Wellington, Fla. – March 18, 2022 – FEI Nations Cup competition continued Friday afternoon at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) with the CDIO-U25 FEI Grand Prix to decide the individual medals. All six horse-and-rider combinations made their best effort on the second day of competition in the intense Florida heat, but it was ultimately Canada’s Camille Carier Bergeron on Sound of Silence 4 who stepped up to the top of the podium. At the conclusion of the afternoon and two days of stiff competition, it was Team Germany that held onto their top podium position to take home the coveted gold medal in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*.
Thursday’s U25 Intermediate II riders returned to the CDI ring to showcase their mounts in the CDIO-U25 Grand Prix, this time competing individually. Six horse-and-rider pairs rode to the best of their ability, but it was ultimately Carier Bergeron who took the win with a score of 69.641% on Sound of Silence 4, a 14-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Gilles Bergeron. Carrier Bergeron was followed on the leaderboard by USA’s Benjamin Ebeling and Status Royal OLD, who nabbed the silver medal with a 68.718% Third place honors went to Vanessa Creech-Terauds aboard Fleur de Lis L with a score of 66.410%
The CDIO3* Intermediate I was next to hit center stage, with Team Germany’s riders, AGDF superstar Frederic Wandres and his teammate Lars Ligus, leading the way. Perennial champion Wandres topped the leaderboard in the class with Dolciario, scoring a solid 73.176%. Although Ligus had a couple unfortunate mistakes in his test, the German team was still well positioned going into the second leg of competition. Team USA was represented by Bianca Berktold and Imperial. Berktold and her 9-year-old KWPN mare led the Prix St. Georges on Thursday and came back with another stellar ride, scoring a 72.676% for second in the class. Rounding out the top three was Team Canada’s Beatrice Boucher and Summer’s Limei with a score of 67.647%, offering a solid score for her team prior to the Special.
Team results consisted of the best three scores in the first test, FEI Prix St. Georges and FEI Grand Prix, and the three best scores in the second test, the FEI Intermediate 1 and FEI Grand Prix Special. The best total team score received the gold medal. The Nations Cup team scores are calculated by awarding a 1.5 percent bonus for each Grand Prix rider on a team, while small tour scores receive no bonus. Once all riders have received their scores and their respective additional bonuses, the lowest score is dropped. If the drop score is that of a Grand Prix rider, the bonus will also be dropped with their score. Bonus points, however, do not contribute to individual final competition and are only used to calculate team rankings.
Wrapping up Friday’s Nations Cup competition and being the ultimate deciding factor for the team medals was the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special. The pressure was on for German riders Michael Klimke and Chrisoph Koschel to earn the highest scores and help their team take home the gold. The seasoned Grand Prix riders proved to be a dynamic duo for Germany. Despite the new partnership, Koschel and Diamante Farm’s Dunensee presented a triumphant test, earning a score of 72.202%. Klimke and Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation’s 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion Harmony’s Sanrino RHP put forth another consistent test to score 69.255%. With each of Team Germany’s stellar scores on Friday, combined with their leading total of 217.204 from Thursday’s competition, they were awarded the gold medals with a total of 433.337.
In the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special, Team USA was headed by returning competitor Benjamin Ebeling. This time Ebeling was partnered with Indeed, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Vantage Equestrian Group II, LLC. The duo scored 72.149% for individual first place. Ebeling’s teammate Katie Duerrhammer and her mount Quartett put forth a beautiful ride, earning another solid score of 69.021% for Team USA. Although Susan Dutta and Don Design were eliminated from the Grand Prix Special competition, Berktold and Imperial’s score in the Intermediate II was enough to help Team USA hold onto their silver medal position, finishing with a total of 432.265%.
Team Canada took home the bronze medal, represented by Evi Strasser, Megan Lane, and Pia Fortmüller in the Grand Prix Special portion of the competition. At the top of Team Canada with a score of 67.851% was WEG team member and longtime AGDF competitor Lane aboard Deer Ridge Equestian’s 18-year-old KWPN gelding Zodiac MW. Fortmuller and Frieda, her own 11-year-old Hanoverian mare, followed closely behind with a score of 66.702%. Strasser and Deja Vu Tyme earned 64.638% in the Grand Prix Special, which would be the team’s dropped score. With Boucher’s score of 67.647% in the Intermediate II, the team finished with a total of 409.091%.
