Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – February 9, 2014 – The national anthem of Spain rang out for the third time in as many days for Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas on Sunday morning of the AGDF 5 CDI 3*/4*. Matute, Jr. picked up wins in the FEI Prix St. Georges on Friday, the Intermediaire-1 on Saturday, and capped off the weekend with a win in the Intermediaire-1 Freestyle, presented by Havensafe Farm, on Sunday morning.

Matute, Jr. topped the class with a score of 71.125%, followed by American Alix Szepesi (USA) and Majco Thunder’s Hattrick. The pair finished second with a score of 70.792%. Third place went to Canadian Tom Dvorak and Ribot, who finished on a 69.333%.

The FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle concluded competition for the fifth week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Competition resumes February 15 for the AGDF 6 Dressage National, managed by Wellington Classic Dressage, which will run an abbreviated schedule to finish on February 16. The Stadium at PBIEC will play host to show jumping for the second weekend this circuit on Friday, February 14. The $84,000 Salamander Hotels & Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix will enjoy the wonderful International Arena at The Stadium for “Friday Night Stars” before dressage competition returns for the weekend.

Matute, Jr. began by saying what was on everyone’s mind; the sudden drop in humidity was a welcome relief on Sunday morning and created picture perfect competition weather.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

The more tolerable temperatures may have lit Don Diego Ymas up a bit, however. Matute, Jr. admitted he was quite hot at the canter, but was still thrilled with how his horse performed.

“Don Diego was good. He was a little bit nervous. He tried his best. The mistakes were a little bit my fault. The trot was really good. I think the highlight today was his trot. In the canter, he was just hot. I couldn’t really do anything, I just drove! It was good and I’m happy. It was a good weekend,” Matute, Jr. smiled.

After a banner weekend of competition, Matute, Jr. decided to go all out for the I-1 Freestyle, a decision that clearly paid off with a win, but he admitted there were a few mistakes in some of the more difficult movements.

“We were very happy yesterday with the scores and we decided, well it’s a freestyle, so let’s push it to the limit and see what we could get. There was a lot of difficulty in my freestyle, and with difficulty there’s risk,” he noted.

Of the one-handed canter pirouette, Matute, Jr. commented, “If I had been able to pull it off, it would have been a fantastic movement. It’s hard because [Don Diego Ymas] is such a big horse. To be able to collect him so much from the most extension in the extended canter to the most collection, so that’s a lot of difficulty. He didn’t interpret what I wanted to do, I’m not sure what happened, but we weren’t able to pull it off today. But we tried. It’s okay, it happens.”

Second place finisher Szepesi was also quite satisfied with her test with Hattrick. Third time was the charm for the pair, with Sunday’s test being their best of the season.

“The first one I did at the national show, artistically I hit all my markers and it was great, but technically we had some things we needed to work on. The next one I did at the CDI, technically it was really great, but then I missed a lot of my markers and music. This time, I really feel like technically it was all good and everything was right on as far as hitting the music and being on the beat,” Szepesi remarked.

She continued, “The test today was just plain fun. Especially after the Prix St. Georges and I-1, trying to be very technically correct. Today I just wanted to enjoy the music and enjoy the test. He was great. He was easy to ride and a lot of fun.”

Szepesi particularly enjoys her music, which has also been a crowd favorite. Put together by Karen Robinson, her routine includes Maroon 5′s hit “One More Night” as well as “Into the Wild” by L.P. and “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons.

“My favorite part of the freestyle is in the trot work when we come around when the [music lyrics] go ’1, 2, 3, 4, somebody left the gate open,’ and we do the extended trot. That’s a lot of fun and definitely just the canter music. When I’m listening to it off the horse, I just want to get up and dance. I get a lot of positive feedback from the audience. A lot of people watching, that I don’t even know, come up to me and tell me what a pleasure it was to watch the ride,” Szepesi smiled.

Hattrick has been a solid partner for Szepesi since he was imported as a five-year-old by part-owner Michelle Doucette. Now 13, Szepesi described the gelding as a solid and reliable partner.

“He’s just so consistent and reliable. If I stay focused, he’s just right there. There’s never anything. Even if he looks at something, he’s right there and he knows he’s got a job to do. I feel like he’s always right with me and always reliable. I’m never nervous, like ‘Oh this is coming up, I don’t think we’re going to pull it off,’” Szepesi detailed.

Their nearly ten year partnership has not been without bumps in the road. A week after he debuted at the Prix St. Georges and I-1 level, he foundered and was out of the ring for an entire year. It took Szepesi another two just to get him back to the level he was at previously. Now that they’re back in action and schooling grand prix, she hopes to show the gelding at I-1 or grand prix by the end of the season.

The FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle was followed by the FEI Young Rider Freestyle, which was topped by Canada’s Tanya Strasser-Shostak and Action Tyme. The pair earned a score of 69.958%.

