Two Franklin Get and One Come Back Kid Stand Out in First Lovsta Future Challenge Qualifier of 2024

Shows

2024 CDI Wellington - Global Dressage Festival - Week Three

Two offspring by Franklin captured first and second place and a direct ticket to the final of the "Lovsta Future Challenge" at the 2024 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida.

Although there was just five pairs competing in this national Intermediaire II class, the field was full with familiar faces, amongst them one come back kid who hasn't been on the main stage in Wellington since 2015.

The Lovsta Future Challenge

The Lovsta Future Challenge is a national level show circuit held during the Global Dressage Festival and mimicking the German Louisdor Cup for developing Grand Prix horses.

It is sponsored by Swedish Antonia Ax:son Johnson's dressage and stallion station Lovsta Stuteri, who endorses a similar circuit in Sweden and an international U25 tour on the Western European League world cup circuit.

The first leg of the Lovsta Future Challenge on Friday 26 January 2024 was the first of five qualifying rounds to earn a starting berth in the final in GDF12 at the end of March, and a chance to share a slice of the $15,000 prize-money.

Woodard Wins

Winner Andrea Woodard rode Anette Grant’s nine-year-old KWPN gelding Kaliber to a winning score of 70.647%.

Woodward is born in New York (USA) but grew up in Denmark, where she became a certified rider in 2009 after an apprenticeship with Martin Holfelt, Torben Frandsen and Jan Søgaard. In 2011 she began working at Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark and in 2015 she and her husband, Italian Giuliano Ginanneschi and son Jaime, moved to Wellington, Florida, where she began her own business but also helmed Helgstrand U.S.A. before Lars Petersen and Melissa Taylor moved into Windsome farm in 2022.

Kaliber L at Helgstrand Dressage in 2018

Kaliber is bred by renowned KWPN breeder Jan Lamers and is by Franklin out of Dorudine L (by Rubin Royal x Donnerhall). He is a half brother to the SBS licensed stallion Ironn L (by Don Olympian). He sold to Helgstrand Dressage as a youngster and was presented at the 2017 Westfalian stallion licensing but not accepted.

Woodard began riding Kaliber in 2020 and they did their first shows at third level and Prix St Georges in 2022. She moved him up to Inter II level in May 2023 and in September piloted him through his first grand Prix tests in Ocala, where they scored 77.065%. At the Wellington Classic Winter Challenge last December, he scored 66.702% and 68.989% in the national Grand Prix

“He’s world class,” Woodard when she was interviewed in Ocala in 2022. “He’s extremely relaxed together with all the ability you want. I want to develop him to Grand Prix and hopefully he will be a team horse for some of the bigger events,” continued Woodard, who has ridden him for two years. “I think he has everything both physically and mentally to do that. You can hack him on the buckle, but he also does everything at just seven years old, and that combo of ability and mindset is very rare. I educate him, and Annette rides him too; it’s great that he allows us to do that.

Look Who's Back! Caroline Roffman

Caroline Roffman slotted into second with 69.706% on the 8-year-old KWPN mare Libertee (by Franklin x Donnerhall).

Nine years since last riding in the international arena at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Roffman seemingly conquered her stage fright and returned to the main spotlight with a new, rising young Grand Prix horse.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous," Caroline admitted. "Many mistakes were made, most of which were mine. I am so grateful to have this ride and continue on the journey. I could not be happier with Libby on the start of her Grand Prix career."

In 2014 Roffman was an American team contender with Her Highness O, being squad listed and invited to compete in Europe for a spot on the team. She missed it narrowly and Her Highness O sold to Denmark in 2015. Since then, her competition career has been on the back burner while training and selling horses has been her main objective. She briefly returned with Her Majesty TF, showing her a few times in the PSG in 2016 and in the Grand Prix in some national classes in 2017 before selling the mare to RS2 Dressage in The Netherlands. Then a four-year break from national competition follow. She returned with 4-year old It's Showtime in 2021 and rode it at the U.S. Young Horse Championships. Then in November 2022 she did one show at Fourth level with Libertee.

"At 8 years old and one horse show (at six years old) under her belt, I asked a lot for this mighty little mare to give," said Roffman. "She gave. She braved the main arena at global in the shadowy hours before the night class. She trusted me and tried every step of the way."

Roffman is married to U.S. show jumper Benjamin Meredith and they have two daughters together. She bought Libertee in 2020 at De Langenbergh Hoeve in The Netherlands. The mare is by Franklin out of the elite KWPN mare Renommee (by Donnerhall x Rubinstein).

"The past four years have been as it is with horses, a journey," Caroline stated. "Ups and downs, a few tears and a lot of laughs. I never really knew when I would feel inspired to get back into the show arena but with the help of an actual village. Yesterday was the day."