The best was saved until last in the 4* Grand Prix Freestyle, the final ‘Friday Night Stars’ freestyle class under lights of the 2024 Global Dressage Festival (GDF). From final draw, Germany’s Anna-Christina Abbelen jumped to the top of the leaderboard with an energetic performance on the evergreen 17-year-old Sam Donnerhall.
GDF 2024, which hosts seven weeks of CDI competition over three months, concludes on March 31.
Kur Win for Abbelen
Abbelen’s high score with Sam Donnerhall of 77.375% came from the judge at M, Maarten Van Der Heijden, but it was extremely close between the top two. Trailing Abbelen by just 0.045 percentage points — and placed first by four of the five judges — came dressage juggernaut and Sweden’s seven-time Olympian, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén. She and the 15-year-old Esperance (by Sorento OLD x Rousseau), in just the stallion’s fourth big tour CDI, scored 75.86%. Charlotte Jorst (USA) and the 11-year-old Zhaplin Langholt — the youngest horse in the class — put down a new combination best score of 74.375% to finish third.
Abbelen is tremendously grateful for all the lessons and experiences that Sam Donnerhall has facilitated for her over the past four years. At 17, the gelding by Samarant x Donnerhall was the oldest horse in the class, and she is carefully considering his future.
“At every show he keeps getting fresher and fresher,” she grinned. “Today he was really on his peak. The floorplan is quite difficult, and the feeling was actually really good, especially in the passage and the piaffe. And the whole canter tour was mistake-free. But due to his freshness the first halt, which is usually a strong part, was not really good.
“At the very end, in the music I put in a little thank you to my horse because this was maybe my last show with him. I don’t know. But he’s at his strongest at the moment and he’s so fresh and I learned everything from him,” she added. “I did so many great five-star shows with him and learned a lot. I thought if this was a really good one today, then I’d be happy to say that maybe I’ll just do smaller shows, or even just ride him at home. I owe him everything,” added the 27-year-old, who had grooming help from Lars Ligus, who was awarded the Massa Horses Groom’s Prize of $500.
Esperance Returns
“This was his first show in one and a half years and only his second freestyle ever,” she explained. “I’m so proud of him. I’m still speechless because he was such a star. He didn’t care about anything in there. I used music that I made for Paridon Magi, but I redid the floorplan this week to make it a little bit easier because I had no idea how he would be in there.”
Vilhelmson Silfvén, who also won the CDI4* Grand Prix the previous day with another horse in her string, Hyatt, will fly back to Europe after the conclusion of this year’s GDF to prepare for a summer of European competitions.
Patriotic Twist
The best scoring American in the freestyle class of only five riders was Danish born Charlotte Jorst, who was riding to new music put together specifically for Zhaplin Langholt (by Zonik x Stedinger). The soundtrack had a strong patriotic twist.
“For a horse like that, who is so young and only did his first grand prix a few months ago, and I’m so grateful to have had this show circuit to really make him a grand prix horse. He always gives me a good feeling and I’m so proud of the way he looks; he’s just a great type for me.”
For Judge William Warren the night was bittersweet. “There’s a bit of melancholy as this is the last show of Global, but then to have three really top quality horses and riders made for a very fun evening,” he said. “I’ve judged all of them before and watched their progression. Everybody’s music and choreography was spot on, creative, complicated and appropriate.”
-- GDF press release by Alice Collins, edited by Eurodressage
Photos © Sue Stickle
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