For full results and more information, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Final Results: FEI Intermediare-1 Freestyle, presented by Havensafe Farm

Rider, Country, Owner, Horse, Age, Breeding: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total%

1 Juan Matute, Jr., ESP, Juan Matute, Sr., Don Diego Ymas, 11-year-old Hanoverian St. Pr. Gelding by Hauptstutbuch x Don Frederico: 72.875%, 70.625%, 69.875%, 71.125%

2 Alix Szepesi, USA, Alix Szepesi and Michelle Doucette, Majco Thunder’s Hattrick, 13-year-old gelding Knapstrupper by Jasmin x Thunder Boy : 71.375%, 71.875%, 69.125%, 70.792%

3 Tom Dvorak, CAN, Carla Bahr, Ribot, 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Corthena x Hilltop Reno: 68.625%, 69.375%, 70.000%, 69.333%

4 Brittany Fraser, CAN, Brittany Fraser, All In, nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Leontine x Tango: 66.125%, 69.875%, 69.375%, 68.458%,

5 Katharina Stumpf, AUT, Katharina Stumpf, For My Love, 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Escudine x For Feeling: 66.375%, 69.00%, 65,625%, 67.000%

6 Evi Strasser, CAN, Evi Strasser, Rigaudon Tyme, 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Carmen x Rosano: 67.750%, 66.250%, 66.750%, 66.917%

7 Gabriela Stumpf, AUT, Gabriela Stumpf, Finally Love, eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Winzerin x Farewell III: 67.125%, 66.875%, 65.125%, 66.375%

Photo Credit: Photos © SusanJStickle.com.

Michael Barisone and Ellegria Top FEI Grand Prix Special 3*;

Matute, Jr. Continues Small Tour Hot Streak with Don Diego Ymas

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – February 8, 2014 – The 2014 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) continued with its fifth week of competition on Saturday at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) featuring CDI 4* and 3* competition presented by The Dutta Corp. and Havensafe Farm.

Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Special 4*, presented by The Dutta Corp., saw a top finish for Adrienne Lyle (USA) aboard Wizard, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Weltmeyer, owned by Peggy Thomas. The pair scored a 70.353% for the win with Megan Lane (CAN) and Caravella in second with a 69.922%. Eliane Cordia-van Reesema (USA) and Jewel’s Adelante finished third with a 66.569%.

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard

“I was incredibly happy with him today,” Lyle said of Wizard. “It was the end of a long, hot weekend and he tried so hard. I thought his piaffe/passage was much stronger than it has been. I was super happy with that because that is what we have been focusing on, really trying to solidify that and getting active, relaxed, and confident in that. The rider totally blew the changes today, but I would much rather have me making an error than having some issue with him. The canter work normally we are very solid in, so that is something I just need to fix, but he was wonderful.”

Lyle thought that Saturday’s test was one of her best, noting that although there were small errors, he felt confident.

“I thought the piaffe/passage was the best,” she stated. “I thought the trot work was very solid. As far as the feeling I got from it, I thought that was one of the best. He just felt solid. He felt there for me. He felt relaxed; he wasn’t stressed about stuff. I think it definitely helps that we have been able to come back to this venue and I think it helps that I have been able to get here enough. It’s not like I show and then go home for six months and wonder if what stuff I was working on six months ago is still relevant.”

In addition to working on Wizard’s piaffe and passage work, Lyle has been trying to improve his fitness level with different exercise.

“I take him out twice a week and we go hacking for like an hour,” she explained. “I take him on the trails through the housing developments and things like that so he gets a little more physical fitness as well as working on the moves. I have added a little more cardio. There is a big, nice field across from us where we can take them out and trot and canter.”

Lyle has hopes of qualifying for the U.S. team for this year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and also plans to compete in the World Cup qualifiers coming up in the AGDF season. She explained that she has rearranged her freestyle music a little bit and is trying to keep Wizard fit and healthy.

“I think I am on a good path with him,” she said. “I want to just keep it going, keeping him happy, trying to improve the little parts that we need, but not overdoing it. Today I was on 18 minutes before my ride. I did a very short warmup because I did too much on Thursday. Hopefully I am getting to a place where I can trust him, just get on and do a little loosening and that is going to keep him physically and mentally much happier than having to be out there drilling.”

“I was really happy with today’s win and being in a 4*, that was huge,” Lyle acknowledged. “It was great competition. I am happy not just that he won, but that he was honest in the places that I needed him to be honest. That for me was the most important thing.”

Megan Lane had a great test with Caravella in Saturday’s class as well and praised her mare, a 13-year-old KWPN by Contango. “I think it went fantastic,” Lane smiled. “She is all the time better. We have not been doing the Grand Prix for very long, so every single ride I am happier than I was before and that is all that I can ask for.”
Lane has owned Caravella since the mare was eight years old and explained that she is very willing. “She is multi-talented,” Lane described. “(Her sire) Contango was a jumper. She is versatile in that sense. I bought her from a hunter/jumper barn and she did perfectly late hunter changes, but I was able to fix the changes within a week. She is super trainable.”

“She is so much fun,” she added. “She is everything you could ask for in a small package, which I think makes a rider’s life easy. The highlight of her I would say is her trainability. She loves learning new things and she loves being great.”

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Special 4*, Presented by The Dutta Corp.

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total%

1. Adrienne Lyle, USA, Wizard, 69.706%, 73.922%, 70.294%, 68.627% 69.216%, 70.353%
2. Megan Lane, CAN, Caravella, 70.000%, 70.098%, 70.882%, 69.902%, 68.725%, 69.922%
3. Eliane Cordia-van Reesema, USA, Jewel’s Adelante, 68.137%, 66.667% 67.157%, 68.039%, 66.569%, 67.314%
4. Tom Dvorak, CAN, Viva’s Salieri, 66.373%, 68.824%, 64.412%, 66.275%, 66.471%, 66.471%
5. Joanne Vaughan, GEO, Elmegarden’s Marquis, 66.176%, 66.176%, 67.255%, 64.902%, 66.863%, 66.275%

Veteran dressage competitor Michael Barisone topped the FEI Grand Prix Special 3*, sponsored by The Dutta Corp., earlier on Saturday evening. The American rider took Lauren Sprieser’s 13-year-old Westphalian mare Ellegria to the blue ribbon finish with a score of 68.873%.

