Six-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) and Don Auriello captivated the crowd during their Grand Prix Freestyle routine on Saturday evening at the 2016 CDI-W Wellington on 16 January 2016. They opened the Wellington Big Tour circuit with a bang, receiving a score of 80.450% to best the class.
American star Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades fell just short of Vilhelmson-Silfven to collect second place with a score of 78.250%, while Charlotte Jorst (USA) and Nintendo received a 74.375% for third place. Competition for the first week at Wellington, the Lloyd Landkamer Memorial, concludes tomorrow with the Intermediaire I Freestyle.
The seasoned duo of Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello made waves in Wellington on Thursday, as the pair captured their first win of 2016 in the FEI Grand Prix, with a score of 76.900%. They bested that on Saturday night under the lights in front of a crowd of 2,000 spectators, while impressing the judges to earn the first 80% score of the 2016 Florida season.
“I’m so happy to have won both events and to have done it here, in this atmosphere and at this show. It’s just so fun. I love to ride this horse, and it’s a great time,” she smiled. “I think you’re always humbled when you show a horse because you never know what is going to happen, but of course you wish for something like this and I wished for this feeling and that was all I could wish for.”
Never missing a beat, the artistic style of the choreography accompanied the brilliance and regularity of the required movements. The pair was rewarded with impressive marks and received as high as an 82.125% from the judge at M. According to Vilhelmson-Silfven, the ride aboard Don Auriello, a 2002 Hanoverian gelding (Don Davidoff x White Star), is never the same, but that is what makes him so special in the ring.
“I think maybe you’re a bit more careful in the beginning when they’re hot, but he felt settled at that time we entered the ring,” she explained. “It was more at the beginning before coming in and in the warm-up with the music. It’s nice when they’re hot like that but you also have to handle it and decide how to ride. You have to decide how much power you can have and handle. That’s our problem, every time, our nice problem,” she said smiling at Graves sitting beside her in the press conference.
Graves and Verdades nearly had the crowd on their feet as the final ride in the Grand Prix Freestyle as the duo performed a risky but powerful test, showcasing the raw talent and ability of the 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Florett As x Goya).
“Every time I ride, I’m just reminded of how sharp of a learning curve I’m on. Tonight was a big step for us. I’m learning to ride such a hot horse in a hot atmosphere,” commented Graves. “Honestly it felt like one of our very best freestyles. I think we were more on with the music than we’ve been, which has been a struggle. I just like to go fast! That doesn’t go so well when you’re ahead of your music all the time. So I’m learning that. He was just really on fire again, mostly mistake-free, just a couple of missed footfalls. I could not be more pleased with my horse.”
As one of the favorite combinations for Team USA leading into an important Olympic year, Graves opened up about the struggles of riding such a sensitive horse, but how fast it has improved her riding and understanding of technique.
“I embrace every time this horse changes, and it’s just happening so rapidly that I really have to be brave in not letting go but staying a part of what’s going on underneath of me. That can be kind of overwhelming when what’s going on underneath of you feels like a bomb. Rather than defusing that bomb, I’m learning how to keep it lit the whole way through the test and not be afraid of it,” she said poignantly.
Charlotte Jorst and Kastel’s Nintendo also concluded a banner day, as Jorst, an incredibly successful adult amateur, was thrilled to finish within the top three in such a competitive class. She noted, “I just love his joy, his enjoyment of the test, of showing off. I look forward all day to getting into the ring and showing everyone what I’ve learned. I think I did that tonight, and it was wonderful.”
A successful businesswoman herself, Jorst noted how similarly riding and expanding her knowledge with Nintendo is to the experience of motivating and empowering people in the work place.
“I’m using what I learned in business for all of those years, that you have to focus on people’s strengths. I do the same thing here with the horses,” she elaborated. “You see a horse today that is just happy and doing what he’s supposed to do because he loves it. For me, today’s test ranked great because it confirmed everything I thought I already knew.”
