Wellington, Fla. – March 25, 2022 – Competition at Week 11 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) reached its pinnacle on Friday night with the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle under the lights. 12 horse-and-rider pairs took to the arena to perform in front of crowds of excited spectators and vie for the ribbons in the final freestyle at the AGDF. In the end it was Adrienne Lyle and Salvino that came out on top once again, this time with a record shattering score of 85.580%, the highest in AGDF history.
The music and crowds created an electric atmosphere, so riders had to both balance and contain the excitement of their horses. Some riders in particular were able to recycle the energy of their mounts and translate it into a bold and dynamic ride. Although Lyle and Salvino, Betsy Juliano’s 15-year-old KWPN stallion, typically compete in the Grand Prix Special, they made an exception for the last week to get some freestyle practice under their belts and put on a show for fans near and far.
First place honors went to Adrienne Lyle and Betsy Juliano’s Salvino with a staggering score of 85.580%. The pair returned to the CDI ring after a triumphant test on Thursday, where they scored a sky-high 78.566% in the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle qualifier. The perennial champions once again scored top marks for their technical and harmonious performance as well as creativity and difficulty of the floorplan. Lyle commented on Thursday that this would be her first time showing a freestyle since the 2019 CDIO5* Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany. It’s safe to say that the superstar pair made a triumphant return to Friday Night Stars.
Next on the leaderboard was Sarah Tubman and Summit Farms’ First Apple. The pair was all smiles after scoring a personal best of 78.205% for the red ribbon. Tubman came just shy of the top three placings in Thursday’s freestyle qualifier, but their bold and creative test earned them high marks from the judges.
Rounding out the top three was Canada’s Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu aboard her 16-year-old SBS gelding All In. The Olympian and Pan-American Games rider earned a score of 77.010% for third place honors, following their second place finish in Thursday’s Grand Prix qualifier.
Competition at the AGDF will resume Saturday at 8 a.m. with the CDIYH FEI Preliminary Test for 5 Year-Olds and conclude the day with the CDI4* FEI Grand Prix Special.
Results: CDI4* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle
Rider / Country / Horse / Owner / Total Score
1. Adrienne Lyle / USA / Salvino / Betsy Juliano / 85.580
2. Sarah Tubman / USA / First Apple / Sarah Tubman / Summit Farms / 78.205
3. Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu / CAN / All In / Marc-Andre Beaulieu & Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu / 77.010
4. Pablo Gómez Molina / ESP / Ulises De Ymas / Javìer Bacacriza, Cristina Danguillecourt & Yeguada de Ymas S.L / 76.190
5. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfén / SWE / Devanto / Lövsta Stuteri AB / 74.430
6. Paula Matute Guimón / ESP / Delagronge / Paula Matute Guimón / 73.970
7. Olivia Lagoy-Weltz / USA / Rassing’s Lonoir / Mary Anne McPhail and Olivia Lagoy-Welz / 73.635
8. Alice Tarjan / USA / Serenade MF / Alice Tarjan / 72.375
9. Jennifer Williams / USA / Millione / Millione Partners LLC / 71.875
10. Carly Taylor-Smith / USA / Rosalut NHF / Nikki Taylor-Smith / 71.605
11. Evi Strasser / CAN / Disney Tyme / Evi Strasser / 70.505
12. Amina Bursese / USA / Fiti AL / Amina Bursese / 67.675
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Adrienne Lyle – CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle winner
On the test:
“This was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in the show ring. It just feels unbelievable. This is such a fun place to be. The crowd’s amazing, the atmosphere of the competition was super tonight. It was just incredible.”
On the freestyle:
“This is the same freestyle we used in the World Cup in 2019, we just changed a little bit of the entrance music and tweaked the passage and piaffe pirouette. This was actually the first time I gave it a full run-through, so I’m really happy it turned out that well.”
On the season:
“It’s been an amazing season with Salvino. We helped bring home the medal at Tokyo which was incredible and got to enjoy that rest after that. He’s back and he really feels better than ever, and to end on this high note in the Wellington season is really wonderful. It’s a good stepping stone, we’re hoping to head to Europe, we have our sights set trying to qualify for the team for the World Championships. Salvino doesn’t need to go a whole lot, he’s always there when he needs to be so we’ll respect that.”
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