Olivia LaGoy-Weltz Closes Out AGDF 8 With Ticket to the FEI World Cup™ Final

Securing FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final Ticket

Week eight of the 2021 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) concluded on Sunday, March 7, with another win for USA’s Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services.

Photo - Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir (©SusanStickle)

LaGoy-Weltz had her sights set on the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the ride today secured her ticket for the North American League after earning another personal best, 83.570%.

“I think there was relief when we came down that final centerline,” admitted LaGoy-Weltz. “There was a small fear that since this was the last World Cup qualifier, something would go wrong, and you really just hope you make it to the end of the test.”

Though the pair was just on the cusp of 90% for their artistic marks, LaGoy-Weltz noted that she wasn’t sure how it went until the pair left the arena and she got feedback from her team.

“I don’t always know how it went,” she said. “I’ll come out like, ‘Was it good?’ and everyone’s like, ‘It was amazing!’ I think we are all such perfectionists, and we are always finding things here and there that could be better. He’s quite extravagant so I don’t always know what his legs are doing under me. When you come out and everyone is excited, there is relief. He’s such a special horse, and though he is getting older, it just seems like we are just getting better, and I feel very lucky that it’s going that way.”

LaGoy-Weltz didn’t alter her freestyle since the last time she rode it in the International Stadium, and explained her reasoning on keeping it the same, though she and the 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by de Noir owned Mary Anne McPhail and LaGoy-Weltz do have other variations of it.

“It’s still the same pattern and the same music,” she commented. “Marlene Whitaker made it for us and it’s really still the first draft, but I feel like she got it quite good, and I like familiarity. We have versions with small tweaks, but I feel like I know this one well, and it works, so why change it? It’s quite a challenging pattern. There’s a lot in it, and it takes a lot of focus to ride, on his part and mine, but I like it a lot and I think Marlene did a fantastic job with all of it.”

She continued, “I don’t think I will change it at all for World Cup Finals. I’ll probably keep it the same. It is the maximum degree of difficulty, so if I do anything more difficult. I don’t get rewarded. I think this seems to be working. That would be more risk without reward. It’s just about getting it a little more polished and better. He’s quite capable of doing the pattern, so it’s just about honing it in a little more.”

Judge's Applause

Judge Jane Weatherwax also applauded LaGoy-Weltz’s freestyle, stating, “The thing that I really appreciate about Olivia and her horse is the harmony that we get from them and the nice self-carriage. The risks that were taken, and there was a great deal of difficulty in that freestyle, it all paid off. They were very calculated. I never worried about her getting it done, and the music was fantastic. Today they were right on it together. When something goes so well, and as a judge you aren’t worried about anything, it makes it very enjoyable to watch.”

José Gomez of CDI-W sponsor Wellington Agricultural Services concluded by saying, “It’s a pleasure to sponsor, and we are looking forward to being a permanent fixture here for a long time. We are a local service company that caters to the equestrian community, and our goal is to keep Wellington the number one-horse capital of the world.”

Second place in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services went to Canada’s Jill Irving on Arthur, Windhaven Farm’s 2005 KWPN gelding by Jazz, with 76.095%. Dongseon Kim (KOR) earned third place with DSK Belstaff, his own 2007 Hanoverian stallion by Brentano II, with 73.650%.

Competition at AGDF will resume with AGDF 9 on March 12-14, which will host a CPEDI3* presented by Nutrena and Adequan®, along with national competition. AGDF 10 will follow on March 16-21 for the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*, FEI Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center, FEI Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Iron Spring Farm, Small Tour CDI3*, presented by Horseware Ireland, and the CDIO U25, presented by Diamante Farms, as well as national competition. For more information and to see a full list of results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Wellington Agricultural Services:

Place, rider, nationality, horse, horse information: judge E%, judge H%, judge C%, judge M%, judge B%; final score

E, Katrina Wüst (GER); H, Peter Storr; C, Jane Weatherwax (USA); M, Elisabeth Max-Theurer (AUT); B, Irina Maknami (RUS)

1. Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA) on Rassing’s Lonoir, Mary Anne McPhail and Olivia LaGoy-Weltz’s 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by de Noir: 82.075, 85.600, 81.350, 84.600, 84.225; 83.570%

2. Jill Irving (CAN) on Aurthur, Windhaven Farm’s 2005 KWPN gelding by Jazz: 77.775, 76.325, 76.025, 76.025, 76.250, 74.100; 76.095%

3. Mette Rosencrantz (USA) on Dzeko, Cory Walkey, Mette Rosencrantz, and Robin Cathey’s 2006 Oldenburg Stallion by Dimaggio: 72.125, 72.975, 73.550, 70.975, 70.925; 72.110%

4. Evi Strasser (CAN) on Déjà vu Tyme, Erika Murphy and Evi Strasser’s 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Dauphin: 71.575, 71.375, 70.525, 70.175, 69.100; 70.550%

5. Jan Ebeling (USA) on Status Royal OLD, Ann Romney’s 2010 Oldenburg gelding by Statesman: 67.700, 68.725, 70.175, 67.300, 71.525; 69.085%

6. Missy Gilliland (USA) on Toledano XXXI, her own 2007 PRE gelding by Ambicioso XV: 64.525, 63.975, 67.725, 63.675, 67.675; 65.515%