Spanish Pablo Gomez Molina and American Ashley Holzer dominated the small tour classes at the 2021 CDI-W Ocala on 22 - 24 October 2021.
Gomez Molina Wins Prix St Georges
Spaniard Pablo Gomez Molina and Servus Ymas, an 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding by San Amour I, owned by Cristina Danguillecourt, were victorious in the Prix St. Georges on Friday with 70.000%. Second place went to Hansel, ridden by Ashley Holzer for P.J. Rizvi. They scored 68.382%. Rebecca Wait and Beirholms Eclaire, owned by Mary Zorzit-Mattingly, were third with 66.422%.
Gomez Molina, who has ridden for Yeguada de Ymas for nearly nine years and who has not been home to Spain for the past two years due to the corona pandemic, has piloted Servus Ymas since the horse was five years old. This is only their third CDI competition together, and the first time they have competed indoors. Gomez Molina was unsure how the young horse would handle the new environment but was pleased with its performance.
With Servus Ymas’s “really big movements,” Gomez Molina said that the key to the horse’s development has been keeping it focused.
“I think the most difficult part with him was to keep him really straight because he wants to move big, so he is a little bit like a snake,” he explained. “He is so clever, and he always tries to give everything to you. He keeps improving every day. Our goal is to arrive to Grand Prix, and I think he has the quality for it, so we will keep working on that.”
Gomez Molina felt that the strongest part of his Prix St. Georges test was the extended movement in the trot and canter. “The flying changes are really uphill and big too,” he said. “I think in the future, the half passes and the pirouettes are going to be better when he gets a little bit stronger. They are going to be really nice soon.”
This is the first time Gomez Molina has competed at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. “It’s impressive,” stated the 28-year-old rider from Valencia, Spain. “All of the facilities are incredible. To come here and actually have an indoor arena cool with air conditioning is amazing. The horses really feel good. They are more fresh and willing to go. They are happy.”
Holzer Wins Inter I
Holzer, who has competed in four Olympic Games, believes that Hansel will be a top international horse, and exposure to competition at World Equestrian Center – Ocala has benefited the young horse.
“He’s funny because inside he’s brave, but outside he can be timid until you tell him, ‘No, you’ve got to be brave,’” she said of the eight-year-old KWPN stallion by Don Olymbrio x Metall. “At times, I think he’s such a little boy. He wants to just jump around and play, and it’s hard to tell him, ‘Hey buddy, you gotta focus for six minutes and you’ve got to do your job.’ I think he’s really going to be an incredible grand prix horse.
“I was in the canter pirouettes thinking to myself, ‘I hope when he’s at the Olympics, this is what the canter pirouettes will feel like,’” she continued about her I-1 test. “He was just so effortlessly coming around and so balanced. I’ve ridden a lot of horses and you really feel a horse excel at a certain movement, and he excels at that movement. It’s so fun to ride. It’s going to be a great horse. I look forward to getting him into the grand prix ring in the near future.”
Molina Takes Two
“We thought it could fit him well, and we are really happy with the way he behaved,” said Gomez Molina of the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding by San Amour I. “He didn’t have any mistakes. It was the first time I’ve done the pattern all together and put the music with it on him. He was super. I’m really proud of him.”
Gomez Molina describes Servus Ymas as clever and thought riding in a freestyle would be a good experience for the young horse.
“We had a few new lines for him, so he was a little like, ‘What’s going on here?’” said Gomez Molina. “But he responded to me really well. I’m happy with that. When you prepare too much, he tries to do it for you. Sometimes when they do it for you, you miss a little bit of quality. They need to wait a little bit more for you.”
The plan is for Servus Ymas to move up to the grand prix level, but whether that is next year or the following year is to be determined. He remarked, “He’s super earnest in the ring, and he tries his heart out. It’s a real pleasure to ride and compete him.”
Second place went to Rebecca Waite (USA) and Beirholms Eclaire, owned by Mary Zorzit-Mattingly, who scored 67.500%. Megan Fischer-Graham (USA) and her own Elian were third with 60.792%.
- Ocala press release, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Sue Stickle
Related Links
Scores: 2021 CDI-W Ocala