Wellington, Fla. – Jan. 27, 2022 – World-class competition returned to the 2022 Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) on Thursday, featuring CDI4* Grand Prix competition to qualify for both the Grand Prix Freestyle and Grand Prix Special that would take place over the weekend. Four horse-and-rider combinations took to the International Arena for the Grand Prix to qualify for the Freestyle, while six pairs took on the Grand Prix for Special, all eager to qualify for the second leg of their respective divisions. At the conclusion of the afternoon, it was Spain’s Paula Matute Guimon who rode Delagronge to victory in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle with a 69.282%, while Great Britain’s Susan Pape and Harmony’s Eclectisch took top honors in the Grand Prix for the Special shortly after with a 73.239%.
Matute Guimon was thrilled to continue her season in Wellington with a win, boasting both a personal best in the Grand Prix with her partner as well as her first victory as a Grand Prix rider. Matute Guimon has only been paired with Delagronge, a 14-year-old Oldenburg stallion owned by Matute Guimon and Julie McAllister, since last year’s Wellington season where they were able to represent Spain in the CDIOU25 Nations Cup in March. Since then they have steadily improved upon their performances, earning a new Grand Prix Freestyle personal best of 72.29% during Week 1’s CDI-W competition. Matute Guimon explained that they will now focus their efforts on preparing for the next CDI-W competition in Week 5.
Finishing in second place was Germany’s Christoph Koschel aboard Favorito 11, a 12-year-old Lusitano gelding owned by Koschel Dressage, with a score of 68.304%. Favorito 11 is a new mount to Koschel as well, making their debut just two weeks ago in Week 1’s CDI4* Grand Prix where they finished with a fourth place and 68.217%, and went on to earn a third place finish and over 75% in the Freestyle. Rounding out the top three was Mikala Munter and Salsa Hit, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Munter and Paul Bint, with a score of 66.696%.
In the CDI4* Grand Prix for the Special that followed, it was Pape aboard Harmony’s Eclectisch, a 13-year-old KWPN stallion owned by Pape and Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation, who took home the blue ribbon with a new personal best of 73.239%. The pair placed second in the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle during the first week of the AGDF with a score of 77.005%, and Pape was excited to step up onto the top podium position.
Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven finished in second place with Devanto, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Lovsta Stuteri, earning a score of 69.087%. The duo came into the third week of competition coming off of back-to-back wins during the first week of competition scoring a 71.457 in the CDI4* Grand Prix and a 73.425% in the CDI4* Grand Prix Special.
Canada’s Diane Creech and Chrevi’s Christo, Creech & Louise Leatherdale’s 19-year-old Hanoverian gelding, finished in third place with a score of 67.217%. The duo, who has been paired for more than 10 years, rode down centerline for the first time this year. Making their debut campaign on Thursday afternoon, they picked up right where they left off last year, having won both the CDI3* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at Dressage at Devon. Though the gelding was the oldest in the field, his youthful candor shone through as he and the Canadian rider put in an energetic test that landed them a yellow ribbon for the day.
Competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival will resume Friday, Jan. 28, with the Prix St. Georges for Amateurs at 9:00 a.m. Freestyle tests will take place under the stadium lights in the evening, with the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle kicking off at 7:00 p.m., and the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle set to start at 8:30 p.m.
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Paula Matute Guimon – CDI4* Grand Prix for the Freestyle winner
On Delagronge:
“He came into my barn in 2019 as a client’s horse, and I started to compete him at the end of last season. We have done maybe five shows together so it’s a fairly new partnership. I have to say it’s a really special one. I’m glad I was able to show it in the show ring.”
On her test:
“He’s a stallion so he can sometimes be a little challenging. I think today as we started the test he definitely tried to say not today. As the test went on I convinced him I had a better plan, and it ended up going my way. I was able to redirect him for today, I think it’s something you can’t avoid with a stallion since they have a mind of their own. At the end of the day he’s always with me and I was able to pull out everything I wanted.”
On getting a personal best:
“I got a personal best a couple weeks ago in the Freestyle, and I got a personal best today! It sounds a little bit cheesy but I can’t believe it, I’m a little bit in shock. It’s definitely an amazing reward for all that hard work and I want to keep improving. I know we can, so it’s just satisfying to keep going and working hard. It was my second ever CDI4* so I’m just so happy.”
On her Freestyle:
“Being from Spain, the music is in our blood. The horse absolutely loves the music so I think I did him a favor. It’s always fun and I love this Freestyle because it used to belong to my brother Juan, so it also reminds me of him. It makes it very special.”
Susan Pape – CDI4* Grand Prix for the Special winner
On her ride:
“He was on fire and really in front of me, it was an awesome feeling. In the test he was really focused and had a very nice feeling. I think the canter work was without any mistakes and had a lot of expression. He did lovely pirouettes and his changes are always big. He was really on my aids, it was a really good feeling going down the last centerline.”
On Harmony’s Eclectisch:
“If he was a person, I think he’d be someone you’d like to hang out with. Dancing or having a drink, he’s such a pal. No matter where he is he feels at home. As long as he has food, he tends to be a little bit chunky but he has a lovely personality. We got him in 2017 or 2018, we did small tour. The next year we did Intermediate A. He hasn’t done so many shows actually. We try to make it to the nice shows. This year it was incredible being on the team in Aachen and getting third place.”
On her win:
“It feels fabulous, absolutely great. No mistakes, no rubber legs for myself. I sometimes have a little bit of trouble with the changes but it’s not the horse. It’s always the rider I think. Today he was really focused and I was focused.”
Results: CDI4* Grand Prix to Qualify for the Grand Prix Freestyle
Place / Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Paula Matute Guimon / ESP / Delagronge / Paula Matute Guimon and Julie McAllister / 69.282%
2. Christoph Koschel / GER / Favorito 11 / Koschel Dressage / 68.304%
3. Mikala Munter / USA / Salsa Hit / Paul Bint and Mikala Munter / 66.696%
4. Joanne Vaughan / GEO / Al Martino 10 / Joanne Vaughan / 61%
Results: CDI4* Grand Prix to Qualify for the Grand Prix Special
Place / Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Susan Pape / GBR / Harmony’s Eclectisch / Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation and Susan Pape
2. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén / SWE / Devanto / Lovsta Stuteri AB / 69.087%
3. Diane Creech / CAN / Chrevi’s Christo / Diane Creech and Louise Leatherdale / 67.217%
4. Jessica Howington / USA / Cavalia / Jessica Howington / 66.913%
5. Susan Dutta / USA / Figeac DC / Susan Dutta and Tim Dutta / 66.282%
6. Kevin Kohmann / USA / Dinamico / Kevin Kohmann / 61.065%