Wellington, Fla. – Feb 25, 2022 – Competition in Week 7 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) reached its pinnacle on Friday night with the CDI5* Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle. The horse-and-rider combinations felt the incomparable energy of the venue and crowds as they returned to the International Ring of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) to compete for top honors under the lights. Adrienne Lyle and Salvino once again nabbed a mammoth score, taking home a 79.511% in the CDI5* Grand Prix Special for yet another landslide win. Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD, similarly no stranger to the podium, took the lead in the CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle with an impressive score of 81.045%.
Adrienne Lyle and Betsy Juliano’s 15-year-old KWPN stallion Salvino emerged on top again in Friday’s Grand Prix Special, this time with a total 79.11%. The dynamic duo wowed the judges and captivated the audience with their effortless ride. The AGDF CDI5* marked the first time Adrienne and Salvino were in the competition ring after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Lyle remarked on Wednesday that the superstar horse was feeling “incredible” after Tokyo, and Salvino’s energy and fitness shone through in the test.
Second place was awarded to Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén of Sweden with Lövsta Stuteri’s Devanto. The combination scored a 69.617% for the red ribbon. Vilhelmson Silfvén represented Sweden in seven Olympic Games and several European Championships. As a seasoned International competitor, Silfvén was comfortable in the heightened atmosphere and prestige of the CDI5*, and her expertise was evident in her Friday performance.
Close behind was Germany’s Chrisoph Koschel and his 12-year-old Lusitano gelding Favorito 11. The duo boasted a score of 69.511% to round out the top three. Koschel shook up the leaderboard on Friday, ascending from his fifth place position on Wednesday’s test. Koschel has competed successfully at the AGDF for many seasons. He holds a team bronze medal from the 2010 World Equestrian Games and a team silver from the 2011 European Championships.
Wandres and his mount Bluetooth OLD, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Elena Knyaginicheva and Sergey Knyaginichev, delivered a bold, challenging, and artistic test for their Grand Prix Freestyle in the class that directly followed, earning an exceptional 81.165% and a clear win. All eyes were on Wandres and Bluetooth as the pair has been untouchable in the 2022 AGDF season. The combination earned CDI wins in the Week 1 CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle and Short Grand Prix classes. Most recently, Bluetooth and Wandres took the lead on Wednesday night’s Grand Prix qualifier, making him the favorite to win on Friday, and their performance managed to eclipse the immense expectations preceding him.
In second place with a score of 79.430% was Belgium’s Laurence Vanommeslaghe and her 13-year-old KWPN gelding Edison. The combination rose from seventh place in the Grand Prix Freestyle qualifier on Wednesday to top three honors with their masterful performance containing both a high degree of difficulty and a creative floor plan. The energy of their ride was infectious, as spectators clapped along to the rhythm.
Closing the night was Spain’s Juan Matute and Quantico, scoring a 78.925% for third place. Matute fell short of the top three on Wednesday, but the perennial comeback kid made a valiant return. Matute’s Spanish music and daunting degree of difficulty made for an exciting ride to watch. Matute has already achieved several top-three placings in the CDI Grand Prix classes at AGDF, and his comfort in the ring was invaluable in displaying a harmonious and focused test within the electric atmosphere of the PBIEC.
Competition at the AGDF will resume Saturday with the CDIYH Preliminary Test for 5 Year-Olds at 8 a.m.
RESULTS
CDI5* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Frederic Wandres / GER / Bluetooth OLD / Elena Knyaginicheva & Sergey Knyaginichev / 81.165%
2. Laurence Vanommeslaghe / BEL / Edison / Fiechter Quality Dressage Horse BVBA & Laurence Vanommeslaghe / 79.430%
3. Juan Matute Guimón / ESP / Quantico / Juan Matute Azpitarte / 78.925%
4. Charlotte Jorst / USA / Kastel’s Nintendo / Kastel Denmark / 77.895%
5. Benjamin Ebeling / USA / Illuster Van De Kampert / ACR Enterprises Inc. / 77.495%
6. Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu / CAN / All In / Marc-Andre Beaulieu & Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu / 77.350%
7. Susan Pape / GBR / Harmony’s Eclectisch /Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation & Susan Pape / 73.350%
8. Jennifer Williams / USA / Millione / Millione Partners LLC / 72.990%
9. Naima Moreira Laliberté/ CAN / Statesman / KML Inc./ 71.790%
10. Yvonne Losos / DOM / Aquamarijn / Sylvia Ines Muñiz Losos & Yvonne Losos de Muñiz / 71.475%
11. Mikala Münter / USA /Salsa Hit / Mikala Münter and Paul Blint / 70.655%
12. Paula Matute Guimón / ESP / Delagronge / Julia McAlister & Paula Matute Guimón / 69.485
13. Lindsay Kellock / CAN / Sebastien / Lindsay Kellock & Enterprise Farm Equestrian, LLC / RET
CDI5* FEI Grand Prix Special
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Adrienne Lyle / USA / Salvino / Betsy Juliano LLC / 79.511%
2. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén / SWE / Devanto / Lövsta Stuteri AB / 69.617%
3. Christoph Koschel / GER / Favorito 11 / Koshel Dressage Gmbh / 69.511%
4. Diane Creech / CAN / Chrevis Christo / Diane Creech & Louise Leatherdale / 68.447%
5. Ashley Holzer / USA / Valentine / Ashley Holzer / 67.234%
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Frederic Wandres – CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle winner
On Bluetooth’s Development in Wellington:
“Every time I go out, I get the feeling I can ride him more and more throughout the test. He offers me a very good feeling and I am very happy about his development in the Wellington season. For Bluetooth, the season is finished now. He has a few more weeks to reset a little bit before he goes home, and we are looking forward to taking what we achieved here and bring it there also.”
On the test:
“This is always an incredible feeling as a rider. You know the test can’t be that bad when the crowd is already cheering and clapping at that final centerline, and it always pushes the horses a little more to shine. Bluetooth handled everything super well. It was a wonderful test and I am very proud of him.”
On the music:
“When looking for my freestyle music, it was important for me to have something that fits well for the horse, highlights the piaffe/passage, and energizes the people watching for you and cheering for you.”
Adrienne Lyle – CDI5* Grand Prix Special winner
On the ride:
“I am incredibly proud of Salvino. The Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special were some of the best feelings I’ve ever had in the show ring. He’s so strong, so solid in his work. He’s such an incredible competitor. I don’t know what else I could ask from him.”
On the test:
“The Special is a test I always love riding on him. I think it really highlights his strengths. There’s some incredible extensions and capability for collection in the piaffe and passage. I can step on the gas when I need to and trust him to be there for the collection.”
On Salvino:
“I just always feel that right up to the last step he is really trying. Coming down that last centerline is such a great feeling on him, because most horses are a little tired when they hit that final centerline but with Salvino, you hit that centerline and you can kind of take a breath. It’s like ‘take it home, babe you got it.’ I loved it.”
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