Prix St Georges
- 1. Christopher Hickey - Cabana Boy - 71.316% (USA)
- 2. Marco Bernal - Farewel IV - 69.386% (Colombia)
- 3. Lynda Alicki - Donates - 68.947% (USA)
- 4. Yvonne Losos de Muniz - Dondolo Las Marismas - 68.421% (Dominican Republic)
- 5. Caroline Roffman - Bulgari - 68.246 (USA)
- 6. Yvonne Losos de Muniz - San Piko - 67.807% (Dominican Republic)
- 7. Mikala Munter Gundersen - Destany - 65.877% (Denmark)
- 7. Melissa Taylor - Chicco Roslev - 65.877% (USA)
- 9. Cindy Snowden - Dolomit - 65.789% (USA)
- 10. Chris Von Martels - Tiesto - 64.561% (Canada)
- 11. Ed Borresen - Salvador JP - 64.298% (USA)
- 12. Brittany Fraser - Tolando - 63.158% (Canada)
- 13. Jill Irving - Delvaux - 62.719% (USA)
- 14. Lisa Bukowski - Sinatra - 60.702% (USA)
- 15. PJ Rizvi - GQ - 60.351% (USA)
- 16. Anna M. Tillman - Dreamboy - 59.912% (USA)
Grand Prix
- 1. Belinda Trussell - Anton - 70,638 (Canada)
- 2. Todd Flettrich - Otto - 68.723 (USA)
- 3. Lars Petersen - Beemer - 68.383% (Denmark)
- 4. Oded Shimoni - Granada - 67.660 (Israel)
- 5. Victoria Winter - Proton - 66.809 (Canada)
- 6. Shannon Dueck - Ayscha - 66.340 (Canada)
- 7. Jacqueline Brooks - Gran Gesto - 65.702 (Canada)
- 8. Susan Jaccoma - Wadamur - 65.404 (USA)
- 9. Jacqueline Brooks - Balmoral - 65.362 (Canada)
- 10. Mikala Gundersen - Leonberg - 65.064 (Denmark)
- 11. Michelle Gibson - Don Angelo - 64.596 (USA)
- 12. Shawna Harding - Come On III - 64.255 (USA)
- 13. Chris von Martels - Naomi - 64.255 (Canada)
- 14. Melissa Taylor - Schumacker Solyst - 64.170 (USA)
- 15. Jaimey Irwin - Dover - 64.128 (Canada)
- 16. Diane Creech - Devon - 63.957 (Canada)
- 17. Bonny Bonnello - Pikardi - 63.787 (Canada)
- 18. Gary Van der Ploeg - Cezanne - 63.702 (Canada)
- 19. Pether Markne - Barbados Melody - 63.660 (Sweden)
- 20. Sharon McCusker - Juli Sherif - 63.489 (USA)
- 21. Marco Bernal - Halbgott - 63.234 (Colombia)
- 22. Jodie Kelly - Manhattan - 63.191 (USA)
- 23. Yvonne Losos de Muniz - Optimus Prime - 62.936 (Dominican Republic)
- 24. Diane Creech - Wiona - 62.894 (Canada)
- 25. Ute Busse - Lindor's Finest - 62.340 (Canada)
- 26. Diana Mukpo - Pascal - 62.340 (USA)
- 27. Pam Goodrich - Donnerhit - 62.213 (USA)
- 28. Christopher Hickey - Douglas Hilltop - 61.106 (USA)
- 29. Luis Denizard - Nalando - 60.340
- 30. Simone Williams - Wunder Ein - 53.064 (Canada)
Canada's Belinda Trussell and Anton, owned by Robyn Eames, won the Grand Prix with a score of 70.638%. Todd Flettrich (USA) and Otto, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, were second with a 68.723%, while Lars Petersen (DNK) and Beemer, owned by Global Dressage Sales LLC, were third with 68.383%. Trussell was very happy with today's result in the Grand Prix thanks to their personal best score; they improved on the 68.6% from their last competition. "He's getting better and better," Trussell said of Anton. "It's his second year of grand prix and he's feeling really comfortable in the ring. My goal this winter was for my expressions, more engagement, and more world-class performance. He really is doing that. He's ready and that's what our goal has been. This is my highest ever grand prix score. To reach that 70% is great."
Trussell has qualified for Friday night's Musical Freestyle, and it will be their first time competing together in freestyle. Trussell beamed, "It's to Riverdance. Tamara Williamson put it together. I have to go home and study my computer tonight! I'm looking forward to it." She added, "I've never ridden him under lights before either, so that'll be another first for him. Sometimes out here (schooling) with the jumping (in the next ring) he gets nervous, but once he's in there, it's like he knows, 'This is my little dressage ring.' That's been paying off really well. I hope tomorrow night he'll feel the same."
