WELLINGTON, Fla.--German rider Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD scored 81.165 percent to win the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5*, held in the International Arena at the Winter Equestrian Festival during “Friday Night Stars” on Feb. 25.
Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD (Photo by Susan Stickle)Laurence Vanommeslaghe of Belgium was second on Edison with 79.430 percent, and Spain’s Juan Matute Guimón finished third on Quantico -on 78.925 percent.
“Bluetooth is getting better and better,” said Wandres. “I get more and more the feeling that I can ride during the test, and he offers me a very good feeling. I’m super happy about his development here in the Wellington season. For him the season is finished now, and he has a few more weeks here to rest a little bit and enjoy the Florida sun before he goes home. Then we are looking forward and trying to take these things which we achieved and developed here together with us to Europe
“This is an incredible feeling,” he said. “As a rider you know that it must have been not bad when the crowd is already clapping on the last centerline, and it always also pushes the horse a little bit more to shine. Bluetooth is a very elegant and completely happy horse. When I started to ride him one year ago, he was a very shy horse and was not able to bring what I had in the warmup into the arena. It’s something that we have created better now.”
SECOND-PLACED Vanommeslaghe was pleased with her conclusion to the five-star week.
Adrienne Lyle on Salvino (Photo by Susan Stickle)“Several things that were a weakness in the grand prix, I tried to correct tonight,” shesaid. “I’m really happy that it ended better than it began. The feeling was really lovely with a better frame. I’m very proud, because the riders were very competitive. Almost all of them are in the top 50 best riders in the world, and I’m a nobody — an amateur rider.”
Global Dressage Director of Sport Thomas Baur said: “I always wanted to have a change of venue so that the horses see something different, so I’m really happy. I say a big thank you to Andreas Helgstrand who made it finally happen, and also to David Burton, who runs the jumping operation here. Also thank you to Anthony D’Ambrosio who is the course designer this week. They were extremely helpful and made this happen for us.”
Adrienne Lyle on Salvino made it two victories from two starts in week 7 when she won the Grand Prix Special CDI5*.
The 15-year-old stallion by Sandro Hit, part of the silver medal-winning USA team at the Tokyo Olympics, scored 79.511 percent, with a high score of 81.489 percent from judge Monique Peutz-Vegter.
Lyle finished 10 percentage points ahead of second-placed Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén of Sweden, who scored 69.617 percent on Devanto, and Germany’s Christoph Koschel was third, just a tenth behind Vilhelmson Silfvén, on 69.511 percent, riding Favorito 11.
“I’m incredibly thrilled with him,” said Lyle ofSalvino. “I think both our Grand Prix and the Special were possibly some of the best feelings I’ve had in the ring. He feels so strong, so solid in his work, and he’s always such an incredible competitor. He didn’t put a foot wrong both tests. I don’t know what more I could ask for him. He’s just absolutely amazing.
“He’s got very powerful extensions and then an incredible ability for the collected piaffe/passage work, so I think this test really highlights that I can step on the gas where I need to,” she said. “Coming down that last centerline is always so incredible on him, because most horses when you get to the end they’re a little bit tired, and him, you turn onto the last centerline and you can take a breath and be like, ‘Take it home, baby, you got it.’ He loves it.”
In only her second-ever senior big tour competition, Hope Cooper won the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*.
Riding Hot Chocolate W, Cooper scored 73.925percent, with all five judges placing her first.
Susan Dutta riding Don Design DC in his first CDI grand prix freestyle, was second with 72.320 percent, while Colombia’s María Alejandra Aponte González was third on Duke De Niro with 70.345 percent.
“It’s crazy and really surreal and, honestly, not something I thought would happen this year," said Cooper. "I’m so proud of Chocolate. He feels so good, and he puts 100 percent into anything I ask him. To have this result as the second time we’ve done the freestyle is unbelievable. He felt like he was dancing.”
Cooper, from Massachusetts, rode to a Marc Anthony soundtrack.
She has come up the levels with Hot Chocolate, competing him at under-25 grand prix level since 2019.
“Chocolate has so much suspension off the ground, especially in the passage,” said the 25-year-old. “Having this music that has a lot of lift to it — and a lot of soul — is a cool thing to have for him, because he’s such a heart horse.
“He’s not the hottest horse on the planet, but he’ll do it for you," said Cooper. "I try to take the pressure off and have fun with it because it’s our first year. The end has the words to the Marc Anthony song, so I sing that in my head, and he gets more alive on the last centerline.”
