Wellington, Fla.—Jan. 28
A torrential downpour couldn’t keep a sizable crowd away from the Adequan Global Dressage Festival for the CDI-W Grand Prix, where a field of over 50 competitors vied for the top prize. That crowd had to wait until the very end of the day to see the winning ride.
Last to trot into the ring to compete, last to leave the prizegiving ceremony draped in a cooler, Anton scored a 72.86 percent to take the win with Belinda Trussell of Canada, narrowly nosing out Arlene “Tuny” Page and Woodstock by 1/10 of a point.
“[I’m] really happy, really happy. I was surprised to win, it was a huge class and a wonderful field,” Trussell said in the press conference. “Anton felt great, he was really good, really focused, he was with me.
“I call him a professional, he’s so comfortable at the level, and he’s so happy to do his work,” Trussell continued. “We went out there and we did our job together, and to come out with a blue ribbon was amazing.”
The show on everyone’s mind this year is of course the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and Trussell is no exception.
“Yes, 100 percent,” was the Canadian rider’s response to inquiries regarding her goals of competing at the Games.
U.S. rider Page took second to Trussell with 72.76 percent, missing first by a narrow margin aboard Woodstock, but Page was just pleased the hot gelding was able to keep his cool when the show changed venues—the Grand Prix was moved out of the stadium and into the covered ring at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival due to heavy rainfall.
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“I’m really satisfied with the horse. He has a lot of temperament, that’s a little bit the bloodline. Of course that makes them fantastic horses with a lot of fire and a lot of will and desire to work, but sometimes you have to go through a phase of time where you learn how to channel it,” Page said. “You develop a lot of trust between you and your horse, and then test that in all kinds of different venues.”
Page was more reserved in stating her goals and plan for the year with regards to Rio.
“Show to show,” Page said. “Obviously all the Americans want to make that squad of eight horses and riders, but we just train show to show.”
U.S. rider Kasey Perry-Glass had an excellent outing with both her mounts in the Grand Prix—she took third aboard Goerklintgaards Dublet, and 11th on Trostruplunds Scarlet.
“Both horses were great today; I’m just lucky to have great horses, a great coach, and a great family, and a good husband,” Perry-Glass said. “So life is good right now!”
Analyzing what she liked best about her tests (one of which she rode Wednesday, Jan. 27, as the starting field for the class was so big it had to be split into two days), Perry-Glass said, “I think today I was really proud of Scarlet in the changes, just because those are a little bit tricky for her, and she stuck with me pretty good. And both horses were really relaxed compared to what they have been so I was just really happy about that.”
Check back with the Chronicle at www.coth.com on Friday, Jan. 29, for coverage of the Grand Prix freestyle at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI-W.
