Thermal, Calif. – Nov. 22, 2020 – The Adequan® Desert Dressage II CDIW and CDI3* took place Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 22 with Week 1 winners returning for a consecutive week of blue ribbons. With a score of 72.261%, Charlotte Jorst (USA) and Kastel’s Nintendo, owned by Kastel Denmark, won the CDI-W Grand Prix.
Second place was awarded to Carly Taylor-Smith (USA) and her mount Rosalut NHF (Rosenthal x Salut), a 10-year-old Oldenberg gelding owned by Nikki Taylor-Smith with a score of 66.674%. Rounding out the top three was Dawn White-O’Connor (USA) and Four Wind Farm’s Bailarino (Breitling W x De Niro 6) a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding, with a score of 66.391%.
After last week’s results and debuting their new music and choreography, Jorst is thrilled to be back again this week to improve even more.
“I put all this pressure on myself yesterday… I just went out today to have fun and have a good ride and that is what I did,” explained Jorst. “I am so excited for Saturday and I feel like I know [the Freestyle] better too. We are back in the groove again. I couldn’t be more excited and happy.”
In the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle, the podium remained the same with Jorst and Kastel’s Nintendo, the 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, securing the top spot with a personal best score of 76.530%. Taylor-Smith and Rosalut NHF were presented the second place ribbon for their efforts after earning a 75.360% and White-O’Connor scored 68.500% with Bailarino.
“It has felt so great competing these two weeks,” explained Jorst. “I have loved everything about it. The venue, the people, the co-competitors, even the food was terrific. I look forward to going home and getting even better and then off to Florida where I hope to continue to improve on those scores.”
Friday finished on a high note with Steffen Peters (USA) and Suppenkasper (Spielberg x Ips Krack C), owned by Four Wind Farms, winning the FEI Grand Prix CDI3* with an impressive score of 77.348%. Second place was presented to Sabine Schut-Kery (USA) aboard Sanceo (San Remo x Ramiors Son II), owned by Alice Womble, with a personal best score of 74.804%. Rounding out the podium was Catherine Haddad Staller and her own mount Frankie (Florencio x A Jungle Prince) with a score of 69.565%.
“I felt like I could push him a tiny bit more. This week, I worked with our coach Debbie McDonald. That always helps; she kicks my butt a little bit and says if that is good or not good enough,” mentioned Peters. “There were a few places where I totally had her in my ear in the test. It clearly helped. It was a clean test. What an incredibly honest horse that he does it every time. It felt great and I am super proud of him.”
In the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*, Peters racked up his fourth CDI win in the two weeks of competition with a new personal best score of 77.340%.The second place ribbon was presented to Schut-Kery and Sanceo with a score of 74.404%, and finishing third was Haddad Staller and Frankie with 68.958%.
“I get so emotional about this horse. I have never ridden a horse that wants to do so much. He always goes, I don’t have to push this horse,” explained Peters. “He is a puppy dog; the second you get off him, he follows you everywhere. When I get off at home, I take the bridle off and he walks behind me. We have a grass paddock and he stays there for a moment, doesn’t think about running away and when I call him, he comes to me. At 9 o’clock at night, he gets his cookies and calls me from a hundred feet away. He is one of those dream horses.”
After a week of vacation for Suppenkasper, the pair will head to Florida for the winter season to compete in a few classes before hopefully heading to Tokyo to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.