The Nations Cup will continue on Sunday with the CDIO-U25 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at 11:30 a.m., followed by the CDIO3* Intermediate I, and concluding with the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special for CDIO3* Individual medals.
Results: CDIO-U25 FEI Grand Prix
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Camille Carier Bergeron / CAN / Acoeur / 69.641
2. Benjamin Ebeling / USA / Status Royal OLD / Ann Romney / 68.718
3. Vanessa Creech-Terauds / CAN / Fleur De Lis L / Leatherdale Farms / 66.410
4. Nicole Scarpino / USA / Lambada 224 / Nicole Scarpino / 65.795
5. Quinn Iverson / USA / Beckham 19 / Billie Davidson / 65.590
6. Kaylee Christensen / USA / Chateau 28 / Kaylee & Kate Christensen / 59.718
Results: CDIO3* Intermediate I
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Frederic Wandres / GER / Dolciario / Frederic Wandres & Hof Kasselmann / 73.176
2. Bianca Bertold / USA / Imperial / Bianca Bertold / 72. 676
3. Beatrice Boucher / CAN / Summerwood’s Limei / Monica Von Glahn / 67.647
4. Lars Ligus / GER / Soccer City / Katherine Kuss / 65.706
Results: CDIO3* Grand Prix Special
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Benjamin Ebeling / USA / Indeed / Vantage Equestrian Group II, LLC / 72.149
2. Christoph Koschel / GER / Dunensee / Diamante Farms / 70.70
3. Michael Klimke / GER / Harmony’s Sanrino RHP / Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation / 69.255
4. Katie Duerrhammer / USA / Quartett / Kylee Lourie / 69.021
5. Megan Lane / CAN / Zodiac MW / Deer Ridge Equestrian / 67.851
6. Pia Fortmuller / CAN / Frieda / Pia Fortmuller / 66.702
7. Evi Strasser / CAN / Deja Vu Tyme / Evi Strasser / 65.522
8. Susan Dutta / USA / Don Design DC / Tim & Susan Dutta / Elim
CDIO3* Team Results Day 2
Rider / Horse / (GP Score + 1.5% Bonus) Day One Total / (GPS Score + 1.5% Bonus) Day Two Total
1. Germany – 433.337
Christoph Koschel / GER / Dunensee / Diamante Farms / (71.022% + 1.5%) 72.522% / (70.702% + 1.5%) / 72.202%
Michael Klimke / GER / Harmony’s Sanrino RHP / Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation / (71.152% + 1.5%) 72.652% / (69.255% + 1.5%) / 70.755%
Frederic Wandres / GER / Dolciario / Frederic Wandres & Hof Kasselmann / 72.03% / 73.176
Lars Ligus / GER / Soccer City / Katherine Kuss / 71.53% / 65.706%
2. United States – 432.265
Katie Duerrhammer / USA / Quartett / Kylee Lourie / (70.152% + 1.5%) 71.652% / (69.021 +1.5%) 70.521%
Benjamin Ebeling / USA / Indeed / Vantage Equestrian Group II, LLC / (69.826% + 1.5%) 71.326% / (72.149% + 1.5%) 73.649%
Susan Dutta / USA / Don Design DC / Tim & Susan Dutta / (68.087% + 1.5%) 69.587%
Bianca Bertold / USA / Imperial / Bianca Bertold / 72.441% / 72.676%
3. Canada – 409.091
Pia Fortmuller / CAN / Frieda / Pia Fortmuller / (63.239% + 1.5%) 64.739% / (66.702% + 1.5%) 68.202%
Evi Strasser / CAN / Deja Vu Tyme / Evi Strasser / (65.522% + 1.5%) 67.022% / (64.638% + 1.5%) 66.138%
Megan Lane / CAN / Zodiac MW / Deer Ridge Equestrian / (65.457% + 1.5%) 66.957% / (67.851% + 1.5%) 69.351%
Beatrice Boucher / CAN / Summerwood’s Limei / Monica Von Glahn / 69.912% / 67.647%
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Camille Carier Bergeron – CDIO-U25 Grand Prix Gold Medalist
On the test:
“I’m thrilled. I’m so excited and so proud of my horse. This is only our second U25 CDI, and we did a clean test. This is my goal for now, to ride clean and build his confidence in this level. I think today the goal is achieved! I did a short warmup coming in to preserve his energy because we still have the freestyle to prepare for. This morning I just walked and suppled him, and that really helped for today. The ones were definitely my highlight. Yesterday we didn’t get them and today we had to do fifteen instead of eleven so it’s a bit more of a challenge for a horse that’s new at this level. I was so excited after my ones that I had to refocus because I had the trot transition coming up and I didn’t ride it the way I should have because I was so excited after my ones. I had a huge smile.”
