also gave him the victory, his first in a grand prix with the Swedish warmblood. He is both patient and determined in figuring out how to produce a horse’s best performance.
“It’s been a long two years that we’ve had her. It’s not been a straight road. It’s been challenging for me to understand her, and her to understand me,” he said.
“It’s like any relationship. You build and you build, and a lot of times, it feels like you’re on a plateau and nothing’s really changing.
“What happens then is you have a steep climb…and all of a sudden, it changes. That’s just our work we’re doing every day, finding little things we can do better, little adjustments to our flatwork, how we approach the fences.”
Finally it all paid off.
Candy gets her reward of horse candy (carrots)
Assessing the abilities of Candy, formerly ridden by Shane Carey of Ireland, Karl observed, “She has a lot of power, that’s her big strength. It’s just figuring out how you can let that power shine. She’s not one of those naturally quick jumpers…you have to walk your course accordingly…and ride her to her strengths.”
It was completely in character that after the grand prix, he was still mulling what happened in Saturday night’s Nations Cup, where he was clear in the first round on his number one mount, Caracole de la Roque. In the second round, however, he had a rail at the first element of the triple combination.
It was a pattern that too often happened in Nations Cups; clear in the first round, 4 faults in the second.
“I need to work on that,” he said.
On Saturday, he and Caracole “were getting a little bit chesty, really driving forward, especially after water (obstacle). I made my adjustment, she did the adjustment well (but) she didn’t take a step to do the jump. I tried to prepare (the) A (element) a little bit more, slow her down, set it up.”
But as she left the ground, he realized immediately, “It wasn’t the takeoff i was hoping for.” So that’s something to keep thinking about for next time.
Whatever happens, Caracole, his 2024 Olympic team silver medal partner, “is obviously the number one. I can’t imagine one being above her.”
But having a grand prix less than 24 hours after the Nations Cup “opens it up for an opportunity for a horse like Candy. In a format like this, some people use their Nations Cup horses” (Karl’s teammate McLain Ward, did that to finish fourth with a rail down.)
Karl, however, chose to go with Candy. The grand prix was “stressful because it was significantly bigger than what we jumped in the past. This is by far the biggest we’ve ever done with her. It’s not just double clear, but how she jumped. I think it will make us rethink some things.”
Karl and Candy with their ribbons.
Karl flew back to the West Coast after leaving Wellington. He will jump Foxy de la Roque — you guessed it, yet another mare — in a 4-star at Thermal to finish off the season there.
So: “mares, mares, mare?,” I said to him.
He replied, “All mares; not a rule. I seem to get better results with mares instead of trying to fix it with something that isn’t working. You go with what works.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 1, 2026
As is so often the case, team anchor McLain Ward produced a must-do clean round to clinch victory for the USA in the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup Wellington Saturday night.
USA center stage on the podium with second-place Ireland (left) and third-place Canada
This time, however, the stress was on from several directions. But if anyone has mileage sufficient to handle such challenges, it’s McLain. Even so, several factors made the situation more intense than usual.
The U.S. had won the country’s only Nations Cup 10 times previously, which meant history exerted expectations for the eight-team match.
As Coach Robert Ridland put it, “This is always an interesting Nations Cup because the pressure is on us to win. It’s a home Nations Cup; it’s a really big deal.”
And McLain’s mount, Jordan Molga M, is relatively new to him. How would he react to the electricity of an arena surrounded by a capacity crowd that cheered loudest for the Americans?
In the first round, McLain had a decision to make after his teammates produced three clears over the Steve Stephens team-designed 4-star course. His initial effort wasn’t needed, since only three scores count in each round.
He considered going in the first round and just jumping the first line of fences to give the horse a look-see, which could have worked, since that round wouldn’t affect the score.
McLain’s student, Stella Wasserman, began riding Jordan, a 12-year-old Dutchbred, last September, taking over from Nicolas Delmotte of France.
But it wasn’t the perfect match, so McLain traded one of his horses with Stella, picked up Jordan and started showing the horse in December.
McLain Ward and Jordan Molga M
He had yet to log a victory with Jordan. And the gelding had never shown under the lights at Wellington International.
“He’s a very, very sharp horse,” said, noting he was gelded late and “has a little bit of almost stallion energy.
“With a new horse that’s sharp like that, you always want to monitor and make sure you make safe choices. That’s why I was flirting back and forth whether I should jump the first round or part of it.”
In making his decision to skip the opening round, McLain noted that while Jordan is green, he’s “answering every question I asked well.”
