Julia Vysniauskas led a Canadian contingent on a hunt for high scores at the CDI 3* Black Tie held May 31 to June 3, 2018 in her hometown of Calgary AB.
The show, hosted by the Calgary & Area Alberta Dressage Association (CA/ADA) at Rocky Mountain Show Jumping, was a qualifier for both the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) and 2018 North American Youth Championships (NAYC).
Vysniauskas started the competition on a high note, winning the CDI 3* Grand Prix on June 1 with a score of 66.891% on her 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Dream Diamond (Don Schufro x Rubinstein I). The next day, the duo returned for the CDI 3* Grand Prix Special, where they again topped the leaderboard on a score of 66.085%.
The CDI 3* Black Tie was significant for Vysniauskas, not only because of her fantastic results, but also because it was her first performance riding under the Canadian flag in over 10 years. Originally from Cochrane, AB, Vysniauskas switched her nationality to her family’s native Lithuania in 2005, becoming the first equestrian athlete ever to represent Lithuania in international competition. She subsequently took a sizeable break from competition due to injury, before returning in 2018 to ride for the maple leaf once more.
“I have been out of the international CDI circuit for a solid 10 years, and in those years I had several extensive surgeries on my shoulder,” explained Vysniauskas. “This show marked my first CDI since, now competing under the Canadian flag. Considering it was my first CDI back in quite some time and Dream Diamond’s first CDI, I think we did pretty good!”
Vysniauskas continued, “It was a proud moment for me when I heard the results. We went in there to do the best we could that weekend, and we rode a solid and very rhythmic test, which was my goal. I could not be happier with Dream Diamond, and I feel very blessed and thankful to have him.”
Ariana Chia of Winnipeg, MB represented Canada on the leaderboard for the CDI 3* Grand Prix Freestyle. She rode Teo (Democraat x Uniform), her 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, to a third place finish with a score of 67.800% on June 3.
In the Young Rider division, Camille Carier Bergeron of Mascouche, QC rode Expression (Sibirian Express x Florestan), the 13-year-old Westphalian gelding she co-owns with Gilles Bergeron, to capture first in the CDI-Y Team Test on June 1. The pair’s score of 70.471% was the highest mark awarded across the entire competition.
Top 10 Canadian Results – CDI 3* Black Tie
FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix
Placing / Athlete / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Julia Vysniauskas / Dream Diamond / Julia Vysniauskas / 66.891%
4th / Ariana Chia / Teo / Ariana Chia / 61.217%
5th / Jane Lloyd-Smith / Pavel / X / 58.761%
FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Special
Placing / Athlete / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Julia Vysniauskas / Dream Diamond / Julia Vysniauskas / 66.085%
FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Freestyle
Placing / Athlete / Horse / Owner / Score
3rd / Ariana Chia / Teo / Ariana Chia / 67.800%
FEI CDI 3* Prix St. Georges
Placing / Athlete / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Crystal Kroetch / In-To-Wishin / X / 63.265%
FEI CDI-Y Young Rider Team
Placing / Athlete / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Camille Carier Bergeron / Expression / Camille Carier Bergeron & Gilles Bergeron / 70.471%
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