Judge at C Natalie Lamping (USA) commented on the scoring of the rides throughout the evening, solidifying and supporting the notion that the three most deserving riders were awarded with correct placings. She stated, “I think that this competition in the very first week has grown a lot, especially with the grand prix horses. The quality and riding has improved tremendously. It was a lot of fun judging this freestyle this evening. The top horses and riders were like real teams, and they seemed to enjoy doing the freestyle and showing off. The horses came to life, and there was a lot of harmony tonight.”
Wilson-Wilkins and Fabian JS Earn Top Honors in CDI-W Grand Prix Special
Leah Wilson Wilkins (CAN) and Fabian JS, owned by Maria Simpson, had a successful first week in Wellington, collecting a top three finish in the Grand Prix on Thursday afternoon and rising to the top of the Grand Prix Special with a score of 72.863%. Wilson Wilkins and Fabian JS have looked impressive in their first international outing together since Dressage at Devon this past October and have pushed their name into the spotlight before Team Canada looks to qualify individuals for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, later in 2016.
“Today felt really amazing in some spots and in others it felt like a few little bobbles. Obviously it was my best mark to date in this test. I don’t know if it was necessarily our cleanest test but everything that we’ve been working on was there and I was really pleased with that,” commented Wilson Wilkins. “Some of the things I take for granted, like the passage to canter transition, didn’t happen, but I think going forward now I can tune up those areas and bring together a very clean ride.”
Seven months pregnant, Wilson Wilkins is focusing on multiple aspects of life, as she is not only an expecting mother, but also an Olympic hopeful. The work that Wilson Wilkins and her team have put forth over the course of the past year with Fabian JS is recognizable as soon as the pair enters the ring.
“Having the last six months of really solid training has contributed immensely and the fact that now I’m also being watched every day. He’s staying in tune when I’m not here, and it’s really helpful. I think consistency is key. This weekend certainly surpassed all of my expectations and I would have honestly been happy with a top ten finish in the Grand Prix and a top three finish in this class, so I think that it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for us,” elaborated Wilson Wilkins. “It’s very exciting to see what this horse is actually capable of and you know, he’s a bit of a late bloomer. Hopefully in two weeks we can come back and pull off equally good marks and show our consistency.”
The seasoned pair of Lars Petersen and Mariett, who were second in the Special, entered the ring today after a long hiatus from competition following the duo’s performance at the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, NV, in April of 2015. According to Petersen, Mariett had a very deserving vacation for most of the year, as Petersen’s wife, Melissa, took over the ride through the summer months.
“I think the passage and the lengthenings were great today and she was just great to ride,” he noted. “She had a very easy summer since we competed her a lot last year. We took it very easy with her. The last couple of months we started to build her back up again for season and she’s felt great.”
At 18-years-old, Mariett has exhibited the longevity of a top-level sport horse and seems to just get better with age, as she exemplified the bit of fire that makes her so captivating to watch before entering the ring today. The pair collected a score of 72.098% from the judges.
“This season we will look to improve our world ranking, but I’m not aiming her at World Cup Finals again. I think this year will be the last year, but if she keeps acting this fresh who knows!” Petersen expressed.
Beatrice Marienau (USA) was delighted with the performance of her own Stefano 8, a 1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding, as the duo collected a third place finish on a score of 69.260%.
“Stefano was super on today and just completely on my seat today,” she noted. “The highlights were that I was really able to concentrate and ride the way that Lilo [Fore] wants me to. He’s just a passaging machine. He’s so awesome about it. We’ve been working on holding it and keeping more rhythm too. It’s always nice to know that there is room for improvement. To get a score like this and know that there is still stuff that I can fix and get better at, those are the things that I am going to focus on for the next ride so that it gets more and more solid,” she continued. “Having Lilo there is very special for me. She’s really gotten me to where I am. She knows me, and she knows the horse. Besides the toolbox that she has developed over the years, she helps me to focus and calm down. Having her in my corner makes me feel like home.”
GDF press release by Carly Weilminster, edited by Eurodressage
Photos © Sue Stickle
Related Links
Scores 2016 CDI-W Wellington (GDF 1)
Vilhelmson Makes First Grand Prix Outing a Win at 2016 Global Dressage Festival