Hendricks Edges Out Lyle to Win 2025 CDI-W Wellington World Cup Qualifier

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2025 CDI-W Wellington

-- GDF press release, edited by Eurodressage

The first ‘Friday Night Stars’ evening of freestyle competition at the 2025 Global Dressage Festival (GDF) in Wellington, FL, brought impressive performances and scores in the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle.

On an unusually cold evening during Lloyd Landkamer Memorial week, Germany’s Felicitas Hendricks edged out U.S. Olympian Adrienne Lyle for the victory as the last rider to go. The class was also a qualifier for the new US Equestrian Open of Dressage, which features 23 qualifiers—seven of which are at GDF—before the final in California in November.

Felicitas rode her own 14-year-old Drombusch OLD (Destano x Dimaggio) to a 78.2% victory. Lyle finished second with a 77.28% performance on Helix, reversing the placings from Thursday’s qualifying Grand Prix. Sweden’s seven-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén and Devanto’s 75.515% score secured third place.

Back to Winning

Hendrix, who at 24 years old is still eligible to ride in under-25 classes, has returned to Wellington as a senior for the second year running after finishing as the most winning rider at GDF 2024. Her test showed harmonious self-carriage coupled with power and balance and featured 20 one-time changes down the centerline.

Judges Janet Foy, Peter Storr, William Warren, Christine Prip, and Christof Umbach rewarded the ride with 78.200%. Four judges had her first; one second, but the scores were quite in unison.

“He exceeded my expectations, like he does every time,” said Hendrix, whose groom Yannick Schmitz was awarded a check for $500, courtesy of the Lövsta Future Challenge. “He leaves his heart in the ring. I can tell that he’s very happy to be back and he was loving the crowd. He was a little spicy, but in a good way.

“The main work we’ve been doing at home is still the same and won’t change—it’s very basic work of improving self-carriage and gaining more strength behind. I think that is a process that won’t ever stop, but I can tell that it’s really benefiting both of us. We take all that basic work into the exercises like the pirouettes and changes,” added Hendrix, who is planning to ride three further CDIs with Drombusch at GDF, including the Nations Cup in week seven and week 10’s CDI5*.

Glitch In the Music

Lyle and Zen Elite Equestrian’s 13-year-old Helix (by Apache x Jazz) rode their first freestyle under the lights in Wellington and the horse was visibly impressed by the surroundings and atmosphere. His music started with "Stand By Me" for some electric piaffe-passage work but in the first trot extension he was "too hot to trot". The relaxation and length in the neck were not there.

After the trot half-pass part, Lyle signalled to the sound engineer to turn down the volume and as the music flowed into "Sweet Child of Mine" Lyle stopped on the diagonal and had a talk with the judge at C, Janet Foy. Show director Thomas Baur also came into the arena and they gave her the opportunity to ride her freestyle again from scratch instead of picking up where the music had its glitch. In the second ride the song "I like the way you move" played on the diagonal where Guns 'n Roses was in the first ride. The latter song section was meant for the walk part.

In case of interruption in the music, the FEI Rule 420.2.2 reads: "It is up to the Athlete whether to restart the test from the beginning or to commence from the point where the music failed. In either case, the marks already given will not be changed." The pair ended up scoring 77.280% with her ranking ranging from first to fifth place with 74.700% as the low lscore and 78.250% as the high score.

“Considering the unconventional start to the test, I was really happy with him," said Lyle. "He got a little excited at the beginning, so it wasn’t our most polished ride but I’m very proud of him as this is a new experience for us."

Adrienne has been carefully preparing him for this Wellington debut under lights at home.

“We’ve been getting him out at night and I’ve been riding him in the outdoor arena in the dark,” explained Lyle, who rode to 70s and 80s music put together by Terry Gallo. “My girls are really good sports and they come and put speakers around the arena. We’ve been playing applause music and doing all sorts of things to try to desensitize Helix because he’s a very hot and sensitive horse. We’ve been trying to put in our due diligence to make sure that he was not overwhelmed in this environment."

Vilhelmson Puttin on the Ritz

Vilhelmson Silfvén rode her long-time partner Devanto, Lövsta Stuteri’s 16-year-old jumping-bred gelding (by De Chirico x Lorentin) to her familiar ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ freestyle compilation. She scored 75.515% with marks going from 73.325% to 77.900%

“I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday that he was so excited to be here and showing again,” she said. “Although he was hot, he still let me ride him and that’s kind of new because he would sometimes get excited and forget about me. He was so ‘on’ and spicy yesterday, so I was wondering how I should handle him today, but I liked the feeling he gave. He’s a really fun horse.”

Judge at C Janet Foy (USA) was impressed with the quality of the rides. She said: “I think the top five were really super. They were interesting technically, the music was perfect for the horses, and they were wonderful to judge. I don’t think we’ve had such a high scoring opening show before—it’s an impressive start to the season.”

Spanish Depth on Show

In Friday’s daytime 1* Intermediate I Spanish riders filled two of the top three spots. Pablo Gómez Molina steered the internationally inexperienced Farinel Di Fonteabeti (by Grand Galaxy Win x Fidertanz) to the blue ribbon with 72.383%, getting the nod from all five judges. Kevin Kohmann and Diamante Farms’ 10-year-old mare Scala (by St Schufro x Belissimo M) —winners of Thursday’s Prix St. Georges class—slotted into second place with 70.353%.

Juan Francisco Fernandez Muñoz rode his own and Precision Andalusian Stables’ Doppelkorn (by Don Index x Lauries Crusador xx) to third with 67.412%, marking the pair’s second personal best this week. At eight years old, the gelding was the youngest in the class. This was his second senior CDI and his first outside Europe, and Fernandez Muñoz is making his Wellington debut this season.

Gómez Molina has owned the 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding since spotting him in Italy as a three-year-old. The pair clinched victory from final draw.

“It’s always nice to win and especially to start the season like this, but this one actually feels a bit different because Farinel is my own horse and he’s really talented and clever,” said Gómez Molina. “Yesterday in the Prix St. Georges we tested what we could do better and then went for it today, and the score reflects that.

“I think I have more success with the horses I’ve been training since they are young ones because over the years you learn more about how much you can push and when you need to be a little more quiet. I can trust him a lot and that gives you a lot of confidence as a rider.”

Gómez Molina, who works for Yeguada De Ymas, is hoping to bring Farinel Di Fonteabeti up to grand prix level at the end of 2025, and appreciates the many showing opportunities Wellington affords.

“This circuit allows us to get all of the 25 horses we have at home out to compete and that’s why it’s such a good opportunity,” he explained. “With so many shows you don’t have to rush a horse if it’s not ready.”