Friday Night Star First-Timers Take Top 3 at the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyles

Wellington, Fla – February 24, 2023 – Despite the busy FEI Nations Cup being held at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this week, the iconic Friday Night Stars class still took place. Six athletes took to the International Arena to showcase their Grand Prix Freestyles in a CDI3* class sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. Four different countries were represented in the class. In the top three we saw three of the four flags – Spain, Thailand, and Canada. Each rider impressively had previously never competed in a Friday Night Stars class.

Dancing their way into first was Pablo Gomez Molina aboard Ulises de Ymas. Gomez Molina also took home the gold in yesterday’s massive CDI3* Grand Prix with a new Grand Prix personal best. That was not the last personal best he would see, scoring at 77.865% in the freestyle. Being paired with Ulises de Ymas during his FEI Young Horse years, Gomez Molina says that a clean sweep of this week’s Grand Prix was incredibly monumental in his career thus far.

“I have been here probably every Friday night to watch the freestyles. So to win, it is really special.”

The degree of difficulty in his choreography stood out, with each judge scoring above an 8. The music also was a highlight, earning a 9 from two judges. While speaking on his soundtrack, Gomez Molina said that he chose “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen because, “…it fits well. He [Ulises de Ymas] is very active in the trot work. The walk is Harry Potter which is just something I like.”

The red ribbon went to Suphakamol Vuntanadit and Dreamboat BCN, also scoring a personal best of 71.580%. The 12-year-old gelding owned by Barcelona Horses S.L has helped Vuntanadit make history as the first Grand Prix rider to come out of Thailand. The pair did the FEI Under 25 division last season, just recently moving up to the senior Grand Prix. Vuntanadit had an endless list of thanks to give – including to her team, her trainer Tommie Visser (whose freestyle she borrowed), the Global Dressage Festival crew, her horse, and her family. Her gratitude towards the support system around her was truly moving, bringing many auditors to tears.

“This has been my dream. I would love to now shoot for the Olympics. I believe, as an Asian rider, this is something we are missing and something that we as a region can move forward with together. So, I hope to represent my country at the highest level of the sport.”

Wrapping up the top 3 with a score of 71.180% was Canada’s Mathilde Blais Tetreault riding Laurence Blais Tetreault’s gelding Fedor. She follows the trend of a stellar debut ride under the lights at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Her ride in the International Arena did not go as planned earlier this week, making this third place finish extra meaningful.

“Yesterday I did not have a good ride [in the CDI3* Grand Prix]. The fact he went out there and showed off like he usually does made me happy. It is a lot to go around the ring and hear the crowd but he was very, very good.”