- Text GDF press release - photos © Astrid Appels
The 2022 Global Dressage Festival (GDF) began its week 7 competition on Wednesday, February 23, with five-star competition held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, home to the Winter Equestrian Festival. It was an exciting return for dressage to the facility that hosts jumping competition throughout the year.
Frederic Wandres (GER) and Bluetooth OLD came away with the win in the Grand Prix for Freestyle 5*, while 2020 Olympic team silver medalist Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Betsy Juliano LLC’s Salvino were victorious in the Grand Prix for Special 5*, presented by Juliano's Havensafe Farm.
Wandres and Bluetooth Score Personal Best
There were 13 strong contenders in the Grand Prix for Freestyle 5*, and with a personal best score of 74.631%, Wandres and Bluetooth OLD picked up their fourth win of five starts at the 2022 GDF.
Up-and-coming American star Benjamin Ebeling celebrated a second-place finish with Illuster Van De Kampert, ACR Enterprises Inc.’s 14-year-old Belgian warmblood gelding by Spielberg, on a score of 72.478%. Another American rider, Charlotte Jorst, filled the podium by scoring 71.674% with her own Nintendo, a 19-year-old KWPN stallion by Negro.
“I’m very happy. I had no mistakes at all, and he gave me a super feeling,” said Wandres of the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Bordeaux owned by Russian couple Elena Knyaginicheva and Sergey Knyaginichev. “It was our personal best and then at a five star, that is really what I’m looking for. We have been building him up at the season here. Now delivering that score is what I’m looking for daily. That makes our whole team completely happy.”
Citing development in the piaffe and no mistakes in the canter tour, Wandres feels confident going into Friday night’s freestyle but won’t rely on Wednesday’s performance.
“Everything is open again, and everyone has to ride again on Friday night,” he remarked. “I saw some other riders with nice tests today. Maybe they had a little mistake here or there, but they can develop also for Friday. The challenge is on.”
First After Tokyo
In their first competition back after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games last August, Lyle and Salvino set the winning tone with a score of 76.500% in the Grand Prix for Special 5*.
Fellow American Ashley Holzer rode her own Valentine, a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare by Donnerhall I, to second place with a score of 70.696%. Seven-time Swedish Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén and Lövsta Stuteri AB’s Devanto, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding by De Chirico, were third with 68.739%.
“With him, he’s got so much power and movement that I’m always trying to just perfect that balance so it looks seamless through the transitions, and we can contain all that power,” she continued. “His passage/piaffe is always quite strong. I thought it looked very rhythmic and smooth in and out of the transitions. He didn’t really put a foot wrong or have mistakes, so I can’t complain.”
Lyle echoed the sentiment of enjoying the competition at the PBIEC venue, having already competed in the arena last June in the U.S. Olympic observation trial.
“It’s really fun to be back and have more spectators this time,” she said. “We’re really thankful for this opportunity.”
Lyle noted that it was “really extra special and really cool” to win the class that was sponsored by her owner, Betsy Juliano. “She’s been such a huge supporter of mine for so many years, so to be able to win on her horse in the class she’s sponsoring is definitely very special,” she said.
- Text GDF press release - photos © Astrid Appels - A Eurodressage report of the competition will follow later this week
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