Wellington Dressage, the first of the three major dressage shows at the Winter Equestrian Festival, drew to a close on February 6 with the musical freestyle competitions and a special awards ceremony hosted in the Internationale Arena.

Leading the musical freestyle winners, was show superstar, Ashley Holzer. Holzer won the $2,000 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle aboard her dynamic Dutch stallion, Imperioso, with a score of 71.583%. Holzer also won the $1,500 FEI Intermediaire-I Freestyle riding Pop Art for a score of 72.833%. This was the pair’s third big win of the show. Holzer and Pop Art also won the $1,000 FEI Intermediaire-I class on Friday with a score of 69.997% and the $1,000 FEI Prix St.Georges on Thursday with a score of 67.250%. Holzer competed two other FEI mounts to big wins earlier in the week. On Thursday, Holzer piloted Diane Fellow’s black stallion, Gambol, to first place in the $1,250 FEI Intermediaire-II with a score of 67.967% and returned Friday to ride Ellen Lazarus’ Dutch gelding, Maximillian, to the win in the $1,000 Prix St. Georges with a score of 67.250%. Holzer was pleased with the six FEI wins, but it was the owners of Gambol and Maximillian who couldn’t stop gushing.

“Ashley is simply the best,” said Gambol’s owner, Diane Fellows. “We are so happy to have her in the city (New York).” Maximillian’s owner, Ellen Lazarus, concurred, “Ashley is so talented and just plain nice to be around.”

Other big winners in the musical freestyles were George Morrison and Marnix, who proved that “the beat goes on” by winning the $2,000 USEF Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 72.583% and Nicole Levy on Korrado who won the USEF Intermediaire-I Freestyle with a score of 69.000%. Bent Jensen and Rockefeller rocked the judges for a score of 71.944% in the USDF Freestyle. The win was the culmination of a great show for Jensen and Rockefeller. They won the large Fourth Level Test Two class on Saturday morning with a score of 70.465%, and then Anne Kursinski rode Rockefeller in the dressage phase of the $25,000 Winsome Dressage/Jumper Spectacular. On Saturday evening the team of Jensen and Kursinski won the $25,000 event for an incredible seventh time!

Three horse and rider combinations racked up grand prix wins over the weekend, starting with Lars Petersen on Success winning the $1,500 FEI Grand Prix on Friday with a score of 69.236%. Pierre St. Jacques’ Lucky Tiger lived up to his name by winning Friday’s $1,500 USEF Grand Prix with a score of 66.667% and returned to the arena Saturday to win the $1,250 Grand Prix Special with a score of 67.267%. Also on Saturday, Canadian Shannon Dueck won the $1,250 Grand Prix Special on Korona with a score of 66.533%

Other top FEI wins went to Michelle Gibson on Lex Barker, who won the $1000 FEI Intermediaire-I with a score of 73.083%, Nancy Polozker on Day Dream SI, who won the $1000 USEF Prix St., Georges with a score of 69.667% and Michael Shondel on Wallaby, who won the $1,000 USEF Intermediaire-I with a score of 69.417%.

Shondel also won the Fourth Level High Score Championship on his new horse, Silver Label, with a score of 72.588%. “It was an exciting weekend.” said Shondel. “Both of my boys did really well.” Reserve Champion Fourth Level went to Jason Canton on Navignon with a 71.304%.

Other show high scores included third level champions, Betsy Steiner on Ghaston and Anna Ahlgren on Top Gun, who tied with scores of 74.444%. Second level champions were Laurie Jolliffe and Remora with a score of 69.737% and reserve champions were Charlotte Bayley and Soltaire with a score of 69.681%. The first level championship went to Jan Brons and Up To Date with a score of 77.778% and reserve champions were Sara Hellner and Depeche with a score of 72.222%.

The overall high score of the show was presented a special high score