Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI3*. (C) 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 10, 2016-Kasey Perry-Glass rode Dublet in only their second CDI Grand Prix Wednesday and the result at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival confirmed their ranking among the top United States Olympic prospects.
The 28-year-old Kasey and Dublet placed third in the CDI3* Grand Prix on 71.020 per cent in their campaign to be included in the eight or so American combinations that head to Europe after the Florida and California winter circuits for final shows to select the team for Rio de Janeiro.
The ride could have scored higher but for a couple of major issues early on-breaking into canter during the extended trot and then a bridle malfunction, both of which she takes the blame.
Instead of giving up, though, she fought to recover and performed their "best canter tour" and kept her record of scoring above 70 per cent in each of her Grand Prix level rides so far as well as winning the admiration of those who saw the ride.
The two Grand Prix performances on the 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding put them only behind Steffen Peters on Legolas and Rosamunde and Laura Graves on Verdades on the rankings so far this year.
Kasey leapt into the spotlight after moving to Wellington from California following competition in Europe last year where she competed Dublet at Small Tour and Scarlet, her Big Tour mount now aged 17 that taught her a lot about Grand Prix.
Dublet had caught the eye of Debbie McDonald, the U.S. developing coach, when Kasey was showing the horse at Small Tour in California in 2013.
The following year, Kasey competed on the Global winter circuit at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for the first time and came back in 2015, still a relative newcomer but with enough talent to make the Nations Cup team at Small Tour. Then she went to Europe over the summer.
That was when Kasey realized just what she would have to do to fulfill her dreams.
Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet competing at the Wellington CDI3* Grand Prix. (C) 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com
She returned from Europe, moved to Wellington and began training four days a week with Debbie McDonald who is based full time in Wellington for up to six months over winter.
"Debbie was the perfect person for me," Kasey said. "She not only teaches you so much she gets into your head, gets inside you in such a positive way.
"She is a miracle worker."
In addition to working with Debbie, Kasey is "doing everything in training in a positive way" by working every day on throughness and connection, a lot of trail riding and work on a track adjacent to her farm.
Debbie laughs at being described as a "miracle worker" but several high performance riders share Kasey's opinion.
"I thought Dublet had great potential when I saw him at Small Tour in California," Debbie said.
"Kasey has worked hard to fulfill Dublet's potential and I expect they will go far."
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