On Sound of Silence:
“He’s such a sweet horse. When I got him it was a bit of a tough go. I’ve had him since the (FEI) Junior level. I started riding him when he was nine, now he’s fourteen. For me, he was the first horse I was ever actually able to bring up the levels to Grand Prix, so I know him inside out. We’ve been through more difficult times and great times. He’s the horse I have created the biggest bond with. I see him in the barn and know exactly how he’s feeling. I could see he was happy today in the barn, he was calm. I knew yesterday he was a little more anxious, today he was calm and confident. I didn’t know how he would be because it’s the second day and we’re still trying to get his fitness up to that level. But he loves to show, because I have all my time to devote to him. I spend almost eight hours taking care of him, he has his person so he gets all the care, all the attention.”
On the show:
“The Nations Cup is always the biggest week of the show season, and it’s so nice to represent Canada in Wellington. It feels like we’re part of a family. Everyone’s supporting each other, everyone is cheering for everyone.”
On her future plans:
“I want to get (Sound of Silence) more comfortable in the U25, we still have so much room for improvement. We’ll see how it goes, maybe next year we’ll keep competing at the U25, maybe we’ll move up to the Grand Prix, maybe aim for Paris 2024, but it’s a long term goal and we’ll see how he develops. I think he has so much potential for more.”
Michael Klimke – Member of Team Gold
On the ride:
“Yesterday I had a very good and clear test. I rode him yesterday and he was a little bit nervous. Today I was a bit disorganized but overall I was really happy. I was more happy with my horse today than with me.”
Christoph Koschel – Member of Team Gold
On the test:
“I was not aware how close it was for the win. I was very excited. Last year I had a big mistake in the beginning of the test as well, today was the same. We didn’t find the rhythm in the piaffe right away, he was a little high in the neck in some moments. I knew my score would drop a lot. It was costly. I knew there was no mistake allowed in the canter tour, so I tried to do my best there. Finally it worked out.”
On Dunensee:
“I’m very happy with Dunensee. We are a new combination, so it’s so exciting. I owe a big thank you to everyone at Diamante Farms for letting me ride this horse. We were all fighting for this win, we all had this team spirit.”
Frederic Wandres – Member of Team Gold
On the Nations Cup:
“This year we won for the second time the Nations Cup, that was really super for me. The team can only be successful if all of us are fighting until the end, and we really did that. For us, it is now the end of the season and I’m very proud of the work we’ve done here.”
On Dolciario:
“Dolciario is only eight years old. He did his first CDI tour this season. I was very happy yesterday but especially today, it was his first Intermediate I. I hope to take all the successes we’ve developed here back to Europe. I’m very happy with him.”
Benjamin Ebeling – Winner of CDIO3* FEI Grand Prix Special
On the Nations Cup:
“Last year was really incredible to be selected for the Nations Cup team. I had a great team that year. We had team dinners where we would all laugh and have fun. Being on a team like this, it’s incredible to witness all the amazing rides. I was really happy with my ride. It’s been just awesome.”
On Indeed:
“She is so much fun. I love riding Indeed. I think it’s more about the coaching I receive than my riding. Christoph Koschel and my dad have done a wonderful job helping me train this horse. She’s got a lot of power in there. Today you could really see it and I could really feel it, so to me that’s something I’m really excited about.”
Beatrice Boucher – Anchor of Bronze Medal Winning Team
On the Nations Cup:
“This is my first Senior Nations Cup. I did the U25 last year, so moving up feels like you go into a big league, and the spirit of big competition and teamwork. It’s really a big step up, I would say. I like it though.”
On Summerwood’s Limei:
“It’s kind of a cool story. I started with this horse as a four, five, six year old. She sold, and I didn’t see her for almost two years. I recently got the ride back, so it’s just kind of developing that partnership again, and enjoying each other in the ring.”