Wellington, Fla. – March 13, 2019 – Following the conclusion of the podium ceremony for the CDIO-U25 Nations Cup team competition, the senior riders took to the ring for the CDIO3* Nations Cup beginning the small tour division with the FEI Prix St. Georges test and finishing the day with the FEI Grand Prix for the big tour riders. Five nations battled it out, with top scores earned in during both tests to start the team competition strong with the United States finishing Day 1 in the lead for the team medals.
Team results will consist of the best three scores in the first test, FEI Prix St. Georges and FEI Grand Prix, and the three best scores in the second test, the FEI Intermediate 1 and FEI Grand Prix Special. The best total team score will receive the gold medal. The Nations Cup team scores are calculated by awarding a 1.5 percent bonus for each Grand Prix rider on a team, while small tour scores receive no bonus. Once all riders have received their scores and their perspective additional bonus, the lowest score is dropped. If the drop score is that of a Grand Prix riders, the bonus will also be dropped with their score. Bonus points, however, will not contribute to individual final competition and are only used to calculate team rankings.
In the Prix St. Georges class, the United States’ Ashley Holzer and Valentine, her 9-year-old Hanoverian mare, finished in second place individually with a 73.765 percent. The combination became a competitive team together in 2018 where they went on to win nearly every FEI class they entered. The three-time Olympian won the Most Valuable Rider award at Adequan Global Dressage Festival in 2016 and has yet to lose an FEI class for the 2019 season aboard Valentine.
Holzer’s small tour teammate, Jennifer Baumert scored 70.971 percent to place fourth in the class on Betsy Juliano’s 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Handsome. Jennifer Baumert was given the ride on Betsy Juliano LLC’s Handsome in 2016, receiving eight wins out of their 18 small tour starts in their first year of competing internationally together.
Immediately following the FEI Prix St. Georges, the remaining competitors rode down centerline for the FEI Grand Prix to add to their teammates total scores.
Charlotte Jorst and Kastels Nintendo earned a score of 70.609 percent for their Grand Prix performance, contributing an important score for their team and they finished the class with a second place ribbon individually. Jorst and her own Kastels Nintendo, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, represented the U.S. at the 2016 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Sweden. A team since 2014, they won the FEI Grand Prix CDI3* during Week 7 of season.
FEI Dressage World Ranking number twenty-seven, Shelly Francis and Danilo (DeNiro x Annabelle) were the second to last to enter the ring, and put in a stellar performance to help secure the United States’ lead. The pair earned a score of 73.543 percent, the highest in the class. The 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding is owned by Patricia Stempel but has been ridden by Francis since 2013. Together, the pair represented the US at the 2018 FEI World Cup™ Final in Paris.
The U.S. finished the opening day of Nations Cup competition with a total score of 220.917 after the 1.5 percent bonus for the Grand Prix and Baumert’s drop score, with all U.S. team riders scoring over 70 percent. Canada is following closely behind with a total score of 216.693 and Team Colombia sits in the bronze medal position with 196.734.
The senior team competition will continue tomorrow with the FEI Intermediate I at 4:50 p.m. and FEI Grand Prix Special at 7:10 p.m. The total scores from each day will be added together to determine the final team standings after the second day of competition.
Results: FEI Nations Cup Prix St. Georges
Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
1. Tina Irwin / CAN / Laurencio / 74.912
2. Ashley Holzer / USA / Valentine / 73.765
3. Lindsay Kellock / CAN / Floratina / 71.824
4. Jennifer Baumert / USA / Handsome / 70.971
5. Belinda Trussell / CAN / Carlucci / 68.176
6. Diego Gonzalez / MEX / Scenario 2 / 67.029
7. Patricia Koschel / GER / Leuchtfeuer / 66.853
8. Christer Egerstrom / CRC / Bello Oriente / 66.059
9. Maria ALejandra Aponte Gonzalez / COL / Duke De Niro / 65.882
10. Carlos Maldonado Lara / MEX / Massimo / 65.824
11. Marco Bernal / COL / Germany / 65.676
12. Carmen Franco / COL / Weltregentin / 65.176
Results: FEI Nations Cup Grand Prix
Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
1. Shelly Francis / USA / Danilo / 73.543
2. Charlotte Jorst / USA / Kastel’s Nintendo / 70.609
3. Jill Irving / CAN / Arthur / 68.457
4. Yvonne Losos De Muniz / DOM / Aquamarijn / 68.000
5. Michael Klimke / GER / Royal Dancer 33 / 67.804
6. Christoph Koschel / GER / Ballentines 10 / 66.913
7. Bernadette Pujals / MEX / Curioso XXV / 66.457
CDIO3* Team Results After Day One
United States:
Shelly Francis / Danilo / (73.543 + 1.5%) 75.043
Charlotte Jorst / Kastel’s Nintendo / (70.609 + 1.5) 72.109
Ashley Holzer / Valentine / 73.765
Jennifer Baumert / Handsome / 70.971
Total Score: 220.917
Canada:
Jill Irving / Arthur / (68.457 + 1.5) 69.957
Tina Irwin / Laurencio / 74.912
Lindsay Kellock / Floratina / 71.824
Belinda Trussell / Carlucci / 68.176
Total Score: 216.693
Germany:
Michael Klimke / Royal Dancer 33 / (67.804 + 1.5) 69.304
Christoph Koschel / Ballentines 10 / (66.913 + 1.5) 68.413
Patricia Koschel / Leuchtfeuer DE / 66.853
Kevin Kohmann / Cascou W / 65.147
Total Score: 204.570
Mexico:
Bernadette Pujals / Curioso XXV / (66.457 + 1.5) 67.957
Diego Gonzalez / Scenario 2 / 67.029
Carlos Maldonado Lara / Massimo / 65.824
Monica Burssens / Elfentanz / 63.353
Total Score: 200.810
Columbia:
Maria Alejandra Aponte Gonzalez / Duke De Niro / 65.882
Marco Bernal / Germany / 65.676
Carmen Franco / Weltregentin / 65.176
Raul Corchuelo / Senorita 43 / 64.618
Total Score: 196.734