For Immediate Release
Deirdre Sullivan for Jennifer Wood Media Inc.

Wellington, FL – January 10, 2019 – The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) started with its first day of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), in Wellington, FL, on Thursday with a win for Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades in the FEI Grand Prix CDIW, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services. The first week at AGDF, the Lloyd Landkamer Memorial, features CDI-W competition from January 10-12.

Week one of AGDF includes the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services, on Friday, January 11, at 7 p.m.

Laura Graves (USA) won the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W with a score of 80.065%. Graves rode her own mount, Verdades, a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Florett AS.

Graves said that her ride was “a good way to put the first show into perspective after we haven’t been out since the [World Equestrian Games] was called off before the freestyle, so it’s been quite a bit since we’ve been in the arena. It always feels like, ‘Okay, we still know what we’re doing.’” She remarked, “He obviously still has a ton of gas in the tank. I’m really, really excited with how today went.”

Her favorite part of her ride today was that Verdades “saved [her] today in the zig zag.” She continued, “I poked him on five and he said, ‘Mom, you gotta wait for 6.’ And so I was just really lucky that he saved me there and it’s nice to know that you can count on a horse like that.”

Looking forward to Friday, Graves noted that it’s “a whole different ball game.”

“He gets even more electric here than he does at any other huge venue in the world,” said the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon (WEG) silver medalist. “We want to see more relaxation in his free walk because we lose some points there when he has such a good walk in the school. And again, just tidying things up so my transitions are on time so I can really feel safe to push. 

Graves and Verdades will be debuting their new freestyle created for WEG on Friday evening.

Michael Klimke (GER) started off the season by winning the FEI Prix St. Georges CDI3*, presented by Triple Crown Nutrition with a score of 70.265%. Klimke rode Harmony’s Diabolo, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Desparadis owned by Harmony Sporthorses.

Klimke also won the FEI Grand Prix CDI3*, presented by MTICA Farm with a score of 68.435%. Klimke rode his own mount, Royal Dancer 33, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Royal Blend.

Competition at AGDF will continue tomorrow with a full schedule of classes, including the FEI Intermediare II 16-25*, sponsored by Diamante Farms, before the start of the first “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services, beginning at 7 p.m. For more information and a full list of results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services
Place, Rider, Nationality, Horse, Horse Information: Judge E%, Judge H%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B%, Total %

1. Laura Graves (USA), Verdades, 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Florett AS x  Liwilarda owned by Laura Graves: 80.000%, 82.826%, 77.500%, 79.783%, 80.217%, 80.065%
2. Shelly Francis (USA), Danilo, 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by DeNiro x Annabella owned by Patricia Stempel: 70.978%, 72.717%, 71.739%, 74.022%, 72.935%, 72.478%
3. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven (GER), Don Auriello, 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Don Davidoff x Wey o mey owned by Lovsta Stuteri: 71.739%, 71.630%, 70.870%, 72.174%, 71.522%, 71.587%
4. Brittany Fraser (CAN), All In, 14-year-old KWPN gelding by Tango x Leontine owned by Brittany Fraser: 68.478%, 72.609%, 71.413%, 70.652%, 70.543%, 70.739%
5. Heather Boo (USA), Divertimento, 17-year-old Westphalian gelding by Di Versace x Fatima owned by Heather Boo: 64.565%, 63.261%, 61.413%, 64.348%, 60.000%, 62.717%