Wellington, Fla. – Jan. 13, 2017 –On Saturday afternoon of the opening CDI weekend at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Shelly Francis impressed the panel of judges and won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special aboard Patricia Stempel’s Doktor. Francis and the 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding earned a score of 70.404 percent, despite going off course and a few bobbles.
Francis was joined in the winner’s circle by Canada’s Jill Iriving, and her KWPN gelding, Arthur. Iriving and the 13-year-old gelding earned a score of 68.723 percent and claimed the red ribbon to earn second place.
Rounding out the top three was Megan Gardner of the United States and Zaffier, a 14-year-old KWPN mare owned by Karen Newsom. Gardner and the mare earned a score of 66.979 percent to claim third place.
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Shelly Francis- First Place
On her ride:
“I was very happy! I had a few bobbles in my rides and you never want any bobbles, you want to be perfect, but to me, I feel like I’m coming out a little stronger than I did last year and the year before. Some of the passage and my extended trots were much steadier. I really was concentrating on ‘rhythm, rhythm, tempo, tempo, rhythm, rhythm’ so that I didn’t make a disturbance too much. I just had one mistake in one of the piaffes, but he felt really good for that. He likes the piaffe-passage normally, and overall he felt quite nice. He felt more through and more on the bridle. Just enough for me to have a nice stiffer, rubbery connection where he wasn’t trying to suck back and lean down. He was pretty good in the changes. I think maybe I could have had a little more “umph” in the ones, but he was very good.”
On Doktor:
“He gets nervous, so I’m very hesitant with him. I try to not let him get afraid, he runs when he gets scared. Other than that, he’s fantastic to work with, but he has this little thing that will never go away. He felt really good today and he feels so much better now after a few years together. He’s getting to be a little older so it’s kind of a weird thing. People ask if he feels stiff and if he’s going downhill. I just say ‘Nope! And neither am I!’”
On her future plans:
“I’m going to do the CDI-W with the black horse [Danilo] again because I’m kind of leaning towards trying to get into the World Cup again. And then with both of them, and with a third one horse I haven’t brought out yet, I’m trying for WEG. You now see how far I can go.”
Jill Iriving and Arthur
CDI3* Grand Prix Special Final Results
Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
1. Shelly Francis / USA / Doktor / 70.404
2. Jill Irving / CAN / Arthur / 68.723
3. Megan Gardner / USA / Zaffier / 66.979
4. Megan Lane / CAN / Zodiac MW / 66.702
5. Christopher Hickey / USA / Ronaldo / 65.617
6. Michael Klimke / GER / Royal Dancer 33 / 65.553
7. Joanne Vaughan / GEO / Elmegardens Marquis / 63.149
8. Sahar Daniel Hirosh / ISR / Whitman / 62.723
9. Holger Bechtloff / USA / Clapton JP / 62.596
10. Stacy Parvey-Larsson / USA / Benidetto / 61.532
11. Barbara Bertschinger / SUI / Rubin Cortes OLD / 61.170
