Lyle and My Vitality Wins Lovsta Future Challenge Qualifier at 2026 Palm Beach Derby

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2026 Palm Beach Dressage Derby

-- GDF press release

At the 2026 Palm Beach Derby, U.S. Olympian Adrienne Lyle topped the bill in the national level Lövsta Future Challenge qualifier, a series for developing grand prix horses from eight to 11 years old. Performing the intermediaire II test, Lyle booked her place in the week 11 final—in which horses tackle the FEI Young Horse Grand Prix—with 71.265% on My Vitality.

The nine-year-old licensed stallion and full brother to breeding sire Vitalis (by Vivaldi x D-Day) showed many highlights in the test, though also green mistakes, meaning his movement marks ranged from fours to nines.

In an impressive show of “sire power,” Vivaldi also sired the second-place finisher, Kensington, who is out of a Sir Sinclair dam. The 11-year-old gelding owned by Enterprise Farm Equestrian was ridden to 69.206% by Canada’s Lindsay Kellock Duckworth, securing their berth in the March 20 final.

My Vitality—who is a full-brother to the top breeding stallion Vitalis—last competed internationally as a seven-year-old under Norway’s Catherine Rasmussen but is yet to grace the CDI ring with Lyle. She has had the ride on the impressive, loose-moving chestnut since he was purchased by Zen Elite Equestrian in the summer of 2025. They made their national debut at Intermediate II level at AGDF earlier this month.

The Lövsta Future Challenge is designed to give talented horses with international potential the exposure necessary to equip them with the experience necessary to perform at their best on the world’s biggest stages—a unique set of competitive circumstances that are impossible to replicate at home in training.

“We had some big mistakes in there in the pirouettes, which haven’t normally been an issue with him,” said the Wellington-based Lyle. “I think he just got a little bit impressed at the stadium and a little tight in his back, so now we know our homework. He’s still green, but he’s such a quality horse, and I’m so excited about his future.

“All the parts [for grand prix] are there, but there’s a lot of strength building and fine-tuning to be done,” added Lyle. “He’s still a very new ride to me, and we’re getting to know each other. The judges are very complimentary of him, and now it’s a question of giving him time and strength.”