Michael Barisone and Ellegria

The United States took the top three placings of the class, with second place going to Katherine Bateson Chandler and Wellnetta, who finished on a score of 67.588%. Shawna Harding and Come On III were third with a score of 66.000%.

Ellegria is a relatively new ride for Barisone, who has helped owner Sprieser with the mare for a while. Barisone only took over the reins recently, once Sprieser decided she wanted to sell her.

“I claim no credit for this horse. She belongs to Lauren Sprieser. Lauren has been a student of mine for five years and I helped her with this mare for a long time, but Lauren has done all the training. That mare is 100% trained by Lauren,” Barisone expressed.

Ellegria doesn’t have much in the way of experience in a competition setting, with Saturday’s win only being her fifth time out at the grand prix level, but Barisone sees something special in the chestnut mare.

“[Her] tests are really solid. One of the judges came to me and said ‘I just love her, she’s so solid.’ There’s never going to be drama. There’s never going to be any kind of misbehavior. She’s a wonderful horse,” Barisone commented.

Ellegria remains for sale, but Barisone and United States Dressage Chef D’Equipe Robert Dover would both like to see her remain in the country, particularly with the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games looming.

“She is for sale, because that’s the way life is. If I’m lucky, maybe one of my [clients] will get together. Robert Dover keeps saying ‘You have to try to get her for yourself.’ We’ll ride it out and see where it goes. You never know, we could get a call tonight or maybe not for six months,” Barisone acknowledged.

Ellegria is the ninth different horse Barisone has won a CDI grand prix on, and he admitted she is completely different than his mounts before her.

“She’s nothing like any other horse I’ve ridden. All the rest have generally been really hot athletes, really high-strung, big. She’s really a German horse. She looks like a stallion. She’s stout, she’s got a big neck. Every day I say, she’s not what I would pick when I choose horses. She kind of fell in my lap, but I love her,” Barisone smiled.

Another desirable trait Ellegria possesses is her age; Barisone believes she is at exactly the right point in her life to enjoy a long and successful grand prix career.

“The average international horse gets about five seasons. That’s what you get. One of my life mistakes I always say is no more eight-year-old grand prix horses. I’m going to stay at home until they’re nine or ten now. I just think I maybe rushed it too much in the beginning. With [Ellegria], I’m counting 13, 14, 15, 16; that’s a real nice time in their career. It’s when they’re settled, but young enough to be good. It seems like the ones that are doing their best, in my experience, are the 13 (to) 16-year-olds. They seem to be the solid ones,” Barisone noted.

What makes Ellegria so wonderful also means she will be an easy sell to whatever buyers surely come calling. Simple to warm-up and eager to please, Ellegria is any rider’s dream come true.

“She’s one of those nice horses that you come out of the barn and she’s on the bit. She’s not stupid, you don’t have to work her down. She’s not spooky, she’s round right off the bat. You do posting trot for a couple of minutes, you sit, do a couple of half passes. A little big trot, a little small trot, little bit of passage, little bit of canter, and go. Which is a joy. She actually could be ridden by an amateur rider,” Barisone detailed.

Barisone has shown at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, but in his opinion, there’s no better place than the AGDF.

“I absolutely think is the coolest place in the entire world to go to a dressage show. Period. Incredible stabling. It must have rained five inches on jog day and you could ride an hour after. Incredible footing, a great atmosphere, the vet clinic is 400 yards away,” Barisone listed.

He continued, “The best of everybody in the world here at one time, and I sleep in my own bed at night. You can’t say that at Aachen. I rode five horses at home and saw 20 horses in my ring this morning before I came over and rode my test. That’s cool. The reality is what they’ve created here is unique to the world.”

Juan Matute, Jr. (ESP) has taken the small tour by storm this season with Don Diego Ymas. The pair picked up their second win of the weekend in Saturday’s FEI Intermediaire-1, sponsored by Havensafe Farm. Matute, Jr. also won the FEI Junior Individual class later in the day with Dhannie Ymas and a score of 72.149%. The FEI Young Rider Individual class went to Tanya Strasser-Shostak (CAN) and Action Tyme.

Matute, Jr. topped the class with a 74.553% on Don Diego Ymas, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by the Matute Family. Second place went to Canadian Brittany Fraser and her own All In, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. The pair scored a 69.921%. Silva Martin (USA) rounded out the top three with a score of 68.974% aboard Rosa Cha W, an eight-year-old Warmblood mare owned by the Osa Cha W Syndicate.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Matute, Jr. jokingly declared to his mother that Saturday would be the day he would hit a score of 74, but the top score still came as a surprise to the 16-year-old phenom.

“It feels kind of weird. It’s such a hard mark. It’s like, ‘Wow I really did a 74?’ It’s shocking, but I’ll take it!” Matute, Jr. beamed.

Of his test, Matute, Jr. said, “It was phenomenal. One of the best feelings I’ve had in the ring for a long time. It was the test. I couldn’t ask for more.”

After their auspicious debut on the small tour, Matute, Jr. plans to move up to the Under-25 division and attempt grand prix later this year. Don Diego Ymas is already well-schooled at the grand prix level, and Matute, Jr. is more than up to the challenge.

