By Alice Collins for Wellington International 

For the third consecutive year, it was Germany whose national anthem rang out at the conclusion of the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup™ contest in Week 7 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida. AGDF 2023, which hosts seven weeks of CDI competition over three months, runs through April 2.

The Nations Cup™ in Wellington is a mixed team competition, allowing countries to put forward a combination of small tour and big tour combinations, with the grand prix combinations being awarded a bonus of 1.5% on their score. Germany’s winning team of Frederic Wandres, Felicitas Hendricks, Anna-Christina Abbelen and Michael Klimke finished on 437.844 points, with the silver medal winning USA team team of Charlotte Jorst, Anna Marek, Christian Simonson and Susan Dutta on 427.285, and Sweden (Christina Devine, Caroline Darcourt and Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén) in bronze on 414.498.

Germany’s top score on Friday came courtesy of a 72.234% (rounded up to 73.734% with the bonus) personal best in the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special from rising stars Hendricks — the youngest rider on the team — and her own Drombusch 2 (by Destano).

“I’m really glad I had the opportunity to show here and I think it’s perfect conditions for us riders and a top series,” said the 22-year-old. “I was able to have the highest score today and I love the grand prix special. It went well with the passage and extended trot parts — those were our highlights today. I couldn’t be prouder of our team.”

Abbelen, another young rider in the ascendant on the international stage, piloted the 16-year-old Samarant gelding Sam Donnerhall to a high score on Friday of 71.915% (73.415% with the bonus).

“I think the passage was a lot better than yesterday, the extended trot is his favorite party trick,” said the 26-year-old who has owned the son of Samarant for six years. “He felt very secure and supple, so I’m very happy with how he showed himself — having to gain all the strength for this long grand prix special test is a lot for the horses and he really tried his heart out until the last halt.”

Team Germany veteran and AGDF regular Wandres — who is here for the third consecutive season — was his nation’s only small tour rider. He partnered Harrods 3, Hof Kasselmann’s 10-year-old Hochadel gelding, and the pair produced two scores north of 72%.

“Having the Nations Cup here is something special and also the team spirit between the teams is the best,” he said. “We always put the pressure on to keep winning, but I also recognize the American team this year was on it to bring a good team.”

Klimke rode the 14-year-old Harmony’s Sanrino, by San Remo, to a personal best of 71.255% (72.755% with the bonus) in the grand prix special. 

“We’re very lucky to have won it three years in a row now,” said Klimke, who rode on his first Nations Cup team in 1990. “I’m very proud of the two girls because they are both riding amazing and of course Freddie [Wandres] is our riding chef and hero who keeps the troop together.” 

For the USA, it was the senior team first-timer Christian Simonson — at 20 the youngest rider on the squad — who impressed with a new personal best and the team’s highest score on Friday. He and Son Of A Lady, Christina Morgan and Clifton Simonson’s 12-year-old Danish warmblood gelding by Soreldo, scored 72.706% in the CDIO3* Intermediate I. Simonson is based in Wellington and trains with Adrienne Lyle.

Tuny Page of class sponsor Stillpoint Farm said, “To bring nations together for a really serious competition with a fabulous judging panel and the opportunity to ride in an international atmosphere — and for new team members to compete — it’s impossible to overstate how important it is to have this competition in the United States, here in south Florida. We are really proud to be able to do this.” 

Personal bests under the lights 

In the “Friday Night Stars” class under lights, the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, the Spanish rider Pablo Gómez Molina punched the air in jubilation at the final halt after completing a 77.865% test. Aboard the 13-year-old PRE gelding Ulises De Ymas — who is owned by Javier Bacariza, Cristina Danguillecourt and Yeguada de Ymas SL — Gómez Molina scored a huge new personal best of 77.865%.

The final rider in the class, Suphakamol (Pam) Vuntanadit rode Dreamboat BCN (Glock’s Voice x Metall) to another career high score, of 71.58% for second. She is the first ever grand prix rider from her native Thailand. Canada’s Mathilde Blais Tétreault rounded out the podium, riding the Glock’s Johnson son Fedor to 71.18%. 

Gómez Molina rode to an upbeat compilation featuring Queen and Harry Potter theme song music, for which he received two nines.  

“Ulises is really active with a lot of activity and knee action and I think it fits him really well. I was hearing the crowd clapping in time, so I think they liked it,” said the beaming 28-year-old. “I started competing internationally in Wellington, so for me to win the grand prix yesterday and today win the freestyle — I’ve been here watching every single freestyle — it’s pretty special. 

“Ulises had way more energy than yesterday and he was with me all the time,” he added of the son of Seni Indio. “I made the freestyle two years ago when I didn’t have much experience in the grand prix and neither did he, so now we need to make it a bit more difficult.” 

The short-term plan for Ulises is likely to be the CDI4* in AGDF 11 (March 22-26), followed by a competition season in Europe.

Judge at C Isobel Wessels, a five-star judge from Great Britain, noted, “The top three riders were wonderful and the winner was really outstanding. Here was a happy horse and smiling rider. It was such a lovely picture to judge. We saw a horse that was elastic, going forward, meeting all the criteria of the rules of the ideal picture of a grand prix horse, with beautiful riding and a lot of harmony.”

Callie O’Connell breaks the 70% barrier 

In the Under-25 ranks, Callie O’Connell (USA) pulled off a new personal best of 70.231% on Ruling Cortes LLC’s Eaton H to lead the U25 FEI Grand Prix, presented by Diamante Farms. She leapfrogged her compatriot Benjamin Ebeling, who had won the previous day’s U25 Intermediate II on Status Royal OLD. Ebeling and O’Connell made up the previous day’s winning U.S. Dressage U25 Team. The 14-year-old Eaton H (by Winton x San Remo) was previously campaigned by Germany’s Christoph Koschel and O’Connell only started competing him internationally in January of this year. This was the pair’s first CDI win and the first time they broke the 70% barrier.

“I’m still kind of at a loss for words,” admitted the 24-year-old O’Connell. “The goal today was a 70, I think I dreamt about it all last night and I knew we were capable and he got a little excited outside the ring, but the second we entered the ring he was right there, so I thought to myself, ‘Just trust him and ride it’. I was really hoping for top three, but to win it is just the coolest thing.

I wanted to show a little more expression in the piaffe and passage, after looking at my test from yesterday I thought that’s where I could show more,” she explained. “This is my last year of U25 so I want to go as far as I possibly can. I’d love to represent the US on a senior team one day. Feeling that positive pressure in a team atmosphere like this is amazing and I love it.”

Dressage competition resumes on Saturday with the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, presented by Iron Spring Farms, and the Intermediate I CDI1*, sponsored by Zen Elite Equestrian — as well as action in the Children, Amateurs  and Young Rider ranks. For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com. 

Click for full results from the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup™