Wellington, Fla. – March 30, 2018 – Coming off of two first-place finishes earlier in the week, Pablo Gomez Molina aboard Furst Fiorano Ymas claimed his third gold medal of the week during the Intermediate I freestyle in the small tour competition in the Nations Cup.
Spain’s Gomez Molina and the 11-year-old Westphalian gelding (Furst Piccolo Donna Lorenza, Donnerbube I) owned by Yeguada de Ymas, earned a score of 69.912 percent in the CDIO3* Prix St. Georges and a score of 69.608 percent in the Intermediate I. Although Team Spain didn’t earn a team medal, Gomez Molina earned first place in both classes. To end the week on a high note, Gomez Molina and the gelding clinched the individual gold medal with a score of 72.325 percent in the Intermediate I Freestyle.
Claiming the silver medal on the individual podium was Australia’s Kelly Layne aboard her gelding Furst Amante (Furst Piccolo – High Society, Hitchock) with a score of 70.275 percent in the Intermediate I Freestyle. Layne and the 12-year-old gelding placed second all week during the competition, earning a score of 69.353 percent in the Prix St. Georges and a score of 67.598 percent in the Intermediate I. Layne’s scores helped clinch Team Australia the bronze medal in the team competition.
Rounding out the podium was fellow Aussie Nicholas Fyffe, earning a score of 68.425 percent to claim the bronze medal. Fyffe and Louise Cote’s Hitchcock, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (His Highness – Diana, Don Primero) also helped Team Australia earn their bronze medal earlier in the week by earning a score of 66.353 percent in the Prix St. Georges and a score of 66.373 percent in the Intermediate I.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Pablo Gomez Molina – Gold Medal, Small Tour
On Furst Fiorano Ymas:
“We’ve had this horse for one year, and our first CDI was the Nations Cup here last year. I think we’ve improved a lot since then. We went to Europe and did some small tour shows there and now we’re schooling the U25 movements at home. He’s been working really nice for us the past three months – we keep improving each show, and I think we know each other pretty well now.”
On His Freestyle:
“He’s really flashy, so the extended trot is really fun and so are the pirouettes. The tempis are usually really nice, but I had a little mistake today – but it’s still fun.”
On Winning the Gold Medal:
“My whole team – I work for Yeguada de Ymas and train with Juan Matute – we’ve been working hard for this. I’ve been here competing in the Festival [AGDF] for four years and it’s something really wonderful.”
On His Future Plans:
“This is our last CDI of the season, so we’re thinking about Europe now – we’ll go there in April. I have another young horse, so with both horses, I’d like to compete in the U25. That’s a big step, so with both horses, we want to make sure that we are ready to make it. If we feel we are ready, we’ll compete in the U25 but if we have a chance to show in the small tour, we will.”
Kelly Layne – Silver Medal, Small Tour
On Furst Amante:
“We call him the bouncing ball because he’s got springs in his feet – which is an incredible feeling. He’s got an amazing suspension and cadence, which is really fun and it’s fun to put into the freestyle movements – it can make your half passes look a little more special. He was really with me today, which was nice. I’ve been riding him for two years and he hasn’t always been super easy.”
On Her Freestyle:
“This was his first show competing in this stadium and he hasn’t shown a lot, so I was happy he was with me and we didn’t have too many mistakes. I had two ‘blonde moments’ and lost my music, but he felt really nice through the whole test – I think he quite enjoyed it!”
Nicholas Fyffe – Bronze Medal, Small Tour
On Winning the Bronze Medal:
“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t realize I was in a medal position today – I did not realize the small tour riders were competing against just the small tour riders. So I’m very thrilled to come out with a second medal.
On Hitchcock:
“It’s really exciting for me to do this on Hitchcock, because while he’s not a young horse, but he really is quite inexperienced – it’s only his second international show. And he used to feel a little bit like the lion from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ he didn’t have much courage – and he’s really developing it, he’s feeling really brave in the ring. I get a lot of satisfaction of seeing him step up and being awarded some really great scores. I’m very grateful to his owner, Louise Cote, for letting me have the ride on him – it’s been a great collaboration with her. He’s really her horse, and I’m taking him in the ring to give him a great experience and set him up for her in the future – to get a medal in the process is really icing on the cake and I’m very proud of him.”
Final Results CDIO3*
CDIO3* Intermediate I Freestyle
Place / Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
- Pablo Gomez Molina / ESP / Furst Fiorano Ymas / 72.325
- Kelly Layne / AUS / Furst Amante / 70.275
- NIcholas Fyffe / AUS / Hitchcock / 68.425
- Marta Renilla / ESP / Rhustler / 66.875
- Raul Corchelo / COL / Senorita 41 / 64.350