The stakes were high on Saturday, May 4, at the TerraNova Dressage III CDI3* (May 2-5) at TerraNova Equestrian Center, during what was final the observation trial for riders seeking a coveted slot on the squad to travel to Europe to compete for a place on the U.S. Olympic dressage team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. New combinations came to the fore in the freestyle ranks.
The day’s top score — 75.67% — was awarded to Endel Ots (USA) and Zen Elite’s Bohemian to lead an all-American field in the B&D Builders FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*. Kasey Perry-Glass piloted Diane Perry’s inexperienced 12-year-old Heartbeat WP (by Charmeur x Ferro) into second place with 72.615%. It was Adrienne Lyle on another Zen Elite-owned horse, Helix, who finished in third, by just 0.05 percentage points.
Helix won Friday’s qualifying Grand Prix, but an afternoon storm was brewing during the 12-year-old Apache x Jazz gelding’s performance in Saturday’s Special. A couple of spooks and a kick-out in the two-time changes brought his score down to 72.56%. All three podium riders were making their CDI Freestyle debuts on these horses.
The 14-year-old Bohemian (by Bordeaux x Samarant) strutted to a technically complex floorplan including two-time changes on a half 20-meter circle seamlessly into a diagonal of one-times as well as a full piaffe pirouette on the final centerline. To beaty, modern music with French lyrics and a touch of Queen, Ots rode Bohemian with bold power and harmony, and was rewarded with a high score of 79.35% from the judge at E, Christof Umbach. This was a momentous occasion for Ots, who was performing his first ever international Grand Prix Freestyle — on any horse.
“That was a really fun experience and a little surreal,” said Ots, whose music was crafted by his long-time trainer Albrecht Heidemann and Terry Gallo. “We wanted something a little bit different, nothing too overpowering and something fun, so in the walk we have Bohemian Rhapsody, which is a nod to Bohemian, and then a French touch — hopefully for Paris. This is only our third show and I’ve been riding him for three months now, so I couldn’t ask anything more.”
Ots felt a connection from the very first time he laid eyes on Bohemian, who under his former rider, Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and the individual freestyle silver medalist at the 2021 European Championships.
“Heidi [Humphries, owner of Zen Elite Equestrian] said she wanted me to go and sit on him, so I flew over and within five minutes I fell in love with the horse,” added Ots. “I couldn’t be happier with how he’s adjusting to me more and more and I’m adjusting to him. I have tremendous respect for him and what he has done.
“People like Heidi — who don’t put pressure on you, who want the best for you and for the horse, and who support riders like me and Adrienne — are few and far between, and such a godsend,” added Ots, who was competing at TerraNova for the first time and was impressed by the beauty and atmosphere at the venue.
Adrienne Lyle and Lars Van De Hoenderheide capture Grand Prix Special
In the Zen Elite Equestrian Center CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Special, it was another U.S. clean sweep of the podium. Adrienne Lyle captured the winner’s blanket with a 71.723% riding Lars Van De Hoenderheide with whom she was fourth in Friday’s grand prix.
The 13-year-old gelding by Negro had a few glitches in his test, most notably mistakes in both lines of one-time changes, and some tension in the collected walk. Despite more mistakes than in the previous day’s qualifying Grand Prix, Lyle managed to up Lars’ score, testament to the horse’s all-round ability — collecting a nine for the two-time changes, and another for his entry.
Marcus Orlob piloted Alice Tarjan’s 10-year-old Desperado x Metall mare Jane — the youngest of the 13 starters — to second place with 69.872%. Theirs was another test sheet with a wide range of marks: from fours for the entry up to a nine for collected trot. The long-time leader, first-drawn Sarah Tubman, finished in third with 68.745% on Summit Farm’s 14-year-old First Apple (by Vivaldi x TCN Partout). (Nine Canadians competed in the Special, led by Ariana Chia and Guateque IV in 4th place with 68.692%)
“It was a very hot day here for the Special and I think it caught Lars off guard as he’s from Europe and not used to it,” explained Lyle. “But we still had some really good stuff out there. He’s been consistent and delivered all season and just to have our qualification requirements done now and have it go so successfully, I’m thrilled with both Lars and Helix.
“It’s a very exciting time for team U.S. at the moment as we have so many new combinations. This is only the beginning of what we’re going to see from them — the scores and performances are only going to get more solid,” added Lyle, who described the TerraNova facility as “phenomenal” and plans to return next season with more horses.
In Saturday’s CDI1* Intermediate 1, presented by Laughlin Tanner Group at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty Lars Petersen (USA) improved on his second-place finish in the Prix St. Georges to claim the winner’s sash. He rode Kastel Denmark’s nine-year-old Sezuan x Sir Donnerhall gelding, GPF’s S-Express, to 68.823%.
Catherine Malone (USA) also climbed a place, steering her own 11-year-old Lusitano gelding Johnny Walker CLB (by Diamante Negro Do Juliana) to 68.147%. To highlight how tight it was at the top, three of the five judges’ marks were identical for Petersen and Malone. Portugal’s Tiago Ernesto rounded out the podium on another Lusitano. He rode Interagro Farms LLC’s 13-year-old Hectar Interagro to a new personal best of 67% in the horse’s first year at this FEI level.
Results here.
(Read Friday’s report from TerraNova CDI3* HERE)
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