Two top-level classes highlighted the ‘Friday Night Stars’ gala evening during Week 8 at the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (SWE) led the Donato Farms CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle, while Jennifer Williams came out on top of an all-female Donato Farms CDI4* Grand Prix Special riding Joppe K.

Photo – Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén & Hyatt. (Centre Line Media)

As Vilhelmson Silfvén passaged one-handed down the final centerline of her charming freestyle test on Lövsta Stuteri’s 14-year-old Hyatt, whoops and cheers rang out. Their final score of 78% was their second highest to date. Germany’s Michael Klimke rode the youngest horse in the class, 12-year-old Harmony’s Fado (Fairytale x Sir Donnerhall), into second place in the horse’s second-ever CDI freestyle, with a new personal best of 74.77%. U.S. athlete Susan Dutta rounded out the podium representing a third nation with her 72.895% ride on Flying D Equine Company’s 16-year-old Don Design DC (Der Designer x Sir Donnerhall).

Vilhelmson Silfvén has been riding Hyatt (Apache x Sandreo) since March 2023 and has always maintained her belief in the compact, willing mare’s talent for the higher scores. Her prediction is proving well-founded.

Don’t Dare

“Last year, I didn’t dare to compete Hyatt in the Friday night class because she is really motivated and very awake,” said the seven-time Olympian who earned week eight’s Leading Lady Freestyle Rider Award, sponsored by Frank & Eileen. “Over the past year, I started to think it could work. I took her in the five-star and she got really excited, but today she was super.

Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, mounted on Hyatt, is presented with the Frank & Eileen Leading Lady Award by Thomas Baur. Photo ©Centre Line Media

“I’m always searching for the balance between power and relaxation, and I don’t always succeed,” she continued. “What horses need is to have trust in you and to like their work. You need a smart setup for every horse, which is different for every animal, so you figure out what’s good for them. For sure, the chance to ride here in the winter, at this show with perfect atmosphere, is a super opportunity to teach the horses how to go.”

Poignant

Vilhelmson Silfvén rode to a Beach Boys medley put together for her London and Rio Olympics mount Don Auriello 12 years ago by Cees Slings, who died in October 2025, making this performance especially poignant.

“I’ve been resting this freestyle and it’s dear to me,” said Vilhelmson Silfvén, whose groom Anna Forsman was presented with the groom’s award and a check for $500, sponsored by The Horse of Course. “I realized that some of the judges haven’t heard it either. My goal tonight was that Hyatt would trust me and go. She was ‘on it’ and yet could still walk out on a long rein and be a happy horse, and I’m very pleased about that.”

Hyatt’s schedule includes one more CDI show at AGDF before returning to Europe and embarking on the selection process for the Swedish team for the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, in August.

The freestyle class doubled as a qualifier for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage series, now in its second season. This year it features 24 qualifiers—seven of which are at AGDF—before the final in California in November. Click here for the live standings.

Click here for full results from AGDF 8.

Dressage competition during AGDF 8 continues Saturday, February 28, with the day’s marquee class, the Mission Control CDI3* Grand Prix Special, starting at 11.20am ET. AGDF, which hosts seven weeks of CDI competition over three months, runs through March 29. For more information, results, and to watch all the classes in the International Arena live or on catch-up, visit www.wellingtoninternational.com.