In the opening round of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, now in its 42nd year, each of the three selected horses performed a Prix St. Georges test, sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings, with their usual riders. Croatian rider Karen Pavicic topped the class on her own and her husband Thomas Baur’s 13-year-old Totem (by Totilas x Donnerhall) with 71.471%. Australia’s Jemma Heran claimed second, riding Carrie and Bernd Schopf’s 11-year-old Destano mare Despacita to 70.392%. Kelly Layne—who recently declared for the USA having previously ridden for her native Australia—filled third. She rode Eva Levy’s 16-year-old mare Drisdal’s Co-Co Chanel (by Tailormade Temptation) to 66.961%.

(Photo Information:  Karen Pavicic & Totem. Photo Credit: ©susanjstickle.com)

In the knock-out rounds on Friday night, in which top riders team up with unfamiliar horses and tackle a Prix St. Georges under test conditions, in the first semi-final Paula Matute Guimón (ESP) and Mathilde Blais Tétreault (CAN) will each ride a test on Despacita. In the other semi-final, both Endel Ots (USA) and Evelyn Eger will ride Drisdal’s Co-Co Chanel. The riders with the highest score from each semi-final will go head-to-head in the final, both riding a Prix St. Georges on Totem to determine the 2025 champion.

Dressage competition in AGDF8 resumes on Friday, 28 February, with nine classes, including the FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle and the final rounds of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby during “Friday Night Stars”, the evening session under lights. The gala evening is free for spectators to watch, both in person and on the live stream. Daytime action features the Intermediate II Lövsta Future Challenge for developing grand prix horses, starting at 3.35pm. Wellington International hosts seven weeks of CDI competition and weekly national shows at AGDF, running through March 30.

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.