Competition continued at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) last week, welcoming horses and riders to Equestrian Village at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center from Friday, March 26, through Sunday, March 28, for national-level competition. On Saturday, Canada’s Naima Moreira Laliberté topped the FEI Grand Prix with KML Inc’s I Do Kiss.
Moreira Laliberté and the 2006 Swedish Warmblood stallion by French Kiss rose to the occasion after producing a score of 68.260%. “For me,” she explained, “it was a good practice run to get in there and perfect a few things that I wanted to work on, such as putting the piaffes on the spot while staying active. I was aiming for a clean test which didn’t happen, but I do feel like sometimes the mistakes are necessary to improve and show me where I need to fine tune. I was happy that what we’ve been working on at home in the last week or two showed up in the competition arena this weekend, and that’s what makes me happy at the end of the day – having a plan and having it work out.”
The 24-year-old will now compete one last time at AGDF 12 before she moves on to planning for the remainder of the 2021 competition year, with sights set on the Tokyo Olympics. “The season has passed so fast,” she noted. “I showed almost every week, with different horses at different levels. I have some up-and-coming young ones as well. It was a good, productive season that helped me train some specific things and improve the overall performances in the ring.”
Moreira Laliberté concluded, “It feels good to be competing. I feel very privileged to be able to do it. These are not normal times, and I feel that the management has organized the horse show so well and has made it possible for us to continue doing what we love.”
Second place in the FEI Grand Prix was awarded to the USA’s Lehua Custer and F.J. Ramzes, Wendy Sasser’s 2010 KWPN gelding by Juventus, with a 67.500%. Third place went to the USA’s Holger Bechtloff on James Heath’s Ferrari, a 2009 Westphalian by Florenstan I, riding to 62.673%.
On Friday, Charlotte Jorst (USA) and her own 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding by Benetton Dream FRH, Atterupgaards Botticelli, earned a win in the FEI Prix St. Georges after achieving a score of 71.764%. Second place went to Jane Hannigan (USA) and Lisa Raffaele’s Dynasty, a 2000 KWPN gelding by Nourejev with a 68.382%. Third was rounded out by the USA’s Lauren Knopp on Dakota, her own 2009 Hanoverian mare by Dancier, with a 68.235%.
On Sunday, the Lövsta Future Challenge/Young Horse Grand Prix Series sported a win for Karen Pavicic (CRO) and Totem, a 2012 Hanoverian gelding by Totilas she owns withThomas Baur. They scored 71.911%. Second place went to Charlotte Jorst (USA) and her 2011 KWPN stallion by Apache, Kastel’s Grand Galaxy Win, with a 70.661%.
Charlotte Jorst (USA) rode Atterupgaards Botticelli to a second victory of the week in the Future Challenge/Young Horse Prix St. Georges Series earning a ticket to the Finale during AGDF 12. Jorst and her own 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding by Benetton Dream FRH received a score of 74.705%. Second place and another ticket to the Finale went to Canada’s Megan Shea on Åsa Björklund’s 2012 Westphalian gelding by Vivaldi, Gyllebo’s Vamos, with 73.161%. Third place went to Jane Hannigan (USA) and the 2013 KWPN mare by Dream Boy and owned by Ruling Cortes LLC, Iron Lady, after riding to a 71.544%.
Competition returns on March 31- April 4 for the final week of the 2021 AGDF season, featuring the highly anticipated Lövsta Future Challenge/Young Horse Grand Prix Series Finale, Future Challenge/Young Horse Prix St. Georges Series Finale, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4*, presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special CDI4*, presented by Adequan®, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Southgate Farm, Small Tour CDI 3*, and Small Tour CDI 1*, as well as national competition. For more information and to see a full list of results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.
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