Laura Graves & Verdades Make “Really Big Accomplishment” to Win Wellington CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle

Laura Graves on Verdades enjoying victory in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 18, 2016–Laura Graves and Verdades produced a performance the rider called a “really big accomplishment” to win the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle Friday with no mistakes that put the pair near championship level as they work toward their first Olympics in less than five months.

The KWPN gelding that Laura said had recently become more sensitive to atmosphere although he’s now 14 years old was really “stepping up to the plate” before a full house under lights at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival to score 79.475 per cent for the victory. That was close to the pair’s Pan American Games result in 2015 and three percentage points off their World Games fifth place finish.

Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet performing their first Grand Prix Freestyle in the debut season at Big Tour placed second on 75.750 per cent.

Juan Matute, Jr., the Spanish teenage phenom who competes at levels from Young Riders to Big Tour, rode Don Diego Ymas to third on 73.225 per cent. He was the youngest of the under-30 trio at the top of the competition.

More to come

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle

E: Foy – USA

H: Eisenhardt – GER

C: Matthiesen – DEN

M: Lopes – POR

B: Nivelle – GER

		RIDER	Nat.	HORSE				E	Rk.	H	Rk.	C	Rk.	M	Rk.	B	Rk.	T	Pl.
		Graves, Laura	USA	Verdades				79.375	1	76.625	1	81.125	1	82.125	1	78.125	1	79.475	1
		Kasey	USA	Goerklintgaards Dublet				74.750	2	73.625	2	78.000	2	77.750	2	74.625	2	75.750	2
		Matute Jr, Juan	ESP	Don Diego Ymas				72.875	4	71.750	3	74.750	3	73.250	3	73.500	3	73.225	3
		Francis, Shelly	USA	Danilo				73.125	3	71.250	4	72.875	4	71.500	4	73.000	4	72.350	4
		Fraser, Brittany	CAN	All In				72.625	5	70.125	5	71.875	5	70.625	5	71.875	6	71.425	5
		Pavicic, Karen	CAN	Don Daiquiri				71.750	6	70.125	6	71.875	5	69.250	6	72.500	5	71.100	6
		Wallenstein, Ricardo	POR	Bem Me Quer				67.250	8	69.000	7	67.125	8	66.875	7	67.625	8	67.575	7
		Strasser, Evi	CAN	Renaissance Tyme				67.500	7	68.375	8	67.625	7	65.875	8	67.750	7	67.425	8
		Tzinberg, Ellesse	PHI	Pavarotti				65.625	9	65.375	9	61.750	9	64.750	9	64.625	9	64.425	0