WELLINGTON, Fla.--Ashley Holzer on the 8-year-old Liberty L won the last qualifier for the Future Challenge Prix St Georges.
Ashley Holzer on Liberty L (Photo by Susan Stickle)Holzer won over 18 competitors with a score of 70.588%.
Jennifer Williams placed second to get the second qualifying slot available on the 9-year-old gelding Babylon Berlin on a score of 69.314%, and Lars Linus of Germany on Visionär, an 8-year-old, finished third with 68.873%.
The qualifiers, and the final, offer riders the opportunity to get their up-and-coming talented younger horses into a championship type environment.
They compete in the main International Arena, gaining exposure to spectators, tents, flags and a bustling VIP tent alongside, without the pressure of competing in a CDI and needing to stable at the venue for days.
Liberty L is so calm that he participated in the 2024 Robert Dover USEF Horsemastership Clinic Week in January with a 12-year-old, “whose foot could hardly get below the flap”.
“HE WENT OUT there in that main ring and did a second level test,” said Holzer. “He is just a saint of an animal and a real pet. He’s such a fun, lovely horse and I don’t have a day when I don’t have a great ride on him. He’s a Glock’s Toto Jr x Charmer and some people say that bloodline can be a little temperamental, but he’s proving them wrong. He’s fabulous and his mind is always with me.”
Holzer, who calls him ‘Loco’ at home, has owned the horse since he was 4 after finding him through a friend in Holland who thought the pair would be a good match.
“The highlight for me is that he’s not even 8 yet and he went in that ring and concentrated,” she said. “He does amazing pirouettes and flying changes; having a horse that wants to play and really enjoys his work is lovely.”
“The horses have to be able to go into atmosphere and not feel that it takes away from their concentration." she said. "I have not used this main ring enough for the young horses, and this class really gives us the opportunity to do that, with a little less stress. They’re able to be out in the paddock at home, all mine go out for hours a day, and then come here and try the test.
“I’m very thankful to Diane Fellows, of sponsor Buffalo Wild Wings and Lövsta. We really need to take advantage of these great opportunities to give our horses a little bit of confidence, and for us riders too to know that they won’t be scared of things. Loco had never done a victory gallop before today, and now I know that it won’t be a problem. That’s great to know that for my future of training with him. Without these classes, you don’t know that.
“We’re living and learning with these young horses,” said Holzer, who trains with Katherine Bateson Chandler and, when possible, Carl Hester and Robert Dover.
Hester will be in Wellington to lend a helping hand for the season’s final CDI during AGDF 12 .
BIn the big tour ranks, Marcus Orlob on Alice Trajan’s 10-year-old mare Jane won the Future Challenge Intermediate II with 70.343%.
The German-born Orlob now rides for the USA.
Nicholia Clarke on the 9-year-old gelding Komsi Komsa scored 68.676% to place second and get the second qualifying place.
Hannah Bressler Jaques was third with a 66.716% score on the 10-year-old Jim.
Tarjan has been competing Jane herself and the pair are unbeaten in 11 CDI starts up to Intermediate II level, but she has given the mare to Orlob, for now.
“Alice has ridden and trained Jane since she was 3,” said the Florida-based Orlob. “The last couple of shows she was quite a handful for her, so Alice said, ‘Why don’t you try to see if you can make it better in the ring?’ And here we are!
“She is a horse with lots of quality; the piaffe/passage is a highlight and also the pirouettes usually, although she was a little bit spooky and tense today, so she didn’t show as much quality as she can show. But overall I am happy and she did what I asked for.”
Orlob plans to keep the ride for a little while and step the mare up to grand prix level in the near future.
