Ocala, Fla. – The Perrigo U.S. Para Dressage Team tallied their third win of 2024 at the World Equestrian Center - Ocala CPEDI3* in Ocala, Fla. Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline led Beatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense, Rebecca Hart and Floratina, Kate Shoemaker and Colijn, and Roxanne Trunnell and Fan Tastico H to top honors in the team competition. Both seasoned and newer horses delivered strong efforts for the U.S. athletes in the CPEDI3* debut at the WEC – Ocala facility.
(Andrew Ryback Photography)
“As a whole, the team riders all did well,” said Assouline. “Roxanne Trunnell did well again with her new horse Fan Tastico H. It is only their second international show together, and they got more or less the same scores as three weeks ago, which is very encouraging. Kate Schumacher with Colijn was above 70%. Rebecca Hart did well and extremely well in the freestyle. Beatrice did well with a score above 70% as well.”
Trunnell (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Fan Tastico H led the charge for the U.S. combinations with scores in the 70s. The pair began the competition by winning Friday’s Grade I FEI Para Grand Prix A with a score of 74.097%. Trunnell and the 2017 Oldenburg gelding (Furstanball x Wehmut), owned by Karin Flint and groomed by Monique Bergouwen, continued with their top performances by finishing second in Saturday’s Grade I FEI Para Grand Prix B with a score of 74.236%. They closed out the weekend with another win in Sunday’s Grade I FEI Para Grand Freestyle with a score of 77.422%.
Hart (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Floratina started the week off by winning the Grade III FEI Para Grand Prix A with a score of 71.333%. They tallied their next win in the Grade III FEI Para Grand Prix B with a score of 72.833%. Hart and the 2008 Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz x Rubina), owned by Rowan O’Riley and groomed by Mackenzie Cruz, earned their third win to sweep the Grade II classes with a score of 79.744% in the Grade III FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle.
De Lavalette (Lake Fort Worth, Fla.) and Sixth Sense had a solid start to the competition with a third-place finish in the Grade II FEI Para Grand Prix A with a score of 68.333%. They earned a second-place finish in the Grade II FEI Para Grand Prix B with a score of 68.167%. De Lavalette and the 2010 Oldenburg gelding (Sir Donnerhall I x Edosta), owned by Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette and groomed by Joseph Ward, were second again in the Grade II FEI Para Grand Freestyle with a score of 74.444%.
Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) and Colijn kicked off their week with a win in the Grade IV FEI Para Grand Prix A after scoring 70.139%. Shoemaker and the 2007 KWPN gelding (Son de Niro x Dolly), owned by Fiona Howard and groomed by Katie Barrett. The pair elected not to compete in the freestyle after strong performances throughout the week.
U.S. para dressage athletes eyeing the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have two more observation events to compete for a spot on the U.S. team.
“The Hagen CPEDI the first week of June is a final observation event for the selectors. The second week of June is Tryon,” said Assouline. “These events will have the same judges so that it will be fair for selection.”
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