Marek and Lyle Surface at the Top at 2019 CDIO Wellington

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2019 CDIO Wellington

Competition on Sunday 17 March 2019 at the Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) featured freestyle classes from the Young Rider level to Intermediate I. They closed out competition during the tenth week in Wellington.

Marek and Einstein JP Surface at the Top

Anna Marek (USA) and Einstein JP had the final ride of the day and won the Intermediate I Freestyle CDI3*. The pair rode to a score of 75.708%. “I think the highlight of my test was the canter work,” said Marek. “Sometimes I struggle with him spooking, all last year he was kind of up and down. He was with me the whole time. He was relaxed, there was a lot going on, and he took it.

“Even though he’s a little spooky in his mind, he learns things easily. All the tricks are easy for him. It’s keeping him focused on me, and keeping him trusting me when he gets scared,” continued Marek. “He learned everything so fast, but now it’s just the confidence in me that’s making me so proud of him.”

Marek brought her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Democraat through the levels herself. “I’ve ridden him since he was four, but I bought him when we were just starting Prix St. Georges,” continued Marek. “When he was [in] PSG, I had such an attachment to him because I had to put more work into him, and then I bought him.”

Karen Robinson of Applause Dressage put together Marek’s choreography and music. “She worked with me and made the choreography about the strengths and the weaknesses. I feel like the music is powerful, like Einstein is. I can kind of find the beat of the music and it sucks me in. I ride to it really well,” concluded Marek.

Totem Wins 7-year old Class

The morning started with the Young Horse Test for 7 Year Olds – Final CDI-YH. The format allowed for the two judges at B, Elisabeth Max-Theurer and Katrina Wuest, to immediately share feedback with the rider and spectators about their thoughts on the young horses’ potential as competitive dressage mounts.

Karen Pavicic (CRO) and Totem, her seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Totilas, won the final with a score of 75.414%.

Lyle and Harmony's Duval Gain Mileage

On Saturday 16 March Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Harmony’s Duval rode to a new personal best score of 75.851% in the Grand Prix Special and secured their win. Harmony’s Duval made his big tour debut just five weeks ago.

“The highlight for me was being able to get him much more consistently on the hind leg and get the balance much more consistently uphill,” said Lyle of her ride on the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Rosseau owned by Duval Partners LLC.

Harmony’s Duval is still a green Grand Prix horse, but he’s learning quickly. “We got the changes, yay! Finally. Those have been a little bit of a struggle for us in the ring,” Lyle noted. “We worked between Wednesday and today a lot on perfecting the balance getting into the changes, and I was able to keep him at a place where he felt controlled and mentally slow enough to know what was going on.

“When I can get everything in balance it’s an incredible feeling because he has power that’s unlike any horse that I’ve ever ridden,” she continued. “When that power gets away from you it’s a little bit like a runaway train, but when I can get it all, he really feels incredible and the honesty is really incredible in him.”

In the Intermediate I CDI1* Katie Johnson and Paxton, an eight-year-old Westphalian gelding by Dante Weltino owned by Kylee Lourie, led the lap of honor as winners. The pair rode to a score of 73.647%.