“My dad likes to start teaching passage-piaffes when they are very young. Of course, not all out, but a little bit here and there so they start to get the feeling of collection and using their haunches. He does completely grand prix. We started doing the one tempis two months ago and I can already say we are solid in thirteen, so we’re almost all the way there!” Matute, Jr. smiled.

Don Diego Ymas has been a member of the family for the last seven years, with Matute, Jr. having the ride for the last three. The road to the small tour hasn’t always been easy, but Matute, Jr. couldn’t ask for a better partner.

“He’s a big horse. He used to be very spooky. He didn’t have self-confidence; he was a little bit insecure all the time, but overall he has a great mind. His personality is the best. He’s goofy. We call him ‘Goofy’ in the barn, like Goofy from Disney. He’s a lovely horse,” Matute, Jr., described.

Second place finisher Brittany Fraser returned to the AGDF this year with her gelding, All In. Fraser was pleased to see her horse beginning to grow up, a trend she noticed later last year at Dressage at Devon (Pa.) and the Saugerties Fall Festival of Dressage (N.Y.).

“[This year] he’s fit, he’s strong. Last year was his first year at St. Georges and he is huge, and it takes a long time to develop a horse like that. I showed at Saugerties and Devon last year and I really noticed a huge difference then in him, and it’s kind of just carrying on. I think he’s growing up. He’s nine now, so he’s not a baby anymore,” Fraser explained.

As for Saturday’s test, Fraser was happy to see All In consistently stay relaxed, which is one of her biggest challenges with her horse. Keeping his large frame in check is the predominate focus of all of Fraser’s rides.

“He’s such a huge horse that you have to keep him on his hips and you have to make sure he doesn’t get too long, because he has a humongous trot and a huge front leg, so he gets too long. I have to keep him very much in a package throughout the test,” Fraser explained.

Like Matute, Jr. Fraser is also looking forward to moving up to grand prix later this year. Following the AGDF 7 Stillpoint Farm CDIO and CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge, Fraser will contest a few Intermediaire-2 classes before making the final leap.

Competition for the ADGF 5 CDI 3*/4* concludes Sunday with the FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle, sponsored by Havensafe Farm, beginning at 10:40 a.m. at The Stadium at PBIEC. For full results, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Special 3*, presented by The Dutta Corp.

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge H% Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B% Total%

1 Michael Barisone, USA, Ellegria: 69.706%, 68.627%, 68.431%, 67.647%, 67.451%, 68.373%

2 Katherine Bateson Chandler, USA, Wellnetta: 68.627, 68.039%, 65.882%, 68.627%, 66.765%, 67.588%

3 Shawna Harding, USA, Come On III: 68.039%, 65.098%, 65.392%, 64.412%, 67.059%, 66.000%

4 Jill Irving, CAN, Degas 12: 63.333%, 64.510%, 64.118%, 64.020%, 66.667%, 64.529%

5 Anna Whit Watkins, USA, Cipriani: 64.510%, 62.059%, 65.392%, 62.059%, 60.882%, 62.980%

6 Evi Strasser, CAN, Renaissance Tyme: 60.098%, 63.039%, 62.157%, 61.667%, 60.000%, 61.392%

Final Results: FEI Prix St. Georges, presented by Havensafe Farm

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge H% Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B% Total%

1 Juan Matute, Jr., ESP, Don Diego Ymas: 71.974%, 74.474%, 73.026%, 77.500%, 75.789%, 74.553%

2 Brittany Fraser, CAN, All In: 70.395%, 67.237%, 67.632%, 71.974%, 72.368%, 69.921%

3 Silva Martin, USA, Rosa Cha W: 71.842%, 67.105%, 66.053%, 70.395%, 69.474%, 68.974%

4 Christilot Boylen, CAN, Drentano: 67.895%, 67.895%, 68.816%, 70.526%, 69.211%, 68.868%

5 Tom Dvorak, CAN, Ribot: 69.737%, 69.079%, 69.079%, 67.368%, 68.158%, 68.684%

6 Maya Markowski, CAN, Lumiere: 68.289%, 65.263%, 66.711%, 70.132%, 68.158%, 67.711%

7 Alix Szepesi, USA, Majco Thunder’s Hattrick: 66.184%, 70.000%, 68.947%, 66.053%, 65.395%, 67.316%

8 Christopher Hickey, USA, Ronaldo: 69.342%, 66.842%, 64.342%, 67.500%, 67.368%, 67.079%

Photo Credit: Photos © www.www.SusanJStickle.com.

Kelly Layne and Udon P Excel in FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 3*; Juan Matute, Jr. Rides to Another Small Tour Victory in FEI Prix St. Georges

AGDF 5 CDI 4*/3* competition, presented by The Dutta Corp. and Havensafe Farm, continues through February 9 at The Stadium at the PBIEC. Saturday’s competition will feature the FEI Intermediaire I, sponsored by Havensafe Farm, in the morning. The afternoon session will highlight the FEI Grand Prix Special 3* and 4* classes, each sponsored by The Dutta Corp.
Denmark’s Lars Petersen and Mariett, owned by Marcia M. Pepper, have been on quite a roll this week at AGDF. The pair topped Friday night’s $80,000 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 4* with a score of 76.400%. Tina Konyot (USA) and Calecto V placed second with an overall score of 75.500%, and Mikala Munter Gundersen (DEN) guided Janne Rumbough’s My Lady to a 72.825% to place third.

Lars Petersen and Mariett

Mariett, a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood mare by Come Back II out of Zendi, was a bit hot for Petersen in Thursday’s Grand Prix class, but the rider noted that she was on her game tonight and felt great.

“I thought she was really good to ride tonight. I was very, very happy,” Petersen stated. “Yesterday she was maybe not so easy to ride, but tonight she was with me. She came down a bit.”

Petersen spoke about Mariett’s sweet demeanor and how she enjoys performing in the impressive atmosphere under the lights at AGDF. “In the stable, she’s like a dog,” he described. “She’s a really sweet horse, all the way around. She’s a little bit more ‘up’ here (than at home). Otherwise it’s the same. The lights, the music, the people. In some ways, that’s also what makes them good, when they come in and they get up a little bit.”

Tina Konyot was happy with her ride aboard Calecto V Friday night after a difficult day on Thursday with the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion (Come Back II out of Bahera). She explained that the pair had many frustrating mistakes in the Grand Prix, but came back better after a little reevaluation and some words of advice from U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover.

“I had so many mistakes yesterday. I was a little bit frustrated with it,” Konyot admitted. “One of them I can definitely attribute to myself because I was frustrated with some of the other ones because I didn’t understand why they happened. You always have to concentrate on the moment, and I lost my moment. It was a bad day yesterday. I thank God that Robert is such a huge support behind us. He said to forget about it and concentrate on what the horse can do, and he was so much better than yesterday.”

Tina Konyot and Calecto V

“He’s not quite as fit as he could be,” Konyot noted. “I’m just getting back into the show program here for the winter. He needs a little bit more fitness level to him, to be a little bit sharper, but overall I was happy with him. It was a great evening. Thank you Tim Dutta for all of this wonderful support, and thank you to everyone.”
Third place finisher, Mikala Munter Gundersen, enjoyed her freestyle with My Lady, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood mare by Michellino out of Marion.

“She felt really good today as well,” Munter Gundersen stated. “I’m really impressed with the mare. When we got her two years ago, she was terrified. We had to feed her sugar to get her in the ring. We would go and practice during the week and feed her sugar from the tent just to get her over here. Now she walks in there by herself. She loves to go in there and present herself. I’m very thrilled. I think that’s the most important thing, that the horses have fun doing what they are doing. These tests are really hard, and it’s just amazing to have a horse who really wants to do it.”

Judge Lilo Fore spoke about the evening’s fantastic performances and the level of competition that the top three exhibited.

“I was very happy tonight because all three of these top horses showed themselves today really very well,” Fore stated. “Yesterday I was a tad worried there because all three had just a little mistake here and there. They were all a little hot under the collar, but I think tonight they were all really with the rider. When you look at these three horses, all three are amazingly talented. They have three wonderful gaits, they have really super minds. A really good grand prix horse has to be a bit hot because if they’re not, you’re not going to get through a grand prix test.”

“They have to have that special desire to be a little on the explosive side,” Fore continued. “If you can channel that kind of energy and you put it into the movement you need to do, put it under your seat and saddle and into your own riding, it’s an amazing horse to ride. That is the kind of horse which is only able to go to the international circuit. I think they are top horses. It doesn’t matter which country you’re talking about. I think all of us judges agreed totally.”

Mikala Munter Gundersen and My Lady

Tim Dutta, CEO of The Dutta Corp. was on hand for Friday night’s beautiful freestyle performances and spoke about the incredible growth of the AGDF.

“We dreamt about this three and a half years ago over dinner,” Dutta stated. “Dressage were stepchildren to show jumping at that time. (Equestrian Sport Productions CEO) Mark (Bellissimo) said, ‘If I can find commitment from you guys, we will build the finest facility in the world and we will create a circuit second to none.’ The next afternoon, we had raised the first round of funding, and seven months later, we opened.”
“This is incredible,” Dutta praised. “We have great sponsors. This is truly a state-of-the-art, world-class facility. I think it will truly be a global destination for dressage. I think next year we will entice the best of Europe to come for the richest prize money. I hope one day we have Spruce Meadows for dressage in Wellington, Florida. That’s my dream. You have a great corporate sponsor in Adequan who believes in us, who has put a lot of money in the sport. Tonight’s production was incredible.”

Allyn Mann, Director of the Animal Health Division at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was also there for the wonderful night of freestyle performances on behalf of Adequan®, and greatly enjoyed the competition.

“This evening was just unbelievable,” Mann acknowledged. “When you bring riders and horses of this caliber to this kind of a venue and look everywhere, the bleachers were full, people standing on the far side three or four deep. The VIP tent was packed. It has exceeded my expectations for what I was looking for. I can’t say enough about it. It is only going to get better, and we are just really blessed to be part of it.”

Lars Petersen and Mariett in their winning presentation

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 4*, Presented by The Dutta Corp.

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total%

1. Lars Petersen, DEN, Mariett, 74.625%, 76.375%, 78.500%, 76.500%, 76.000%, 76.400%

2. Tina Konyot, USA, Calecto V, 76.625%, 74.875%, 75.000%, 75.875%, 75.125%, 75.500%
3. Mikala Munter Gundersen, DEN, 72.625%, 71.250%, 73.750%, 73.625%, 72.875%, 72.825%
4. Shelly Francis, USA, Doktor, 72.875%, 73.000%, 73.375%, 71.625%, 71.625%, 72.500%
5. Diane Creech, CAN, Devon 70.375%, 72.875%, 72.875%, 72.250%, 71.375%, 71.950%
6. Jacqueline M. Brooks, CAN, D Niro, 71.125%, 72.750%, 70.500%, 73.000%, 71.750%, 71.825%
7. Karen Pavicic, CAN, Don Daiquiri 69.875%, 72.125%, 71.750%, 72.750%, 70.500%, 71.400%
8. David Marcus, CAN, Chrevi’s Capital, 70.000%, 71.25%, 70.375%, 70.875%, 72.000% 70.900%
9. Jill Irving, CAN, Pop Art, 69.250%, 69.750%, 69.750%, 71.750%, 67.875%, 69.675%

10. Anna Marek, USA, Unico G, 68.375%, 69.375%, 68.250%, 65.500%, 68.000%, 67.900%

11. Cesar Parra, USA, Van the Man, 66.375%, 65.625%, 70.375%, 68.125%, 68.875%, 67.875%
12. Maria Kaldewei, GER, Companero, 62.250%, 54.875%, 58.000% 60.875% 57.875% 58.775%

Kelly Layne and Udon P Excel in FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 3*, Presented by The Dutta Corp.

The afternoon’s competition at AGDF featured a FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 3*, presented by The Dutta Corp., with a top finish for Kelly Layne (AUS) riding Whistlejacket Farm LLC’s Udon P, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding by Hierarch, out of Maleida. The pair earned their highest score ever with a 73.625%. Germany’s Kim Jesse and Dirk Haese’s Charming 8 finished second with a score of 70.200%. Susan Dutta (USA) and Currency DC placed third with a 69.925%.
Layne and Udon P finished second in Thursday’s FEI Grand Prix 3*, and the rider explained that her horse felt very relaxed for this afternoon’s freestyle. “He warmed up as calm as he ever has for a competition,” she stated. “He was very concentrated, very focused. He is starting to know his music cues and that is kind of cool. It makes the whole routine feel much smoother and then I can be more harmonious with the horse and really ride to my music. I think that just comes from more experience in the ring.”

Kelly Layne and Udon P

Layne was very excited to get the freestyle win and earn her best score yet with Udon P. “It was awesome,” she smiled. “It was certainly exciting to win a CDI in Wellington. I could not be happier with the horse and also with the result. It was my best score absolutely in a grand prix and for the freestyle my best score again today. The horse is steadily improving all of the time. I think it will certainly help with our plans to go to Europe for the summer and campaign for a position on the Australian team (for the World Equestrian Games).”

Layne spoke about Udon’s strengths in his freestyle, noting that this was only his fourth freestyle ever. “For sure the piaffe/passage is very good for him,” she described. “With the choreography, we try to make it so that we can show that off to all of the judges from all of the views, which is important. I think that suits him very well. He is also very strong on the flying changes, and they were very good today.”

“He is 18.1 hands high and he is a bit of a scaredy cat,” Layne said of Udon’s personality. “He kind of clings to me, but he is not super affectionate. He is one of those horses that has to come to you; you can’t go to him. If you go to put your hand to him, he doesn’t know what to do, but if you stand there and he touches you first, then you can touch him anywhere. He has a real character, real personality.”
Second place finisher, Kim Jesse, is back in the ring after some time off from competing with her mount Charming 8, a 16-year-old Rheinlander stallion by Champus out of Lesley S, and was very happy with her ride on Friday.

“He is just two days out from quarantine, so we did not really have enough time for training, but he did a good job,” Jesse noted, going on to describe her horse’s strengths and personality as well. “For a stallion, he is pretty clear in the head and he likes his music. We change it sometimes and now it fits very good. He is always focused and always concentrated on what he is doing and what I want from him. He is a very supple horse. He is always using his body and always loose in the muscles. He has good strength behind. Pirouettes are absolutely his favorite; he loves to do pirouettes.”

“I was out for nearly half a year not riding because I was ill, and now we are just trying to get back together and do some competitions,” Jesse explained. “Today was the first day where we were together again in the ring and had a good feeling together.”

This is Jesse’s first year competing at AGDF and she has liked the stability of showing in one location for an extended period of time.

“I really enjoy it. It is super conditions for the horses,” she stated. “The footing is very good, and the weather is good. In Europe now it is pretty cold and the option to ride so many international competitions in one spot is great. It is a win-win situation. It is absolutely good to ride here with your horses, train them, and ride and compete in one place. It is absolutely amazing.”
Jesse also had the convenience of flying her horses to Florida for the competition through AGDF sponsor, The Dutta Corp. She thanked them for their great service.

“The traveling was great,” she acknowledged. “They picked us up from the airport, and we didn’t have to do anything. It was only one journey. In Europe you have to load the horse every second weekend, so thank you to them.”

Susan Dutta finished third with her horse, Currency DC, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Clintino, out of Cinderella. Dutta was happy with how her freestyle finished out after having to restart due to a musical problem.

“He was good,” Dutta stated. “We had an unfortunate mishap with the music, and you always wonder how they are going to feel when you have to start again. He is really sensitive, but he handled it so well.”

Dutta is no stranger to the AGDF competition and explained that the venue is very comfortable for her. “I feel really settled as a rider at this horse show and for him, I feel like we are in a rhythm,” Dutta said. “That is the really nice thing of having all of these shows here. You get in a rhythm and you get relaxed and then you start to ride better in the ring. It is so nice. Then you can improve and fix things and get better quality and new feelings.”

“We are so lucky,” she smiled. “This is quite a venue. I compete all over the world, and we have a lovely venue here. It has a lot of atmosphere. You can put it against anything in the world.”

Kelly Layne and Udon P in their winning presentation

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Freestyle 3*, Presented by The Dutta Corp.

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total%

1. Kelly Layne, AUS, Udon P, 74.250%, 72.375%, 73.750%, 72.375%, 75.375%, 73.625%
2. Kim Jesse, GER, Charming 8, 73.125%, 70.125%, 68.000%, 71.250%, 68.500%, 70.200%
3. Susan Dutta, USA, Currency DC, 71.875%, 72.125%, 70.875%, 69.250%, 65.500%, 69.925%
4. Michael Barisone, USA, HF Victor, 70.750%, 69.250%, 69.250%, 71.250%, 68.375%, 69.775%
5. Kasey Perry, USA, Trostruplunds Scarlet, 70.000%, 67.875%, 68.000%, 68.750%, 66.750%, 68.275%
6. Maria Kaldewei, GER, Die Suesse, 67.500%, 67.250%, 66.375%, 70.875%, 67.375%, 67.875%
7. Gary Vander Ploeg, CAN, Degas, 68.625%, 65.875%, 68.250%, 70.250%, 64.625%, 67.525%
8. Sylvia Rizzo, ITA, Sal, 66.375%, 60.625%, 64.500%, 63.250%, 63.250%, 63.600%

Juan Matute, Jr. Rides to Another Small Tour Victory in FEI Prix St. Georges

Juan Matute, Jr. has made the most of his 2014 debut on the small tour with Don Diego Ymas, picking up another first place prize on Friday morning in the FEI Prix St. Georges, presented by Havensafe Farm, during the AGDF 5 CDI 3*/4*.

Matute topped the class with a score of 71.184% aboard his family’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Second place went to American Christopher Hickey and Ronaldo, an eight-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Cecelia Stewart. Canadian Brittany Fraser rounded out the top three with a 69.296% with her own All In, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas

Matute was not expecting his first year of competing to start with such success. The 16-year-old, who rides for Spain but is based in Wellington, has collected four victories with Don Diego Ymas in three weeks of showing at the AGDF. Friday marked his second FEI Prix St. Georges win with the horse.

“I think Don Diego and I really work together great and fit together,” Matute noted. “He can do the movements perfectly. I don’t think the level was a problem for him, but at a CDI, [you have] big riders and great horses as well, so it was not expected to do so well.”

Matute felt the best part of his test with Don Diego Ymas was their trot work and was understandably pleased with how he and the horse are progressing.

“I thought [the test] was great. I think there’s always stuff to improve on. Show after show, I believe Don Diego and I are creating a strong bond with more confidence in each other. We’re completely partners,” he commented.

He continued, “The trot work was a bit more solid this morning. We had a little bit of mistakes in the canter with the contact. The pirouettes were maybe a little bit too small. The trot work was the highlight today.”

Don Diego Ymas has been in the Matute Family’s barn for years, and the two essentially grew up together. The Matutes purchased Don Diego Ymas when Matute was only nine years old. Now 16, he appreciates knowing the horse inside and out.

“When you build up a horse [from a young age], you get to know each other better. You have more knowledge about him. You know his highlights, his weaknesses, his personality. You know maybe he will spook here, and he might not spook there. It’s a little bit like brothers, when you grow up together,” Matute described.

Juan Matute, Jr. and Don Diego Ymas in their winning presentation

The youthful Matute beat out veteran dressage competitor Christopher Hickey, but Hickey was happy to have competition from an up-and-coming rider.

“I think it’s super for us to have young riders coming along and riding so exquisitely. He’s a beautiful, elegant rider, and when you see riding like that in the warm up from one of the ‘kids,’ it makes us all proud, but it also makes a beautiful picture,” Hickey detailed.

He continued, “It makes the old guys be like ‘Oh my god, we have to be careful,’ because here are some young people coming along. There’s more than just [Juan] and his sister looking like that at horse shows. I think that’s a huge piece. We all talk about our country getting stronger and getting better. We need these people to come in and come through the ranks and be in the open classes with us and kick our [butt] for us to have to rise to the occasion.”

Hickey was pleased with how his young horse performed in The Stadium, noting the atmosphere was good exposure for Ronaldo. The gelding was quite impressed by the arena’s setting, but Hickey simply chalked it up to a young horse learning his way.

“My horse is not spooky, but today coming around in the first turn he was startled by the surroundings. That doesn’t bother me because he’s young, and he’s never been in this environment before,” Hickey explained.

He continued, “He’s such a big mover, and he has so much elasticity. I feel that those horses sometimes take a little bit longer to develop. He lost his balance and his rhythm in the extended trot which is an expensive mistake, and that will get better with strength and age.”

One of Hickey’s favorite moments of competition happened entirely by coincidence during the jog on Wednesday.

“He followed his mother (in the jog), who is here competing in the grand prix division. When I went into the jog and they announced her name, she jogged literally right before him, which was totally an accident. I thought that was pretty cool that at his first CDI, he jogged after his mother,” Hickey smiled.

Watching Ronaldo’s progress has been especially meaningful for Hickey, who brought the horse up through the ranks after owner Stewart bought him as a four-year-old. Hickey has trained several of his most successful horses from the time they were young, including Regent and Cabana Boy. It’s an experience he relishes.

Historically, he’s been more successful on horses he’s brought up himself. Hickey believes this is a result of the irreplaceable bond created between a horse and rider over such an extended period of time.

“When you purchase horses, you can buy great horses. It’s easy to pick out a lovely moving horse, but you don’t know their true temperament. And when you buy a young horse, it’s such a risk. You have the risk of [whether] this horse will take the work physically and mentally. When you buy a mature horse, you have proof. The horse will take the work. The horse is taking the work. But you don’t have the information you have when you bring them along yourself,” Hickey explained.

Hickey was especially grateful for the support of the sponsors that make the AGDF possible each year.

“The sponsorship here is great. I personally thank my owner every day and the sponsors that get together and help support this show. I hope everybody appreciates what all these people do for us,” Hickey concluded.

Earlier on Friday, Tanya-Strasser-Shostak (CAN) won the FEI Young Rider Team class aboard Action Tyme. The pair earned a 65.921%.

For full show results and more information, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Competition for the AGDF 5 CDI 3*/4* will continue Saturday morning with the Intermediaire-I, sponsored by Havensafe Farm at 8:30 a.m., followed by the FEI Grand Prix Special 3*, sponsored by The Dutta Corp., at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will wrap up with the FEI Grand Prix Special 4*, also sponsored by The Dutta Corp., at 4:10 p.m.

Final Results: FEI Prix St. Georges, presented by Havensafe Farm

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total%

1 Juan Matute, Jr., ESP, Don Diego Ymas: 73.421%, 71.579%, 68.553%, 71.184%

2 Christopher Hickey, USA, Ronaldo: 69.211%, 70.395%, 72.632%, 70.746%

3 Brittany Fraser, CAN, All In: 69.605%, 69.079%, 69.211%, 69.298%

4 Silva Martin, USA, Rosa Cha W: 68.289%, 69.342%, 69.211, 68.947%

5 Tom Dvorak, CAN, Ribot: 67.632%, 67.500%, 68.684%, 67.939%

6 Christilot Boylen, CAN, Drentano: 66.053%, 66.053%, 68.158%, 66.754%

7 Alix Szepesi, USA, Majco Thunder’s Hattrick: 66.447%, 65.000%, 67.895%, 66.447%

8 Gabriela Stumpf, AUT, Finally Love: 66.579%, 67.632%, 64.342%, 66.184%

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Photo Credit: Photos © SusanJStickle.com.

Written by Jennifer Wood

David Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital were the highest-placed Canadian combination in Grand Prix competition at the CDI4* Adequan Global Dressage Festival held February 5 to 9 in Wellington, Florida.  Photo by Sue Stickle, www.susanjstickle.comWellington, Florida – Canadian Olympian David Marcus of Campbellville, ON, represented Canada in the CDI4* Adequan Global Dressage Festival held February 5 to 9 in Wellington, Florida.

In Friday’s Grand Prix competition, Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital were the top Canadian combination, earning a score of 68.74% to place fifth overall among an 18-horse starting field.  Lars Petersen of Denmark won the Grand Prix with a score of 70.96% riding Mariett, while less than one percentage point separated the second through sixth placed finishers.

Friday night’s Freestyle competition took place in front a packed house at the Global Dressage Festival stadium.  Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital performed to the music of George Michael and Wham!, designed by Dutch freestyle specialist Joost Peters, earning a score of 70.90%.

“It was a good weekend for Capital,” said Marcus, 33, of his London Olympic mount.  “January was a cold month here, and the heat has really come on strong in the last few days.  I think Capital was feeling the effects of that, he felt a little flat in general, but he did everything that we asked him to do.  He did two tests with almost no mistakes in them.”

Marcus continued, “I was especially pleased with him tonight in the Freestyle because he didn’t feel the least bit nervous.  It was a full house and while he would have previously made me aware of his inner tension, tonight it was just like any other day at the barn.  It was a big achievement in his confidence.”

Chrevi’s Capital is a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Cavallo x Weinberg) owned by Deborah Kinzinger, who was recently named the Dressage Canada “Owner of the Year” for 2013.

Earlier in the day, Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital were officially named to the Canadian Dressage Team for the upcoming CDIO3* Adequan Global Dressage Festival from February 18 to 23.  It will mark the third consecutive year that Wellington has hosted a Nations’ Cup competition for dressage, and the third consecutive year that Marcus has been named to the Canadian team.

“I am honoured to be named to the Nations’ Cup team for a third time here in Wellington,” said Marcus, who will ride alongside Brittany Fraser, Belinda Trussell and Chris von Martels as members of Team Canada 1.  “This year, we have a very strong team.  I’m excited, and feel that there is a lot of potential for our team to do well.”

Marcus operates David Marcus Dressage in Campbellville, ON.  During the winter months, he is based in Wellington, Florida, home to a highly-competitive circuit that attracts riders from around the world.

Since making their grand prix debut two short years ago, Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital have represented Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games and won the 2012/2013 North American World Cup League.  Their next goal is to qualify for for the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games to be held in Normandy, France, in August.

Coach Oded Shimoni, trainer and partner Nicholas Fyffe, and groom Alison Malatestinic all play integral roles in Marcus’ success with Chrevi’s Capital.  Marcus also greatly appreciates the generous support of his sponsors, EquineLUX saddle pads, Neue Schule bits, and SSG Gloves, in achieving his goals.  For more information, please visit www.davidmarcusdressage.com.