Christoph Koschel Wins 2019 Palm Beach Derby, Third Title in a Row

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2019 CDI-W Wellington

On Friday 1 March 2019, German Christoph Koschel (GER) defended his title and for the third time won the Palm Beach Derby, picking up an $3,000 check as his portion of the $8,000 prize money on offer at the 2019 CDI-W Wellington.

Koschel rode Action Ace, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Ijsselmeer owned by Janice Murdoch, and the new pair earned a score of 72.316% in the final round of the Derby.

“It’s great to win the third time in a row,” said Koschel of his success. “It’s really challenging. I think that is what we all enjoy as professional riders, to get a horse that we don’t know and find in four to five minutes the right buttons. To get to know the horse a little bit and then try to ride a test.”

Karen Lipp (USA) also rode Action Ace in the final round and took second place with a score of 68.713%. Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Karen Pavicic (CRO) tied for third place after being “knocked out” by Koschel and Lipp in the initial round of competition. Lyle and Flash Dancer IM 1175, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Londonderry owned by Patricia Koschel, earned a score of 67.999%. Pavicic and Leuchtfeuer DE, a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion by Dion Romantica owned by Dressage Grand Ducal, earned a score of 67.705%.

Action Ace with Kelly Layne, Allyn Mann of Adequan®, Adrienne Lyle, and Karen Pavicic. © SusanStickle.com Juliano shared, “This class has been a historical aspect of the [Palm Beach Dressage Derby] for many years, and it is fantastic that we keep it going. I was really thrilled to be a part of it. You [the riders] put yourself out there to learn how to ride these different horses in a very fast period of time, and you all did a really fantastic job. It’s really a credit to you as professionals. It was wonderful.”

Director of Dressage at AGDF, Thomas Baur said, “It’s the Palm Beach Derby Week, and when I came here first there was no derby in the derby, and I said, ‘We need to change that.’ Then I remembered about the Munich Derby and how they did it there, and so I copied the format to bring it here.”