Canadian Paralympian, Robyn Andrews of St. John’s, NF kicked off her 2017 season with a hat trick in the Grade I division and the title of High Point Horse and Rider at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) CPEDI 3*, held Jan. 19-22 in Wellington, FL.
Riding her Rio 2016 Paralympic Games partner, Fancianna, her 16-year-old Friesian/Andalusian mare, Andrews’ winning streak began with the Grade I Team Test on Jan. 20, where she earned a score of 69.702%.
The following day, Andrews and Fancianna returned to the stadium for the Individual Test, where they achieved an even higher score of 70.036% for their second win. However, the highlight of their week came on Jan. 22, when they performed their Freestyle to music from Les Misérables, scoring an impressive 73.056% to complete their hat trick in the Grade I division.
“Fancy was such a good mare this weekend and I could not have asked her to do any more,” said Andrews, who has been competing internationally with Fancianna for seven years. “Winning a hat trick was icing on the cake.”
Andrews, who will continue to compete at national and CPEDI competitions in Wellington throughout the winter season, continued, “Winning the show’s high point champion makes me realize that I am going in the right direction. It is a wonderful way to start the 2017 season. New tests are being tried and they are challenging, but that is why I like them.”
She was supported at the CPEDI by her coach, Brittany Beaulieu of Ottawa, ON – a high performance dressage athlete who represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, ON, and helped the Canadian Dressage Team earn the silver medal.
“This is my second winter working with Brittany,” explained Andrews. “She is a very positive coach and makes me feel I can achieve anything. She has known Fancy for seven years and knows just what she needs and how to train her. I think we work very well together.”
Also competing for Canada in the Grade I division was 2012 Paralympian, Jody Schloss of Toronto, ON and Lieutenant Lobin (Lobster x Fanal Prydsholm), her 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding.
The duo claimed second place in all three Grade I classes, beginning with the Team Test, where they received a score of 65.952%. Their scores continued to rise throughout the week, with the judges awarding the pair 66.488% in the Individual and 66.944% in the Freestyle.
For more information and complete results from the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, visit gdf.coth.com.
More from Horse Sport:
