Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet
Wellington, Fla. — March 4, 2017 — Olympic team bronze medalist Kasey Perry-Glass and her 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Goerklintgaards Dublet swept the Palm Beach Derby CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle sponsored by Everglades Dressage on Saturday night with an 80.805 percent. The winning score was the first above 80 percent this season for Perry-Glass.
“It feels great,” Perry-Glass said. “Debbie [McDonald] and I have been working really hard on his performances in the ring — it just seems to get better and better and we’re slowly getting there. We’re not trying to pressure him too hard, he’s still growing and growing in his training, but to win tonight felt so good.”
Perry-Glass noted that the music for her freestyle was from the film Lord of the Rings, and was expertly crafted to fit Goerklintgaards Dublet’s personality.
“My freestyle choreography was created by Adrienne Lyle,” she explained. “I’m so blessed to have her as a friend. Tom Hunt did my music and he’s also the creator of Charlotte Dujardin’s music. I’ve been working with him for at least four years now, and he just wanted something really special for Dublet and I think that he really nailed it. He did really great with the music.”
Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet
During the press conference, Thomas Baur, Adequan Global Dressage Festival’s Director of Sport, announced to Perry-Glass that she will have a spot secured to compete in the FEI World Cup in Omaha, Nebraska, at the end of March.
“I am so excited,” she explained. “Hopefully I will get to go with two of my teammates. This will be my first World Cup, and I am over the moon about it. It would not be possible without Debbie McDonald or Bob, or my husband or dad. I am very lucky. I have a really good horse and they make it a very positive experience for me.”
Following this Grand Prix Freestyle and leading up to the World Cup, Perry-Glass will give Dublet a couple days off to rest and come back to the ring refreshed.
Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet
“This is his second show in a row, he deserves to be quiet for a little bit. Then we will work on connection work with him to improve the Grand Prix. He loves the Freestyle, and he’s proved it. I really want to focus on the Grand Prix and make the small corrections I need to make.”
Chase Hickok and 18-year-old KWPN gelding Sagacious HF danced their way into second place as final performers of the night with a score of 75.620 percent. Hickok was thrilled with their results as it was their first Grand Prix Freestyle in the open division.
“We just really wanted to have a super positive experience tonight,” Hickok said. “We really came into tonight with no expectation. We just wanted to have a good, clean test, and I think we achieved that. So to have placed and to be sitting next to these two I look up to so much, is just gravy, we’re just so excited.”
Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF
Hickok explained that her freestyle music came along with Sagacious HF, and was put together by Marlene Whitaker.
“I really think it suits him,” she said. “It varies from being more upbeat to more slow and melodic for the canter work, and I think it really just highlights his strengths. I really enjoy riding to it.”
“Couldn’t have gotten a better outcome,” she continued. “So the bar is set high for freestyle nights for us now. Hopefully we’ll get better from here and I look forward to doing it again soon.”
Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF
Rounding out the top three was Shelly Francis and Doktor, a 14-year-old Oldenberg gelding owned by Patricia Stempel. Despite a few bobbles, the pair earned a 75.565 percent in their freestyle set to the soundtrack of the film Big.
“It was a little interesting because he was really edgy tonight for some reason — a little more than normal. We had some interesting parts, like our right pirouette on the left lead I think I should’ve gotten extra points for that for degree of difficulty,” Francis laughed.
Shelly Francis and Doktor
“He was just a little bit tight here and there, but he was a good boy,” Francis continued. “It wasn’t quite as smooth as I wanted but it was okay. He’s usually really fun to ride.”
CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle Results
Rider/Country/Horse/Total Score
1.Kasey-Perry-Glass/USA/Goerklintgaards Dublet/80.805
2. Chase Hickok/USA/Sagacious HF/75.620
3. Shelly Francis/USA/Doktor/75.565
4. Kelly Layne/AUS/Udon P/72.935
5. Jill Irving/CAN/Degas 12/72.015
6. Jan Ebeling/USA/FRH Rassolini/71.275
7. Susanne Hamilton/USA/Lord Locksley/64.100
8.Ellesse Tzinberg/PHI/Triviant 2/61.360
9. Jacqueline MacDonald/GBR/Malcarat/60.925
Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet
Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet
Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF
Shelly Francis and Doktor