British Susan Pape-Draper and Leslie Malone's Hanoverian stallion Don Noblesse won the Grand Prix Special tour which took place co-incidingly with the World Cup qualifier during the first week of competition at the 2017 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, on 12 - 15 January 2017.
Pape and the 10-year old Don Noblesse (by Dancier x Don Davidoff) won the Grand Prix with 69.360% and the Grand Prix Special on Saturday afternoon with 68.118%. Just a month ago the pair finished third in the 2016 German Developing Grand Prix horse Championships (Louisdor Cup Finals) in Frankfurt.
“It was his first Grand Prix Special ever, so I had to help him a lot. He was prepared on the movements and with what was coming. I’m very, very proud of him,” said Pape. “Maybe in the long run, we will do a bigger CDI or a national championship in England or even a bigger championship. Let’s see what happens!”
Pape's black stallion is owned by American Leslie Malone of Harmony Sport horses. She acquired the licensed stallion at the 2012 PSI Auction for 1,220,000 euro. To make matter confusing, the stallion's breeding name is "Don Nobless" whereas his sports name is spelled "Don Noblesse".
Placing second to Pape in the Grand Prix Special was Michael Klimke aboard Djamba Djokiba, a 2007 Westfalian gelding (by Damon Hill x Wessex) owned by Klimke, with a 65.980%. Third place was awarded to Christilot Boylen (CAN) and Drentano, a 2003 Hanoverian gelding (by De Niro x Brentano II) owned by Deborah Miculinic, with a score of 63.667%.
Klimke is also sponsored by Harmony Sporthorses and is in Florida together with Susan Pape as part of this sport project. Klimke rides the Malone owned, former licensed stallion (now gelded) Lemony's Nicket in the small tour and he is also campaigning the licensed stallion Scuderia in the national third level classes amongst other horses.
Week one of the Global Dressage Festival concluded on Sunday 15 January 2017 with a victory in the Intermediate I Freestyle for Christoph Koschel (GER) and Ballentines.
Koschel and Ballentines, a 2008 Hanovarien gelding (by Belissimo M x Weltmeyer) owned by Hof Beckerode GmbH, ended their day with a score of 72.800% in the Intermediate I Freestyle.
“My horse felt great today,” said Koschel. “It’s his first international show. I was proud of him (Ballentines 10) today. He is really green, and I think he will be a great horse for the future and for the Grand Prix.”
The pair rode to freestyle music designed originally for a different horse, Koschel explained. “It’s the music from my wife, and it is a pretty easy one (freestyle). But I think that to ride a horse for the first time in a freestyle, you can’t make it too difficult.” Of the music in regards to Ballentines’s overall performance, Koschel commented, “It fit quite well.”
Coming in second to Koschel was Katharina Stumpf (AUT) and For My Love, a 2001 Hanoverian gelding (by For Feeling x Escudo I) owned by Stumpf, with a score of 69.525%. Third place was awarded to Lindsay Kellock (CAN) and Royal Prinz, a 2001 Oldenburg stallion (by Royal Diamond x Dream of Glory) owned by Teresa Simmons, with a score of 69.200%.
The first week of international competition concluded in Wellington on Sunday 15 February. The field of competitors was not yet that impressive, even though some boast it being the "biggest (and richest) circuit". The World Cup big tour had a fair amount of 16 riders, but the otherwise very popular small tour had just 8 pairs in it. There was a very small Grand Prix Special tour (4 riders), and tiny junior (5), young riders (2) and amateur classes (1 or 2 rider per level), which is far from spectacular. The classes are suppose to grow further in the season though.
Text by Carly Weilminster, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Sue Stickle
Related Links
Scores 2017 CDI-W Wellington
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Wilcox and Galant Win First Grand Prix of the Season at 2017 CDI-W Wellington