Ottawa, ON—Three-time Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer finished in fifth place in the Grand Prix Freestyle test, on April 18, 2009, at the 2009 Federation Equestre International (FEI) Dressage World Cup Final at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Holzer and her Olympic mount Pop Art (Amsterdam x Cabochon), a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rusty Holzer and Ian and Moreen Nicoll, scored 79.20%. Their dramatic Freestyle was set to music from Disney Epcot Center fireworks display and from the motion picture National Treasure. The talented duo achieved artistic scores up to 86%.
“I am very happy to receive two scores of 80% and higher. This is the highest score I have ever received,” said Holzer who is a native of Toronto, ON, who resides in New York, NY. “I am looking forward to giving Pop Art a well deserved rest.”
American Olympian Steffen Peters won the Freestyle with a score of 84.950%, riding his Olympic mount, Ravel, Akiko Yamazaki’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Contango. In second place, with a score of 84.500%, was 2008 Olympic individual silver medalist Isabell Werth and her Olympic partner Satchmo, a 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Sao Paulo. In third place was 2008 individual Olympic gold medalist Anky van Grusven of the Netherlands and IPS Painted Black, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion sired by Gribaldi scored of 82.150%. Rounding out the top four with 81.050% was Hans Peter Minderhoud and Exquis Nadine, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by TCN Partout.
