Frederic Wandres Flies to Florida to Win Gold Coast Opener at 2026 CDI West Palm Beach

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2026 CDI West Palm Beach

German Olympian Frederic Wandres interrupted his winter in Europe to hop on a plane for a two-week getaway in Wellington, Florida, where he checked in on the Hof Kasselmann horses in Loxahatchee and haphazerdly also grabbed a double victory in the CDI 3* West Palm Beach.

CDI's at Jim Brandon

Four venues in the state of Florida host international dressage competitions throughout the year: Wellington (Global Dressage Festival), West Palm Beach (at the Jim Brandon equestrian Centre), Myakka City (at TerraNova equestrian center) and Ocala (at the World Equestrian Center). Plenty to choose from for riders.

Organized by the Gold Coast Dressage Association, the CDI West Palm Beach at Jim Brandon is a long-time staple on the Florida calendar but eclipsed by the glitz and glam of the Global Dressage Festival.

This year the first GCDA organized CDI brought afoot merely 19 combinations for classes from junior level to Grand Prix but it were the national level entries, with 63 pairs registered, that became the motor of this show.

Hybrid Winter Strategy

Olympic and European team gold medal winner Frederic Wandres spent four consecutive seasons wintering in Wellington (2021 - 2024), but in 2025 decided to say in Germany and competed the young ones at local shows. This year he's going for a hybrid strategy with two of his rides shipped to Florida, while the rest of his string of young ones in training at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen.

Frederic in Florida with Verrenberg and Zara K

Wandres' 10-year old Oldenburg Verrenberg (by Vilancio x Johnson) and the home-bred 14-year old Zara K (by Zonik x Argentinus) joined the horses in Wellington to be trained, competed and potentially sold if the right client comes along. Frederic's fiancé Lars Ligus heads the Kasselmann U.S.A. operation and rides the horses while Frederic pops over for regular visits and to show as well as teach some of the clients.

"I will return for the back to back CDI's at the end of February," Wandres explained. "And then I go to Florida again for the FEI Nations Cup in March. That's the rough plan as I will also want to show the youngest and up and coming ones in Ankum. I want to combine both a little bit. It's also about keeping the owners of the horses happy."

Last November Frederic took over the ride on Bianca Kasselmann's Zara K from Alexa Westendarp, who showed her at national Grand Prix level. He plans to show her in Wellington in national Grand Prix next week, before taking her out to a CDI in February. "She's by Zonik and I love Zonik offspring," said Frederic who claimed his first major career title in 2019 by winning the World Young Horse Championships on Zucchero (by Zonik x Prince Thatch xx).

Double Win for Wandres

At the CDI West Palm Beach on 16 - 18 January 2025, Frederic and the bay Verrenburg rode their third CDI as a pair and they were a league of their own, winning the Grand Prix with 71.326% in a field of 10 riders. The second placed pair, Charlotte Jorst on Zhaplin Langholt, followed in their wake with 66.50%. Janet Foy, Agnieszka Majewska, Christof Umbach, Cesar Torrente, and William Warren judged the class.

A wave of the flu has been gripping Wellington the past week and Frederic also caught the bug. "If the show had been 24 hours earlier, I would have to cancel my entry," he said. "I was so sick."

The next day, only three riders opted to compete in the Grand Prix Special, which the pair also won with 72.298%. Argentinian Leonardo Godoy and Mundial OC were second with 66.234%.

"It was my first time showing at Jim Brandon. I was there the season before with my students," said Freddie. "The show organisers do everything to make every one happy. The stabling is nice, the conditions are good and the surface was often maintained to keep it good. The ring was often dragged. The stadium is open with more fresh air. It's a nice show as a season opener."

Cheerful in the Sun

Wandres' Verrenberg is bred by Nicole Wanning and was first competed in 2022 by Carolin Hohenloehe-Oehringen at M-level. In 2023 Hof Kasselmann's NIcole Wego took over the ride, followed by Annika Feldhaus. As of 2025 Wandres began competing the gelding, first at Inter II level in Ankum as well as in the Louisdor Cup qualifier in Hagen and Hamburg. Their international show debut was at the CDI Brno in June, where they were second and third. At the CDI Covalliero Horse Days in Hagen, they were third in the Grand Prix with 69.630%.

Verrenberg in 2025 Louisdor Qualifier in Hagen

"We brought Verrenberg to Florida because last year he had very good results at the national shows already and he is ready now for the CDI stage. From my experience over the years, where can you better improve a horse in a CDI atmosphere than in Wellington honestly. No travelling, 10 minutes to the show ground. In Europe it's always driving some hours to get to a CDI," he said. "For young horses getting on the CDI stage the travelling always influences the energy. It's better for them we travel less. And Verrenberg really likes the sun. It cheers him up

"The Plan of Action

For Wandres the action plan for 2026 is all aimed at making the German team for the 2026 World Championships in Aachen. His number one, Bluetooth OLD, stays home in Germany as he no longer requires heavy miles and show routine. For German team selection the National Championships in Balve will be the first major observation and selection trial, followed by the Nations Cup in Hagen in July.

When asked if Verrenberg will be Bluetooth's successor, Frederic smiles.

"As everyone knows I work in a sales company, so of course when there is the right offer or the right match, one day he'll be for sale, but right now we keep him as a prospect and develop him and see how it goes," said Frederic."I've had him since he was 8 and he is developing really well. For his age he is at a very good level and doing really well."