Canadian dressage riders added plenty of ribbons to their collection during week five of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), held Feb. 6-9 in Wellington, FL, USA.
In the prestigious CDI4* FEI Grand Prix on Feb. 6, David Marcus of Campbellville, ON was the top-placed Canadian riding Chrevi’s Capital, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood owned by 2013 Dressage Canada Owner of the Year, Deborah Kinzinger-Miculinic. Marcus went up against 18 top international competitors, finishing in fifth place.
Karen Pavicic of Richmond, BC followed Marcus in sixth place aboard Don Daiquiri, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding she owns in partnership with Jayne Essig. Two-time Olympian Jacqueline Brooks from Cedar Valley, ON took eighth with her veteran international mount, D Niro, a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Brookhaven Dressage Inc.
During the CDI4* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle the following day, Canadians took five of the top 10 placings. For the third time in a row since the AGDF series began in January, Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON was the highest placed Canadian in the CDI freestyle. Once again partnered with Devon L, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Doug Leatherdale, Creech earned 71.950% for fifth place.
Brooks and D Niro took sixth place with 71.825%, while Pavicic and Don Daiquiri finished seventh after scoring 71.400%. Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital received eighth place on a score of 70.900%.
“It was a good weekend for Capital,” said Marcus, who was recently chosen to be part of Canada’s Nations’ Cup Team at the upcoming CDIO3* Adequan Global Dressage Festival, which kicks off Feb. 18. “I was especially pleased with him (in the Freestyle) because he didn’t feel the least bit nervous. It was a full house and while he would have previously made me aware of his inner tension, tonight it was just like any other day at the barn. It was a big achievement in his confidence.”
Rounding out the top 10 Canadians in the freestyle was Jill Irving of Moncton, NB, who placed ninth on a score of 69.675%. Her mount was Pop Art, a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Moreen Nicoll and Rusty Holzer. Pop Art is renowned for being Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer’s former major games mount.
In the CDI4* Grand Prix Special on Feb. 8, Megan Lane of Loretto, ON earned second place after scoring 69.922% with her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Caravella. This added another top placing to their successful winter tally, which includes winning the Special during the first week of the AGDF in early January. Another top finisher in the Special was long-time CET rider Tom Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON, who earned fourth place aboard Viva’s Salieri W, a 13-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Christine and Augustin Walch.
Canadians also held their own in the CDI3* divisions, earning many top five placings throughout the week.
Partnered with Ribot, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Carla Bahr, Dvorak earned 69.333% in the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle for third place. The pair also took fifth in both the FEI Intermediaire I and the FEI Prix St. Georges.
Brittany Fraser of New Glasgow, NS put in impressive performances aboard her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, All In. In just their second show back since the fall season, the duo finished top-five in all three small tour classes. After scoring 69.298% for third place in the FEI Prix St. Georges, they moved on to take second in the FEI Intermediaire I with 69.921%. In addition, they closed out the competition with a fourth place finish in the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle.
Canadian veteran Christilot Boylen (currently living in Germany) also contested the small tour classes, earning fourth place in the FEI Intermediaire I with her up-and-coming mount, Drentano, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding.
In addition, Alexandra Duncan of West Vancouver, BC-who has earned multiple medals for Canada at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships-won the FEI Young Rider Grand Prix 16-25 with Vitall, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding she co-owns with Christina Duncan.
Tanya Strasser-Shostak, who was recently named Equine Canada’s 2013 Junior Equestrian of the Year, was also successful at FEI Young Rider level, winning the Team, Individual, and Freestyle classes aboard Action Tyme, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by her mother, Evi Strasser.
The judging panel for the CDI classes during week five of the AGDF included FEI 5* level dressage judges Maribel Alonso de Quinzanos (MEX), Susanne Baarup (DEN), Liselotte Fore (USA), Isabelle Judet (FRA), Gary Rockwell (USA), and Katrina Wuest (GER).
To view complete results and get additional info, visit www.globaldressagefestival.net.
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