The 2017 Global Dressage Festival began its first day of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, on Thursday 12 January 2017 with a win for Lisa Wilcox (USA) in the Grand Prix for Kur. Wilcox and her mount Galant, a 2006 Belgian warmblood gelding (by Escuro x Bellisima) owned by Jacqueline Shear, earned a score of 71.340% to place them at the top of the leaderboard.
Wilcox described her test, "I really liked the piaffe and passage, the extended work, (and) all of the trot work was lovely. The canter work got a little squirrely, it was a little up, so I lost my two (tempis). He got a little sensitive to my leg, so I got a couple of one (tempis) in my two tempi line and then just missed aiding correctly in my one tempi's."
Wilcox spent the summer with Galant training and working toward the upcoming season. She is coached by Austrian Ernst Hoyos. Her chestnut gelding came from Belgium where he was discovered as a youngster by Belgian Grand Prix rider David Engelen. Under Wilcox the chestnut grew into an international FEI level horse.
"This past summer, we trained. I call it my 'summer of a million and one transitions'," she said. "He didn't show, he didn't do anything but body-building and strengthening for Grand Prix. So now I feel like I have a second year Grand Prix horse."
The duo competed as the final Grand Prix ride of the day, earning positive scores from the judges to kick off their season. "We are going to try to qualify for the World Cup, and we will see how it goes. We also have a very fun freestyle, I'm looking forward to riding that Friday night," Wilcox said. "It will be brand new music for him (Galant). We've only had a chance to practice twice. We just got it. He likes the music, so I'll be curious to see how he demonstrates that in the arena."
Coming in second to Wilcox in the Grand Prix CDI-W, sponsored by MTICA Farm, was Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady, a 2000 Danish Warmblood mare (by Michellino x Ritterstern) owned by Janne Rumbough, with a 71.220%. Third place was captured by Megan Lane (CAN) and Caravella, a 2001 KWPN mare (by Contango x Riverman) owned by Megan Lane, with a score of 70.700%.
Earlier in the day, Christilot Boylen (CAN) and mount Rockylane, a 2007 Westfalian mare (by Rock Forever x Rombach x Renoir) owned by Christilot Boylen, captured a win in the Prix St. Georges with a score of 68.289%. The mare was previously owned by Maria and Heinz Könemann and competed once as a youngster by Henrike Sommer in 2011.
Text by Carly Weilminster, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Sue Stickle
Related Link
Scores 2017 CDI-W Wellington