U.S. WEG Team rider and Olympian Adrienne Lyle became the winner of the inaugural derby class staged at the 2015 CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby for the first time in Wellington. This Derby Exhibition class provided a unique opportunity for spectators and fans to further appreciate the sport of dressage. Lyle won the class, followed by Christoph Koschel (GER), Karen Pavicic (CAN), and Lars Petersen (DEN).
The class, formatted like a true Derby in Knock-Out format, paired riders to compete on the same horse in back-to-back tests (Koschel/Pavicic and Lyle/Petersen), with the rider receiving the highest score moving forward to the second round. Riders were given a five-minute familiarization period with the horses before performing a Prix St. Georges level test.
Christoph Koschel received the highest overall score of the class, with a 71.421% aboard Kelly Layne's Von Primaire, which ultimately moved him to the second round to compete against Adrienne Lyle, who received a 66.579% aboard Melody Jackson's Fortune and Fame, pushing her into the final round of competition. Lyle won the final round of the Derby, scoring a 66.816% aboard Leah Wilson's Zango with Koschel finishing just behind on a 64.053%.
Koschel stated that these competitions are fun for spectators, and there are several ways to make the class more difficult for riders. "These competitions are great because you get to see horses being ridden by different riders. A derby needs a derby. They're very popular in Germany. It would be great to add some sort of Freestyle element to the class as the final round. It would be something really nice for the crowd and make it more challenging for the riders."
Lyle, who competed in Wellington for the first time this season after retiring her horse Wizard from competition, was thrilled with her win and expressed the most sincere gratitude to the owners who volunteered their horses for the competition. "I was very excited when I received the invitation to compete, and it's great fun. Thank you so much to the owners for giving us this opportunity. It was incredibly generous of them, and they put a huge amount of trust in our hands to make sure their horses had a positive experience in the ring."
Lyle and Koschel both started the first round on large warmblood geldings, proceeding to ride the smaller Zango, a feisty P.R.E. stallion, who made both riders work for their scores. "I rode two completely different horses today. We had one bigger mover and then one little firecracker of a horse, so it was really interesting. You get a couple of minutes to warm-up and figure them out, and then you have to go in there and ride to the best of your ability. It's a great challenge," remarked Lyle.
Photos © Sue Stickle
Related Links
Scores 2015 CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby