WELLINGTON, Fla.--Guenter Seidel rode Equirelle to win the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4* on a score of 75.830 percent in their first freestyle performance together.

Guenter Seidel on Equirelle ªPhoto by Susan Stickle)“It was our first freestyle, so I was a little conservative and kept everything fairly easy," said Seidel. "Our floor plan was fairly easy. She’s a very hot horse and has had her issues in the ring, so I wanted to use this test to give her some confidence out there. The more it went along the more secure she seemed to get, and she was really fun to ride. Most of the test was very pleasing. I know there’s quality in there, but sometimes that’s hard to show because she can get tight or scared, but it was nice to see that she is learning how to hold it together. It was not easy for her with the wind, but I was very happy with her.”

“The music is from a horse I’ve ridden before,” he said. “I figured I’d get her feet wet in the freestyle before I created an entirely new one. I really like the music so it works well with her for now.”

“I’ve had her for a couple of years, and she is a very generous horse,” Seidel said. “She doesn’t want to make mistakes, but she gets hot. I think it takes time to get into a successful partnership with a horse like that at this level, but I feel like she will be a very good horse in a few years. I am going to use the shows here to get her seasoned and get her more confident in the ring. If it backfires and she starts to get nervous I will back off, but if she keeps going like this, we will keep competing.”

 

“IT WAS THE first time I’ve had the pleasure of judging Guenter, and I like the way he speaks about his plan for the horse," said Anne Prain of France, the judge at C. "It’s good to hear him explain that he kept his freestyle on the simple side to prepare his horse, and it’s what we judges expect. We don’t always expect the most complicated freestyle, because the horses can become over-ridden, so I think it’s much better for the horse to have something simple, but with a nice flow. To get 75 percent is not so easy, and his horse has a good quality about her.”

Canada’s Lindsay Kellock was second on Sebastien on 74.575 percent, while Michael Klimke of Germany was third on Harmony’s Diablo with 73.850 percent.

Earlier in the day, Jodie Kelly-Baxley rode her own Grayton Beach to their second victory of the week, this time in the FEI Intermediate-I CDI1*with a 72.471 percent, in second place was Steffen Peters on Boreas FRF with a 71.471 percent, and in third was Taylor Rowsey on Demetrios with a 71.118%.

Jan Ebeling on Indeed won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* with a 72.550 percent and second place went to Nora Batchelder on W Gangster Girl, 70.525 percent, with Cedar Potts-Warner third place riding JP Orion with a 67.170 percent.