So he took a risk and passed on the first round, introducing the horse to the buzzy scene when it really counted in the second round of the class presented by Florida Coast Equipment.
Although teammates Marilyn Little (La Contessa) and Callie Schott (Garant) had turned in clear trips in both rounds, on his second appearance, Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque uncharacteristically tumbled a rail at the A element of the triple combination, which meant the outcome was all up to McLain.
Before he entered the arena, the U.S. was looking at the prospect of a 4-fault tie with Ireland after that country’s Shane Sweetnam dropped a rail at the last fence. Coach Ridland planned ahead for a worst-case scenario if McLain had a knockdown, and already had decided to send in Karl as the designated rider on his speedy mount if a jump-off to break a 4-fault tie was needed.
But McLain came through in classic style to secure the win. Ireland settled for silver with four faults in the eight-team competition, while Canada collected the bronze on eight.
Although he is comfortable as the anchor when that role really counts, McLain conceded that this time, “I think I felt more pressure because it’s a new relationship with this horse,” he commented noting Jordan, owned by Michael Smith, has championship potential.
The winning U.S. team: McLain Ward, Callie Schott, Marilyn Little, Karl Cook and Coach Robert Ridland.
McLain is always quick to give credit to others, which demonstrates how he works well with them.
“I’m very lucky to have such a strong team—they put me in a pretty nice position,” he said.
McLain’s daughters, Lilly and Madison, showed up to support him at the post-competition press conference.
As the coach noted, “Our two double clears, just phenomenal. That’s the way you win Nations Cups, with double-clears.”
Callie Schott was double-clear on Garant in her first Nations Cup appearance at home.
While he discussed strategy, Robert noted it’s still quite early in the season which includes, importantly, a world championships.
“We’re trying to put the pieces together for the long haul, and it worked,” he pointed out with a smile.
Marilyn Little and Contessa were double clear.
“To a degree, this is the beginning of the year, so things start ramping up. You can’t do everything at the end,”
Of the Wellington effort, he said, “This will have played a role for sure,” then added, “More important is what a great event this is. It’s great for the public.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 28, 2026
As she came to a halt at the end of her 4-star Grand Prix Freestyle performance on Hyatt, after a dramatic one-handed passage down centerline, Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén broke into an enormous smile.
A bright chestnut daughter of Apache, Hyatt seemed to share her rider’s joy in the moment, which resulted in a 78 percent tally from the judges and a victory in the Donato Farms class at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival on Friday evening. It was a fitting conclusion to a fun and energetic performance featuring ’60s Beach Boys tunes such as “God Only Know” and “Good Vibrations.”
The soundtrack had sentimental connections, because it was from a freestyle designed by the late Cees Sling for Tinne’s special mount Don Auriello, who partnered with her in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Tinne, a regular visitor to the Wellington, Fla., facility, rightfully considers the Friday Night Lights feature a goal whenever possible. But with Hyatt, second in Thursday’s Grand Prix, that wasn’t always the case.
“Last year, I didn’t dare to compete Hyatt in the Friday night class because she is really motivated and very awake,” the seven-time Olympian explained.
“Over the past year, I started to think it could work. I took her in the 5-Star and she got really excited, but today she was super.”
With the sensitive mare, she noted, “I’m always searching for the balance between power and relaxation, and I don’t always succeed. What horses need is to have trust in you and to like their work. You need a smart set-up for every horse, which is different for every animal, so you figure out what’s good for them. For sure, the chance to ride here in the winter, at this show with perfect atmosphere, is a super opportunity to teach the horses how to go.”
When Tinne returns to Europe after the Florida circuit, she will be working toward an opportunity to represent her country in this summer’s world championships in Aachen, Germany.
Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén and Hyatt had the winning freestyle.
Although only three horses competed in the Freestyle before an enthusiastic packed house, the efforts made by the entries were worthy of the crowd’s appreciation as the conclusion to a day packed with interesting competition.
The youngest horse in the freestyle, the 12-year-old Harmony’s Fado, scored a personal best of 74.77 percent under Michael Klimke of Germany to finish an honorable second. Michael is the son of Reiner Klimke, a legendary figure in global dressage. Third place went to Susie Dutta on Don Design DC with 72.895 percent.
Earlier in the evening, U.S. rider Jennifer Williams topped a nine-horse field for the 4-Star Grand Prix Special with a 70.128 percent on Joppe K that was her initial victory at that level.
Jennifer Williams and Joppe K taking the Special.