Anton, a 10-year-old Saxonian gelding by Antaeus xx, is described as a "really kind horse," by Trussell. She went on to say, "He has a quiet confidence about him, not in your face confident. He has so much heart. He would never intentionally let me down; it would be a miscommunication that would happen if we had a mistake. He's so genuine, just a genuine, honest horse."
Trussell is competing for the first time this year in Florida and was thrilled to have 30 competitors in the Grand Prix class. "In Canada, we're happy to have ten in the grand prix and that would be a good class," she smiled. "Thirty is fantastic. In Florida, we've had that at almost every show, which is amazing. I'm enjoying it a lot!"
Grand Prix Special
- 1. Beemer - Lars Petersen - 70.750 (Denmark)
- 2. Come On III - Shawna Harding - 69.625 (USA)
- 3. Leonberg - Mikala Munter Gundersen - 69.417 (Denmark)
- 4. Devon L - Diane Creech - 67.917 (Canada)
- 5. Granada - Oded Shimoni - 67.375 (Israel)
- 6. Gran Gesto - Jacqueline Brooks - 66.917 (Canada)
- 7. Wadamur - Susan Jaccoma - 66.625 (USA)
- 8. Optimus Prime - Yvonne Losos de Muniz - 66.167 (Dominican Republic)
- 9. Schumacker Solyst - Melissa Taylor- 66.083 (USA)
- 10. Lindor's Finest - Ute Busse - 65.042 (Canada)
Denmark's Lars Petersen, who resides in Wellington, FL, won the Grand Prix Special on Beemer, owned by Global Dressage Sales LLC, with a score of 70.750%. Shawna Harding (USA) and her own Come On III were second thanks to their score of 69.625%, while Mikala Munter Gundersen (DEN) and Leonberg, owned by Horses Unlimited Inc. and Cesar Parra, were third with 69.417%.
Petersen and Beemer, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Laudatio xx Aldatus, have been paired for almost two years, but Petersen has known the horse for longer when he helped his previous rider. Beemer started out in the Prix St. Georges level and has moved up to the Grand Prix level with Petersen. This is only their sixth Grand Prix level competition together, and they added Saturday's win to Thursday's third place finish in the Grand Prix. "He's pretty new at it," Petersen confirmed. "Overall I'm very happy with him. He was as good as he could be in both tests."
While Beemer is learning, Petersen feels that he has the talent to keep improving. "There's still move development in the horse," he explained. "His piaffe and passage are and will be very special. Right now his flying changes, half pass, and extended gaits are extraordinary." Petersen has worked with Beemer, who he described as a "very big horse and a big, big mover." Today's win was a milestone in their partnership. "It meant a lot to win," Petersen expressed, "because it has been difficult and because he's so big, it's been a little struggle. Now it's coming together, and the judges like him. It's a pretty big deal for me (to win here)."
Grand Prix Kur to Music
- 1. Anton - Belinda Trussell - 73.900 (Canada)
- 2. Otto - Todd Flettrich - 73.000 (USA)
- 3. Balmoral - Jacqueline Brooks - 71.550 (Canada)
- 4. Don Angelo - Michelle Gibson - 68.900 (USA)
- 5. Ayscha - Shannon Dueck - 68.850 (Canada)
- 6. Proton - Victoria Winters - 68.600 (Canada)
- 7. Pikardi - Bonny Bonnello - 68.250 (Canada)
- 7. Dover, Jaimey Irwin - , 68.250 (Canada)
- 9. Juli Sherif - Sharon McCusker - 67.950 (USA)
- 10. Naomi - Chris Von Martels - 67.750 (Canada)
Trussell rode Anton for the first time under the lights and in their first freestyle tonight. She beamed afterwards, "Considering all of that, I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled with the score and the placing; it's fantastic." She commented on her freestyle, "It's fun and I like it. It's really upbeat, and I want to get the crowd involved in the kur, so that it's exciting and you can't wait for the next movement. I hope that that's what it portrayed. It is really fun to ride to the music." With her two wins this week and strong scores, Trussell is a solid competitor for Canada's dressage team. She said of her wins, "It's a huge accomplishment for me personally, to be in Florida for the first time and on this young horse. It's so exciting. It's something that you work so hard for, for so long. It's a wonderful feeling, like you're on a cloud.
Flettrich, of Coatesville, PA, was the highest placed American rider in both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle when he placed second with Otto, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Rambo x Rampal. Flettrich and Otto have been paired together for a little over a year. Flettrich noted, "It's taken me a little time to get to know him. He's a very special grand prix horse, but those special horses are a little bit more sensitive. I love him to death."