Saturday of the last CDI of the Wellington winter season gave team USA much to be excited about. In the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, sponsored by Beatrice Marienau Dressage, Olympic team silver medalist Adrienne Lyle (USA) opted to ride Lars Van De Hoenderheide—with whom she finished second in the qualifying grand prix, just behind her other horse Helix—and the decision proved fruitful.

Photo – Adrienne Lyle & Lars Van De Hoenderheide, winners of the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, sponsored by Beatrice Marienau Dressage. (Photo © SusanJStickle.com)

On the penultimate day of the 2024 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), she and Zen Elite Equestrian Center’s 13-year-old Negro gelding, who was previously campaigned at the level by Lottie Fry (GBR) until December 2023, scored 73.192% with a solid, mistake-free performance to win the class of 14 starters. AGDF 2024, which hosts seven weeks of CDI competition over three months, runs through March 31.

Winners of the qualifying grand prix, Endel Ots (USA) and Zen Elite’s Bohemian—another new high-profile acquisition for owner Heidi Humphries—slotted into second in the Special with 72.49%. Their test attracted many eights, but a hop into canter at the beginning of the trot half-pass right and a miscommunication at the start of the one-time changes on the centerline quashed the score. Despite the mistakes, the 14-year-old Bordeaux gelding presented a harmonious, relaxed picture with his new rider.

The top six riders were all from the home nation, with Kasey Perry-Glass going one better than in the grand prix and finishing on the podium, in third, with Heartbeat WP. She rode the 12-year-old Charmeur gelding to 71.383% in their second ever CDI.

Incredibly Happy

Lyle, who trains with Debbie McDonald, said, “I think it’s 10 weeks now that we’ve had Lars and this is the first full Special I’ve ridden through on him. I’m so incredibly happy at his energy and his honesty and his willingness. It seems like he’s starting to understand what I want and fight for me in there, which is really special in such a new relationship.

“I was really happy with his piaffe/passage tour. I got a bit braver to make the piaffe stay on the spot more and feel like I could trust that more. His canter tour is always super; he’s got super power and the changes are just a treat to ride,” she continued.

Lyle works all her horses a maximum of four days a week, and that is no different for the two new arrivals, despite the pressure of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France.

In the Nick of Time

“We’re not going to increase it just because we have a timeline,” she explained. “I was really adamant on that when they came here, so we’ve been sticking to that and the basics and getting to know each other. Thankfully it’s come together just in the nick of time for the last show here.”

Lyle, who has been a regular in the CDI grand prix arena over the past few years at AGDF, has been absent until week 12 while she builds a relationship with the two new horses.

“Having these two amazing horses of Heidi’s has been fun because I’ve just been working at home knowing that I’m going to be back in there,” she said. “It’s such an amazing vision that Heidi is building. Our goal with both Lars and Helix is to potentially make enough shows to make the shortlist to go to Europe.”

Week 12 of the 2024 AGDF wraps up on Sunday, March 31. The last day’s feature class is the final of the Buffalo Wild Wings Prix St. Georges Future Challenge for developing horses. There is also action in Juniors and Young Rider divisions, young horses and a CDI1* Intermediate I Freestyle. Competition continues at all levels in the national rings. For more information, results and to watch the live stream, visit the Global Dressage Festival website.

Click for full results from all classes in AGDF 12.