Lauren Barwick takes FEI Para Freestyle with new ride Sandrino

Beatrice Boucher (CAN) and Louxor De Lys shine in FEI Intermediate I CDI3*

It was Steffen Peters (USA) and Suppenkasper’s fourth test and their fourth win of the season in the atmospheric main arena at the 2020 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida. AGDF 2020 runs for 12 weeks, through March 29.

This time, the all-conquering pair claimed glory from the 15 starters in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Blue Hors, with 75.702%. They received over 77% from two of the judges on the panel of five. The new combination of Denmark’s Agnete Kirk Thinggaard and Blue Hors Zatchmo finished second on 74.851%, with Canada’s Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu third on All In (72.064%).

Of Four Winds Farm’s elastic, uphill gelding Suppenkasper, Peters said: “Our warm-up system has been pretty good; we’ve been working him two hours before the test and then today I only did 15 minutes right before going into the ring.

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“He stayed calm and I came in in a nice rising trot. Again he did a very clean test and that’s what we want for the team: consistency. The passage felt better and clearly there was a huge improvement in the right pirouette, which didn’t work out so well in the grand prix; actually both pirouettes worked out beautifully today.”

The next task for the Olympic team bronze medallist is to accustom his latest superstar to the unique pressures and atmosphere posed by the Friday night freestyle classes under lights at AGDF.

“I talked to Debbie [McDonald], and now it’s time to turn up the power just a tiny bit. So I wanted four solid tests in this arena to settle him down for the freestyle, because that’s a gigantic hurdle for him in this arena — and of course there is a lot to stake for the World Cup qualifier,” added Peters, referring to the freestyle scores needed to qualify for the World Cup Final in Las Vegas in April.

Peters has a plan to help Suppenkasper: “Here in Wellington we are staying at Five Rings Farm — probably the finest equestrian facility I’ve ever seen in my entire life — and they have an amazing sound system, so now at home we’re going to practice the clapping, the music and the national anthem, because even that seems to get him going. He’s so ready to go, now it’s just a question of desensitising him a bit to the music and, with a little bit of good luck, we can do a hell of a freestyle in here.”

At only their second international show together, Canadian rider Beatrice Boucher and the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Louxor De Lys, by Licotus out of a Weltmeyer dam, claimed the FEI Intermediate I CDI3*, presented by Horseware Ireland.

Boucher and Louxor De Lys, who is still owned by his breeder Lynda Tetreault, were last to go in the class and posted 68.059% to push Korea’s Dongeson Kim and Bordolino 8 (66.206%) into second.

Paralympic gold medalist Lauren Barwick of Canada rode to the win in the FEI Para Freestyle Grade III CPEDI3* with her new ride, Lee Garrod’s seven-year-old gelding Sandrino, by Spirit Of Westfalia. Barwick’s final score of 75.133% included a high of 76.5% from the judge at E, Carlos Lopes.

“I’ve only had Sandrino for seven weeks, and that’s the first time I’ve ridden him to that freestyle,” said Barwick. “Under the lights he was pretty electric. It didn’t look like it, but he’s usually very mellow and I was pretty much chirping to him the whole time. He did his job, and that was just so amazing.

“I have a choreographer, Karen Robinson, who sent me 12 songs for my other horse,” added Barwick. “His scores were going down in the freestyle, which isn’t normal for him, but I loved the music. Then Karen thought it would work better for Sandrino and, sure enough, the judges liked it and the beat is good. He’s smaller; my other horse is 17.3hh. You need to be a bit of a ballerina quarterback coming down the arena and my other horse is more like a linebacker.”

Roxanne Trunnell (USA) once again topped the leaderboard with a massive score, this time posting 81.878% to win the Grade I freestyle with Flintwood Farm LLC’s Dolton. This marked their third win of the week.

In the Grade II freestyle, Mexico’s Erika Baitenmann Haakh claimed the victory over four other competitors with a new personal best of 71.167% aboard her own 13-year-old mare, Leonora. Lee Garrod (CAN) and her own 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding Question, by Quaterback, took top honors in the Grade V freestyle with 71.208%. Cayla Van Der Walt of South Africa finished only 1.033% behind Garrod to claim second with Daturo II, her own 14-year-old Andalusuan gelding by Merlito XI.

Week three of the 12-week AGDF concludes with the final day’s action on Sunday. Classes include young horse finals in the morning, the FEI Intermediate II CDI3*, an under-25 grand prix and the FEI Intermediate I Freestyle CDI3* to music. AGDF 2020 runs for 12 weeks, through March 29. For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Blue Hors

1. Steffen Peters (USA) on Suppenkasper, Four Winds Farm’s 12yo KWPN gelding by Spielberg: 75.851, 77.021, 72.553, 75.638, 77.447, 75.702

2. Agnete Kirk Thinggaard (DEN) on Blue Hors Zatchmo, her own & Blue Hors’ 11yo Oldenburg stallion by Zack: 72.766, 75.213, 74.681, 75.638, 75.957, 74.851

3. Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu (CAN) on All In, her own 15yo KWPN gelding by Tango: 73.191, 71.596, 72.447, 72.766, 70.319, 72.064

4. Charlotte Jorst (USA) on Kastel’s Nintendo, Kastel Denmark’s 17yo KWPN stallion by Negro: 71.383, 71.596, 71.489, 71.915, 71.915, 71.66

5. Naima Moreira Laliberte (CAN) on Statesman, KML S.A.R.L’s 13yo Hanoverian gelding by Sandro Hit: 71.915, 71.489, 71.596, 70.319, 71.915, 71.447

6. Adrienne Lyle (USA) on Harmony’s Duval, Duval Partners LLC’s 12yo Danish Warmblood gelding by Rousseau: 70.319, 72.979, 70.213, 71.809, 71.277, 71.319

7. Kazuki Sado (JPN) on Ludwig Der Sonnenkoenig 2, Helgstrand Dressage & Japan Racing Association’s 14yo Oldenburg stallion by London Swing: 75.638, 68.83, 70.319, 69.043, 68.83, 70.532

8. Megan Lane (CAN) on Zodiac MW, Deer Ridge Equestrian’s 16yo KWPN gelding by Rousseau: 69.362, 68.936, 69.574, 72.872, 68.298, 69.808