By Alice Collins for Wellington International 

Week three of the 2025 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida, was a time of extreme highs and lows for para athlete Kate Shoemaker. She put in three outstanding performances inside the white boards on her nine-year-old Vitalis mare, Vianne—culminating in a plus-80% freestyle victory in the CPEDI3* FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade IV on Sunday, January 26, to stand show champion. But, on the home front, Shoemaker lost her other horse, the 11-year-old Quiana, after a freak accident in which the mare shattered her hip.

“I had the goal of hitting 80% with this freestyle and we did it,” said an emotional Shoemaker, who rode to music originally made for Quiana. “I think they were the best canter extensions I’ve ever ridden on Vianne because they were Quiana’s highlight in that test, and I rode it the same way. It was special out there today, both for the partnership I have with Vianne and the honor I paid to Quiana at the same time. With Vianne I’m having a great week, but it’s also been a very rough week and emotionally tough to process.” 

The 37-year-old Shoemaker suffers from motor control dysfunction, muscle weakness, and spasms on the right side of her body, but she and Vianne have been stepping on the training gas and Shoemaker hopes to make her able-bodied grand prix debut later this year.  

“We’re going to try to secure the grand prix movements this year and give that a go,” she said. “I’ve had that as a goal for more than 10 years and this year we’re going to make it a priority. It’s green, but all the grand prix pieces are there. The whole point of dressage is the harmony and grace, and with good training the horse will do anything for you.” 

Last month Shoemaker secured ownership of Vianne, even though the arrangement with NorCordia USA had initially been intended to be temporary. 

“I’m incredibly honored to have the opportunity with Vianne and I love her to pieces,” concluded Shoemaker. “She was always good to me, but this fall it felt like we became one, which is an incredible feeling. The fact that she gets to stay with me for the rest of her life makes me feel so good.”  

Cynthia Screnci was both an athlete and an owner during week three, piloting her own eight-year-old For Dance gelding For Memory 4 to a trio of wins. They peaked in Sunday’s CPEDI3* FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade V, securing the blue ribbon with 72.733%. Screnci’s other two horses, Sir Chipoli and Eragon VF were in action under Grade III rider Hannah Kingsley. She rode the 18-year-old Sir Chipoli (by Sir Donnerhall) to a 71.023% win in Sunday’s freestyle in their first CPEDI together. Screnci spotted Kingsley at a national show, which is how the relationship came about. 

“I saw Hannah riding an older jumper horse and I was just so impressed by her spirit and her nature,” recalled Screnci. “I asked her and her trainer if they would maybe be interested in taking on my old grand prix horse who could not really stand up to the work any more and they said, ‘Yes!’. She’s had him a year and a half now.”  

Screnci was a successful amateur jumper but smashed her ankle when she landed on her feet during a jump-off in 2015. She then came down with a bone infection and has undergone 26 surgeries on her ankle. 

“I was a gung-ho type of person,” she continued. “So accepting my disability was a process, but what para did for me was give me such a silver lining and the opportunity to follow new dreams and compete internationally. For Memory is only eight but he’s an old soul. I’ve only had him a short time and he’s still developing muscle and self-carriage, but he would go to battle for me. We have a special bond.”

Kingsley is grateful for the doors Screnci’s horses have helped open for her. 

“‘Chip’ and ‘Danny’ are both big on scratches and we spend time with them outside the arena just to enjoy,” said Kinglsey, who had a brain bleed four years ago followed by a stroke and has no feeling in the right side of her body. “We spent two months just road walking Danny to get him fit and now he’s finally fit, it’s so fun to see his presence coming out—he loves horse shows. I’m really excited to grow the partnership, and we’ll be coming back here for the next para CPEDI.

“This has been a big mental health journey,” she added. “I was so focused on my veterinary business before [I got ill], then afterwards I asked myself what I really want. Enjoying each day and enjoying your life with horses is huge for me. Cynthia gave me the gift of riding two amazing showmen so that has really been so fun and gratifying. Taking what they can teach me has been awesome.” 

In the opening qualification round of the Buffalo Wild Wings Future Challenge FEI Prix St. Georges, with 14 combinations vying for a starting spot in the final, held in AGDF 12. It was a high quality field, with the top eight all scoring over 70%. The golden ticket went to class winner Molly O’Brien riding Lehua Custer’s nine-year-old Floriscount stallion, Fortunato H2O, with 73.676%. Mary Haskins Gray and eight-year-old Rock Forever gelding Rutherford claimed second with 72.402%, while Rebecca Cohen slotted into third with 72.01% on Prince Of Hope, a nine-year-old by Total Hope.

In October 2024 O’Brien received an award from the $25,000 Anne L.Barlow-Ramsay Grant to train and compete the American-bred Fortunato H2O. The horse was previously competed by Grade I para athlete Roxanne Trunnell. 

The Florida-based O’Brien said, “I’ve been riding Fortunato a little over a year with my coach Sue Blinks’ help. She’s changed our world and our game, and the horse has changed into a different animal over the past few months. He’s really come into his own and become super confident. My goal today was to get him in this international ring and give him a good experience, and he gave me more than that. 

“This was a large class with some awesome riders in it and I just wanted to give him a positive experience. The trot tour was a highlight—he really killed it—and the cool thing is that it can still be even better,” she added. 

Click for full results from AGDF 3. 

Sunday’s action wrapped up week three of the 12-week 2025 AGDF. International competition resumes in week five (February 5-9) with a CDI3* and FEI World Cup™ show, as well as extensive weekly competition in the national arenas. The next Para Dressage international takes place during AGDF 9 (March 6-9). AGDF hosts seven weeks of CDI competition and weekly national shows over three months, finishing March 30. For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.