Finalists Known for 2025 Future Challenge Developing Horse Series in Wellington

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2025 CDI Wellington

-- GDF press release, edited by Eurodressage

With only one CDI left to go at the 2025 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, the "Future Challenge" developing horse qualfiiers for youngsters, PSG and GP horses came to a conclusion on 16 March 2025. Sponsored by Lovsta Stuteri and Buffalo Wild Wings, these popular national level classes are ridden in the international ring.

In two weeks the series finals will determine the winner. The Developing Horse Series are designed to offer horses with international quality the opportunity to perform a test in front of a panel of international judges in the atmospheric main stadium at Wellington International’s dressage venue without some of the additional pressures of an international, such as a trot-up, or having to stable overnight at the venue for several days.

Buffalo Developing PSG Horses: Trussell and Quincy Win Last Qualifier

Twelve promising small tour horses went down centerline in the final qualifier on Sunday, March 16, hunting one of the two remaining slots in week 12’s prestigious grand final.

In the Prix St. Georges Future Challenge Canadians occupied two of the three top spots. Belinda Trussell and the eight-year-old mare Quincy — who qualified in GDF 5 — topped the class on 71.206%. Andrea Woodard slotted in between the two Canadians with a 69.471% performance for second on Enter at A LLC’s eight-year-old Roxette. The Revolution x Quite Easy mare earned a ticket to the final in two weeks’ time. Camille Carier Bergeron finished third on her own MSJ Fürst Zonik (by Fürstenball x Zonik), another eight-year-old, and picked up the second ticket, as qualification passed down to non-qualified combinations.

Woodard is still building a relationship with Roxette, who was imported from Europe in the summer of 2024.

“I’m super happy that I get to do the final,” said Woodard. “She is a new horse for me. She came over from Europe and she was green with some of the upper level stuff. We’ve been getting to know each other, solidifying the relationship, and getting her used to the climate.

“We call her Mouse. At first it was because she was tiny, and now she’s Mighty Mouse. I love this horse so much. She has kindness in her eye, she’s delicate but then she has fire at the same time. Here is this tiny mouse coming, but when she clicks on, watch out! It’s so important to find these horses that physically have the ability and that mentally are okay with the stimuli so we can get to the point where we have beautiful dressage that looks soft and effortless.”

Woodard appreciates the developing horse classes as a vital step on the challenging road to international grand prix.

“This was a good opportunity to give Roxette a bit more mileage,” continued Andrea. “I love that these classes exist for the young horses so that we can prepare them from a younger age to deal with this kind of environment. She’s been good every time this season so I know she can handle the environment, but she does get hot so I have to figure out what triggers that and how to keep a lid on it and how to use it for good. That’s part of this whole journey.

“This season has been amazing for her and for me too; I’ve gotten better at going in there and focusing on riding the horse and not on what the judge is thinking. I can feel that the consistency of going out and showing [consistently across the GDF season] is super important.”

After the final in week 12, Woodard will focus on moving Roxette up to Intermediate I level and possibly contesting some CDIs. The bigger picture remains the international grand prix ring, the pathway to which she feels is facilitated by classes such as the Prix St. Georges Future Challenge.

Future Challenge Prix St Georges Qualified Finalists

Molly O’Brien on Fortunato H2O 73.676%
Mary Haskins Gray on Rutherford 72.402%
Belinda Trussell on Quincy 2017 71.412%
Hope Beerling on Top Gem 2017 69.823%
Rebecca Cohen on Prince Of Hope 70.559%
Ashley Holzer on Liberty L 70.059%
Ashley Holzer on Derek 75.049%
Callie O’Connell on Franky Di Fonteabeti 72.353%
Andrea Woodard on Roxette 69.471%
Camille Carier Bergeron on MSJ Fürst Zonik 68.117%

Layne and Williams Book Big Tour Finals Spots

In the final qualifier in the Lövsta Future Challenge Developing Grand Prix horse series, U.S. athletes Kelly Layne and Jennifer Williams scooped the two remaining qualification berths. Layne rode her own and Eva Levy’s 10-year-old Livaldon x Fürst Rousseau Hanoverian gelding Living Diamond to the win with 68.5%. Williams booked her ticket to the finals with her own Babylon Berlin, a 10-year-old by Bordeaux x Sandro Hit, with a 67.735% performance.

The series is for emerging big tour horses aged eight to 11. In each qualification round, competitors tackled an Intermediate II test. In the week 12 final, which carries a prize pot of $15,000, horses will perform a Grand Prix level test.

Future Challenge Grand Prix Qualified Finalists

Rebecca Cohen on Jameson 67.912%
Austin Webster on Guildenstern Sol 65.441%
Hannah Bressler Jaques on Jim 70.353%
James Irwin on Flirtfaktor S 67.059%
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu on Jaccardo 71.353%
Erin Nichols on Kind Pleasure 68.735%
Marcus Orlob on JJ Glory Day 73.294%
Amanda Perkowski on Sonata MF 70.618%
Kelly Layne on Living Diamond 68.5%
Jennifer Williams on Babylon Berlin 67.735%

Young Horses

For the first time this year a Future challenge for 5 and 6-year old young horses was held too, although the entry field was very small at the qualifier (1 to 3 combinations).

Alice Tarjan took advantage of the last qualification opportunity, leading the class for five and six-year-old horses on her own six-year-old stallion Orado (by Desperado x Johnson). They sealed a starting spot on the roster for the final in week 12.

Future Challenge Young Horse Qualified Finalists

Jennifer Williams on Jackpot 76.6%
Hope Cooper on O Romeo S 83.2%
Madeleine Bendfeldt on Zapatero 77.2%
Beatrice Boucher on First Delight 2019 78.6%
Alice Tarjan on Orado 82.6%