By Alice Collins for Wellington International 

The fifth week of the 2025 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL, continued to be a bonanza for personal bests and the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, sponsored by Blucreeq Spirits, on Saturday, February 8, was no exception. Seven-time Olympian for Sweden, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, logged her second combination-high score of the week with Lövsta Stuteri’s 13-year-old Hyatt, laying down 72.574%. Their previous best in this test was 70.979%, set at AGDF in 2024.

The podium boasted three different flags, underscoring the international significance of the AGDF winter circuit, which attracts riders and horses from around the globe thanks to the unparalleled chance to compete nationally and internationally throughout the 12-week circuit. Second-placed Erin Nichols (USA) also posted a personal best score, riding Premiere Sport Horses’ 16-year-old gelding Elian Royale (Johnson x Sandreo) to 71.702%. German rider Michael Klimke piloted the Fairytale son Harmony’s Fado—the youngest horse in the class at 11 years old—to third. Their 67.553% was a new high score for the inexperienced horse who was contesting just his second big tour CDI.  

Vilhelmson Silfvén, who spearheads the extensive Lövsta team that decamps to Wellington each winter season said, “That’s a score I love to see! Hyatt was more self-assured today and she felt more comfortable in the ring. I had a good feeling, although I had two mistakes which were both my fault. That nags at me because I could have done even better, but she did everything I asked for, so I’m super happy with the horse and the result.”

Hyatt had a break from showing between Aachen in July 2024 and this year’s AGDF and Vilhelmson Silfvén used the time to fine-tune.

“We’ve been working on the details, on the basic riding like the balance, getting her stronger, better in the contact and more uphill,” she explained. “I wanted Hyatt to mature and be strong enough to carry herself, because that’s something she can always do when she’s calm, but she needs to be able to do that when there’s a bit of tension [in a test]. It feels like she’s already switched back on to showing again, so that’s great.”

Vilhelmson Silfvén is planning to contest two further AGDF shows with Hyatt this season and she remains busy as a trainer, too.

“We all support each other—we had seven horses here at the show this week between the CDI and national and we all do it together, so it’s fun,” added Vilhelmson Silfvén. “You have to have a great team to do this sport and Lövsta has a super team including trainers, vets, owners and grooms—everyone is proud to do this together.” 

Click for full results from the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Special, sponsored by Blucreeq Spirits.

In the CDI2* FEI Intermediate A, sponsored by Donato Farms, Dutch rider Chantal van Lanen turned her sadness at losing the ride on one horse to happiness by finding another from the same breeder. She won the Intermediate A with 67.5% on the 10-year-old King Ve—a newcomer to the CDI ring—and was the unanimous choice from the five judges. Katrin Dagge filled second with a 66.088% ride on her own 11-year-old Topaz Diamant by Sir Diamant, and Mikala Münter was third on her 12-year-old mare Camea (Christ x K2) with 64.529%.  

King Ve, a Governor x Johnson gelding still owned by his breeder Rene van Erp, picked up big marks in the walk section, including a nine for his extended walk, which carries a double coefficient. 

“It’s a nice story because my former grand prix horse Arthur is now owned by my friend Jill Irving and that’s what brought me to Wellington in the first place, and to King because they were both owned by Rene. I went to try King, and I was immediately in love. The canter is huge, and the character is an 11 out of 10,” said van Lanen, who has been visiting Irving in Wellington for vacations for a decade but is competing at AGDF for the first time this year.  

“King had really nice passage and pirouettes today,” she added. “I was most proud of the last center line because we want to go grand prix and all his energy was still there. He’s a competitor like me and he loves the arena. We didn’t even do the familiarization before the test; I just know that when I enter the arena, he will have his ears to the front and be ready to go.”

Van Lanen has two goals for her debut season: to qualify for the Lövsta Future Challenge final in week 12, and to ride her new freestyle in the cauldron-like atmosphere of ‘Friday Night Stars’.

Click for full results from AGDF 5. 

Dressage competition in AGDF5, hosted by Wellington International, concludes on Sunday, February 9, with the next qualification round for the Buffalo Wild Wings Future Challenge FEI Prix St. Georges, with 14 horse-and-rider combinations vying for a start in the week 12 final. Young horses and riders will also be in action, as well as a CDI1* FEI Intermediate I Freestyle, and a CDI2* Intermediate II class. AGDF runs seven weeks of CDI competition and weekly national shows over three months, finishing March 30. For more information, results, and to watch the free live stream, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.