-- GDF press release - Photo © Eurodressage
Evelyn Eger (GER) led an all-female starting line-up in the Grand Prix Special 3* at the 2025 Palm Beach Derby CDI-W on Saturday, March 1, in week eight of the 2025 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, FL. She spearheaded an avalanche of personal best scores, with the top four in the class all outperforming their previous highs.
Mare Power
Eight athletes represented seven different nations, with Eger emerging victorious on Connie Kang’s Hanoverian mare Dancing Darkness, who made her CDI debut in GDF 8. The Dancier x Sandro Hit daughter—a graduate of the 2018 P.S.I. auction—scored 72.362% with a consistent, harmonious test that garnered lots of eights. The high score of 74.894% came from judge at E, Christoph Umbach (LUX).
Susan Pape (GBR), winner of the qualifying grand prix on Thursday, claimed second in the special riding Giulilanta to 71.766%. The Jazz x Flemmingh 14-year-old mare has made a fantastic return to competition after a two-year absence due to injury. This was her second ever CDI Grand Prix Special, her previous best being 70.851% achieved in GDF 7.
Two U.S. athletes were tightly packed into third and fourth: Callie O’Connell’s new personal best of 67.355% with Ruling Cortes LLC’s 16-year-old Eaton H (by Wynton) earned the yellow ribbon. Meagan Davis was right behind with a 67.17% ride on Scott Durkin’s 12-year-old Totilas gelding, Toronto Lightfoot.
"Special Mare"
At 11 years old, Dancing Darkness was the youngest horse in the class and handled the atmosphere in the Global Dressage Stadium at Wellington International’s showgrounds like a pro.
“She’s a special mare, but she has tricky buttons,” said the 27-year-old Eger, who is enjoying a fabulous run of form at her first AGDF, including winning the previous night’s Palm Beach Derby on her Derby debut.
“I love mares and she really is a mare, so I have to listen to her and see if she’s in the mood or not and whether or not we’ll have an easy training day. We have to listen to each other and now we understand each other well—that’s what I like with her. It’s more of a challenge and I love it.”
Dancing Darkness has been produced by the team at Hof Kasselmann where Eger works. She was allocated the ride on the tall black mare a year ago.
“She grew in our stable with previous riders and I took her over when she was already in I-2 national shows,” said Eger. “Then I found the buttons and we made our way up to the big sport in the grand prix.
“Now we are ready to be in the international show ring and that makes me happy. She’s very talented with super mega highlights. The piaffe today was really good. It’s still hard for her because she still doesn’t 100% have the power to hold it every time, but she improved from piaffe to piaffe—and also from the first day of the show to today. Honestly, the whole test was a highlight because I could feel the mare steady and with me.”
Now Dancing Darkness has proven herself in the CDI ring, Eger is considering whether the 5* in GDF 10 may be a good option for her before she returns to Europe for the summer competition season. Eger has plenty of horsepower to choose from, having also brought Tabledance, Global Power OLD, Gossip Girl and Jumanji to compete. She has ridden almost 20 tests in the Global Dressage Stadium over the past two months—clocking up vital experience thanks to AGDF’s ample showing opportunities.
Related Links
Scores: 2024 Palm Beach Dressage Derby