Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento (SusanJStickle.com)
The third week of the AGDF concludes tomorrow with the FEI Intermediaire Freestyle along with a full complement of national classes.
American riders finished second and third, with Adrienne Lyle and Wizard placing second with their score of 70.549% and Katherine Bateson Chandler earning the third place finish with Wellnetta. The pair's final score was 69.686%.
Vilhelmson-Silfven felt Divertimento was tenser in the ring than he had been earlier in the week in the FEI Grand Prix, but was still pleased that she could keep his focus and rideability.
"Thursday he was more relaxed, I had an easier ride. He got a bit tense [tonight but] I could still ride him and he still let me ride him and he trusted me and got relaxed during the test. Educationally, I'm very happy. I think he's getting better and better," Vilhelmson-Silfven commented.
Vilhelmson-Silfven is focused on maintaining the frame of mind Divertimento is currently in for future competitions.
"He's working very well, and he's technically much easier to ride this year than last year. I'll just keep training. He's in a good mood and in a good feeling right now, so I'm going to try to keep him soft and happy in that way," Vilhelmson-Silfven explained.
Lyle was also quire satisfied with Wizard's performance in the class, chalking up any lost points to pilot error. Despite not having as clean of a test as she did Thursday, Lyle was happy to see the gelding's piaffe-passage work improve.
"I haven't ridden the special in a really long time, so I have to say a couple of the errors I think were a little rider error. I was quite happy with parts of it. We had some errors, but the quality I thought of the rest of [the test] was going in the right direction," Lyle detailed.
Third place finisher and fellow American Bateson Chandler was full of praise for her mare Wellnetta, especially since the two have not been together for long.
"My horse is amazing! She has an incredible work ethic. She goes in the ring, she has her ears up on go," Bateson Chandler grinned.
Wellnetta's tireless attitude does occasionally result in having a bit too much 'go' during the test, but Bateson Chandler would much prefer that to a mount she would have to constantly push along.
"You're going to get tension when you have that much go in a horse. She is a workhorse. She doesn't quit the whole time. [She wants to do] more, more, more and you have to tell her 'less, less, less,'" Bateson Chandler explained.
Final Results: FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by the US P.R.E. Association
Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge H%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B%, Total%
1 Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, SWE, Divertimento: 73.431%, 73.529%, 74.804%, 77.059%, 75.588%, 74.882%
2 Adrienne Lyle, USA, Wizard: 72.059%, 70.294%, 72.059%, 69.020%, 69.314%, 70.549%
3 Kathrine Bateson Chandler, USA, Wellnetta: 68.235%, 70.000%, 71.569%, 67.451%, 71.176%, 69.686%
4 David Marcus, CAN, Chrevi's Capital: 68.235%, 65.294%, 71.176%, 70.098%, 69.216%, 68.804%
5 Belinda Trussell, CAN, Anton: 68.235%, 68.529%, 68.824%, 68.235%, 68.725%, 68.510%
6 Lisa Wilcox, USA, Denzello: 66.275%, 68.137%, 69.412%, 70.490%, 67.451%, 68.353%
7 Tom Dvorak, CAN, Viva's Seleiri W: 65.294%, 65.882%, 65.392%, 65.588%, 65.980%, 65.627%
8 Catherine Haddad-Staller, USA, Mane Stream Hotmail: 65.882%, 64.706%, 65.490%, 63.922%, 65.980%, 65.196%