Tarjan, Jorst and Gomez Molina on Winning Form at 2023 CDIO Wellington

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2023 CDIO Wellington

Alice Tarjan (USA) came out on top of the 15 combinations forward in the Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Iron Spring Farm, on Saturday of Week 7 at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, on Saturday afternoon 25 February 2023.

Tarjan was competing her own 13-year-old mare Candescent (Christ x Falkenstern), and the pair netted a winning score of 72.638%. This was just 0.06 percentage points shy of their best performance ever in this test, achieved in the very same arena at AGDF in 2021.

Fellow American Anna Marek posted another plus-70% score to finish in the runner-up spot, partnering Janet Simile’s 13-year-old Fire Fly (Briar Junior x OO Seven) to 70.234%. Belgium’s Laurence Vanommeslaghe broke the American stranglehold on the podium riding his own Havalon, a 16-year-old gelding by Blue Hors Hotline, to 68.809% and the third place ribbon.

Tarjan explained that although she has been training Candescent since she was a four-year-old, she hasn’t been the most straightforward horsedespite her attractive, expressive movement.

“Overall everything’s going in the right direction,” said the 43-year-old from Oldwick, NJ, who has a clutch of prolific horses at grand prix level. “It’s been a long road and she hasn’t been the easiest. I’ve had her for nine years and she’s always been a real challenge.

“I don’t think anyone wrote a book on how to train this horse. She’s been doing grand prix now for a few years but what I’ve learned is that being able to do the movements in the grand prix and then putting everything together in a cohesive and harmonious test are two very different things,” added Tarjan, who has been coming to Wellington for almost a decade. “Now I finally feel like I have a horse that’s on my side and we’re finally starting to form a partnership.”

Charlotte Jorst Wins Intermediaire I CDIO 3*

A large field of 24 starters lined up for the Intermediate I 1*. Charlotte Jorst (USA) led the all-female podium line-up, riding her own Federle to 71.863%. The nine-year-old mare by Fürstenball garnered plenty of eights, but a mistake in the two-time changes pegged the score back a little.

Yvonne Losos de Muñiz (DOM) gave Jorst a good run for her money, trailing by just 0.29 percentage points with 71.569% on another mare — the 10-year-old Idwinaretto, by Everdale. Jessica Howington rode Indigo TC, by Dream Boy, to 70% and third place.

**Pau Wins 3* Grand Prix Kur Under the Lights**

In the “Friday Night Stars” 3* Grand Prix Freestyle class under lights on Friday evening 24 February, Spanish rider Pablo Gómez Molina punched the air in jubilation at the final halt after completing a 77.865% test. Aboard the 13-year-old PRE gelding Ulises De Ymas — who is owned by Javier Bacariza, Cristina Danguillecourt and Yeguada de Ymas SL — Gómez Molina scored a huge new personal best of 77.865%.

The final rider in the class, Suphakamol (Pam) Vuntanadit rode Dreamboat BCN (Glock’s Voice x Metall) to another career high score, of 71.58% for second. She is the first ever grand prix rider from her native Thailand. Canada’s Mathilde Blais Tétreault rounded out the podium, riding the Glock’s Johnson son Fedor to 71.18%.

Gómez Molina rode to an upbeat compilation featuring Queen and Harry Potter theme song music, for which he received two nines.

“Ulises is really active with a lot of activity and knee action and I think it fits him really well. I was hearing the crowd clapping in time, so I think they liked it,” said the beaming 28-year-old. “I started competing internationally in Wellington, so for me to win the grand prix yesterday and today win the freestyle — I’ve been here watching every single freestyle — it’s pretty special.

“Ulises had way more energy than yesterday and he was with me all the time,” he added of the son of Seni Indio. “I made the freestyle two years ago when I didn’t have much experience in the grand prix and neither did he, so now we need to make it a bit more difficult.”

The short-term plan for Ulises is likely to be the CDI4* in AGDF 11 (March 22-26), followed by a competition season in Europe.

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