Lexington, Ky. - The World Equestrian Festival held from May 29 – May 31, 2015 at the renowned Aachen, Germany equestrian venue was an exciting display of excellence in the disciplines of dressage, driving, and jumping. The United States held their own on the international stage with excellent placings by American participants in all three disciplines. 

Dressage
The U.S. was well represented in Grand Prix competition by Shelly Francis and Patricia Stempel’s Doktor and Steffen Peters and Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92. In Saturday’s Grand Prix, Peters and Legolas 92 placed third with a test highlighted by the pair’s signature piaffe to earn a score of 75.780%. Francis and Doktor placed eighth on a score of 70.600%. The class was won by Germany’s Isabel Werth and Don Johnson FRH on a score of 76.300%. Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle saw an impressive showing by Francis and Doktor who finished sixth on 75.350%, Peters was a close seventh scoring 75.000% with Legolas 92. Swedish rider Tinne Vilhemson Silfven and Don Auriello won the Freestyle on a score of 82.470%.

Driving
The ten best drivers in the world contested the STAWAG Prize for four-in-hand competition in the main stadium. The lone American entry, Chester Weber, finished in sixth place. The difficult course was mastered by Belgium’s Glenn Geerts and his team of chestnut KWPN horses. Dutch drivers Ijsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde took second and third places.

Jumping
Three U.S. combinations contested Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix. Kent Farrington and Amalaya Investments’ Voyeur were the top-ranked Americans in fifth place. Farrington was double clean in the first two rounds of competition, while incurring just four faults in the jump off with a great time of 48.65. Great Britain’s Scott Brash and his stellar Olympic gold medal mount Hello Sanctos won on the strength of three clear rounds and the fastest jump-off time of 48.04 seconds. A total of four riders accomplished a triple clear effort, with Daniel Deusser and Cornet D’amour breaking the jump-off timers fractions of a second behind the time of Brash and Hello Sanctos. Third prize went to France’s Simon Delestre and Ryan Des Hayettes who added more than one second to Brash’s time, and fourth place to Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum and Chiara 222. Beezie Madden and 2014 USEF Horse of the Year, Cortes ‘C’ owned by Abigail Wexner, incurred an unlucky four faults in the first round of competition to finish in ninth place overall. Lauren Hough and The Ohlala Group’s Ohlala placed 15th with four faults in round one and eight faults in round two.

CHIO Aachen Complete Results