Adrienne Lyle Captures Five-Star Win in Week Five at 2018 Adequan Global Dressage Festival
Adrienne Lyle and Salvino improved on their Grand Prix performance from Thursday to ride an error-free test and win the Grand Prix Special CDI5*, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, on Saturday, February 10, at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF).
Lyle and 11-year-old Salvino cruised to victory with 75.319%, representing a new personal best high score for the pair. The top three in the class represented a clean podium sweep for the U.S.A. in the fifth week of AGDF at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida.
“I was thrilled with him today,” said Lyle, who trains with Debbie McDonald and rides the Sandro Hit stallion for owner Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Juliano. “It means a ton to win the five-star special; this is huge, especially on a horse who we haven’t even been competing a full year at this level. In the grand prix he was running a little bit through my aids, so today we took the time to make him stay back and wait. He felt like he was right with me throughout the whole test. If he understands what you want, he always does it for you. He has tremendous potential that we’re only just beginning to tap into.”
Australian judge Susan Hoevenaars agreed, saying: “There was so much harmony and it was a joy to judge.”
The winner of the grand prix, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, had to settle for second place on her own Lonoir, a 14-year-old gelding by De Noir, logging 72.851%.
“The goal is clean rides, but I left the ones [the one-time changes] in the warm-up,” she said. “We did a super line right before we went in, but I think we were both a bit over-heated. I was super proud of him; the quality level is coming up and everyone has full confidence that the consistency is going to fall into place. When it does, it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Third placed Arlene ‘Tuny’ Page was pleased to be able to put two sub-70% scores on Woodstock at AGDF in January behind her, and her ever-improving performances elevated her from seventh in the grand prix.
“I was happy with how my horse presented himself and with the quality of his gaits,” she said of the 15-year-old gelding by Havel. “This is only our fourth test back this season and it’s taken four rides to get him back and for him to wait for me. Now it’s a question of developing more inner calmness in the next two months as he settles into the routine again.”
In the Intermediate I CDI3*, presented by Rowan O’Riley, the U.S.A.’s Jennifer Baumert and Handsome were once again the only combination rewarded with over 70% — exactly as per their prix st georges win on Wednesday.
Baumert was also riding a horse owned by Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Juliano, this one a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Hochadel x Weltmeyer. She was the unanimous winner for all five judges, scoring 70.941%.
The jam-packed fifth week of the 2018 AGDF continues on Sunday with four CDI classes. The showcase class, the Grand Prix Special CDI3*, kicks off at 8am, with an amateur class and two small tour contests to follow. The 12-week circuit continues through March 31 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.