Lexington, Ky. – The Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team kicked off the 2020 competition season with a win at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 1 CPEDI3*. Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline led the team of David Botana, Rebecca Hart, Kate Shoemaker, and Roxanne Trunnell to top honors in the team competition in Wellington, Fla. The respective FEI Team Tests and FEI Individual Tests on Thursday and Friday, counted for the team competition, while Saturday’s FEI Freestyle Tests were an individual competition for the top one-third of the combinations per grade.

“All the riders did really well, which is great,” Assouline said. “I’m pleased with the group of riders; they did better tests and were better prepared for the competition. The team had our best average ever on the world stage with a score 75.55%.”

Trunnell (Wellington, Fla.) had a phenomenal week of competition with Dolton, earning personal best scores, breaking into the 80% threshold, and sweeping the Grade I CPEDI3* classes. She and the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Flintwoode Farms LLC and Karin Flint impressed the judges to earn a score of 81.131% in the FEI Grade I Team Test. They then earned 81.964% in the FEI Grade I Individual Test. Trunnell and Dolton continued to show their skill by earning 83.167% in the FEI Grade I Freestyle.

“Roxanne Trunnell bumped up into the limelight this week,” Assouline said. “When I saw [Dolton] as a young horse, I knew he had the makings of a world-class para dressage horse. … He and Roxanne have developed a wonderful partnership. I knew the scores would come, but it was only a matter of how long.”

Botana (Portland, Maine) gave strong performances with Lord Locksley for the U.S. team, starting off with a score of 72.381% to place fourth in the FEI Grade I Team Test. He and the 19-year-old Trakehner stallion owned by Margaret Stevens and Susanne Hamilton tallied a score of 71.548% in the FEI Grade I Individual Test to place second. They closed out the competition with a fourth-place finish in the FEI Grade I Freestyle on a score of 73.000%.

Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) won two Grade IV classes with Solitaer 40, beginning with the FEI Grade IV Team Test claiming the win with a score of 71.667%. She and the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Kate Shoemaker, Craig Shoemaker, and Deena Shoemaker went on to earn a score of 74.634% in the FEI Grade IV Individual Test.

Hart (Loxahatchee, Fla.) had respectable tests with her team mount El Corona Texel. She and Rowan O’Riley’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding placed fourth in the FEI Grade III Team Test with a score of 64.314%. The pair improved their score in the FEI Grade III Individual Test to place second with a score of 66.863% to close out their week.

Find more information about the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 1 CPEDI3* and view results.

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