The rider, who owns Joppe with Lisa Nordling, said the 11-year-old Dutchbred by Harmony’s Rousseau was purchased six years ago.
“Quickly, I fell in love,” Jennifer said of the horse, who has been doing Grand Prix for four seasons after she brought him up through the ranks.
“This is my first-ever win at Friday Night Lights, so it’s really special. I’m living my dream and I’m really grateful. He loves his job, he’s super motivated he’s the sweetest, kindest horse.”
Megan Davis, who scored a personal best Thursday to win the Grand Prix with Toronto Lightfoot, wasn’t able to meet that standard and crack 70 percent again. She wound up on 69.192 percent. So did Ashley Holzer with Hawtins San Floriana, but Ashley got the nod for the runner-up spot based on a higher average of the harmony marks.
German judge Katrina Wüst, a vocal advocate for horse welfare, remarked that judging has changed and is less tolerant, for instance, of tail swishing that indicates equine discomfort.
“We are harder on this and this definitely has also changed the riders’ way of presenting them.”
Suppleness, she said, can compensate in the marks for horses without “the top, top, top gaits” because it is preferred to “horses with bigger gaits and stiffness. You see better contact, the mouth is more closed. I think the sport is moving forward.”
The judge was impressed during the daytime competition by Adrienne Lyle’s mount, My Vitality, in the Lovsta Future Challenge. The promising talent is a brother of the well-known stallion Vitalis.
My Vitality and Adrienne Lyle
The 9-year-old Dutchbred stallion by Vivaldi won with a total of 71.265 percent, despite what the rider called “big mistakes in there in the pirouettes, which has not been normally an issue with him. I think he just got a little bit impressed at the stadium and a little tight in his back. It’s all still very green with him so now we know our homework to go home and work on.
“He’s still a very new ride for me. I still feel we are getting to know each other. I think he’s such a quality horse. I’m so excited about his future.”
Judge Katrina shares that enthusiasm.
She believes My Vitality’s potential is such that he has the ability to be the top U.S. grand prix horse ever, even citing such stars as Laura Graves’ Verdades, whose rider became the only U.S. competitor to be number one in the world.
The daytime drama was dominated by Adrienne, who also won the 1-Star Intermediate I, topping a field of 10 with Hussmans Topgun on 72.06 percent. She also won her Thursday class with the horse, who showed a little more power in the trot on Friday, along with pirouettes that were “quite good.”
Hussmans Topgun and Adrienne Lyle
The rider noted “I’m feeling a little under the weather, so he took good care of me.”
The show was presented in memory of Mary Anne McPhail, who with her husband, Walter, established a fund to provide support for the U.S. Dressage Federation’s judge education initiative.
Mary Anne was instrumental in making Wellington a center for dressage and was the guiding force of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, which has a unique format.
Riders perform the Prix St. Georges test on an unfamiliar horse with only a five-minute warm-up for them to familiarize themselves with the animal.
On Friday evening, it was won for the second time by Chris von Martels of Canada. Jennifer Williams, who had a busy evening, was runner-up in the final ride-off.
In Saturday’s 3-Star Special, the order of the top two from Thursday’s Grand Prix was reversed, with Christian Simonson taking the honors on Fleau de Baian (71.255 percent.) That entry was the only one to be marked over 70 percent, and it was a personal best.
The winner from the Grand Prix, Endel Ots and Zen Elite’s Bohemian, was second with 69.981 percent, just ahead of Michael Klimke and Harmony’s Dante’s Peak (68.915 percent).
“Today ‘Felix’ let me ride him, gave me his back, and tried really hard,” said Christian, 23, who only rode his first senior international big tour test in May of 2023.
“He let me keep asking for more and more.”
After a mistake in the one-time changes on the diagonal, Christian refocused Felix to ensure the pirouette-changes/pirouette sequence on the center line remained fault-free and powerful.
“I knew because of the mistake that I had to make up a lot of points there, so I thought, ‘Okay, let’s try to get eights on everything here for the double coefficient,’” said Christian, who first stepped into the CDI ring with Fleau De Baian nine months ago.
“I’ve learned a lot from this horse, and he’s taught me a lot, too. He was basically my first senior grand prix horse. He’s telling me a lot about how to school lines, and we’ve grown a lot in the piaffe/passage work.”
click here for Grand Prix Special results
click here for Grand Prix Freestyle results
click here for Palm Beach Derby results
click here for 1-star Intermediate I results
click here for lovsta Future Challenge results
