Wellington, Fla. – The U.S. Para Dressage Team capped off a successful first team outing of the year, earning a team victory in the AGDF 3 CPEDI3* hosted at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Fla. The team finished on a team total of 423.354, with strong performances from Paralympian Kate Shoemaker and Vianne, who earned several personal bests across the weekend.
The team saw two veteran team athletes in Cynthia Screnci (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) anchor the team with two newer combinations testing their skills with the U.S. Para Dressage Team. In the FEI Team Test, Shoemaker and Vianne led the team scores with a personal best score of 76.759% in the FEI Grade IV Team Test. Screnci and For Memory 4 placed produced a solid result in the FEI Grade V Team Test, earning a 68.504% from the judging panel. In her team debut, Hannah Kingsley (Ft. White, Fla.) piloted Eragon VF to a 60.222%, getting beneficial experience in the ring for their first major team competition together. Due to unsafe conditions at the time of their test, Eleanor Brimmer (Wellington, Fla.) and My Moment were allowed a re-ride of their test in the FEI Grade II Team Test, earning a 65.575%.
On the second day of competition, Shoemaker led the way again with her own Vianne, an American Hanoverian mare (Vitalis x Ramiro’s Bube), cared for by Rui Raposo, earning a 76.937% in the FEI Grade IV Grand Prix Test B, another personal best score to start off their season and adding another team-high score. Screnci and For Memory 4, a 2017 Hanoverian gelding (For Dance x Destano), cared for by Margaret Driscoll, improved on their score in the FEI Grade V Grand Prix Test B, earning a 69.912%. Eleanore Brimmer guided My Moment, a 2010 Hanoverian mare (Fuerst Romancier x Blue Hors Hotline), cared for by Angela Howell, to a 65.667% in the FEI Grade II Grand Prix Test B, conquering the test after their retirement on the first day of competition. Hannah Kingsley and Eragon VF, a 2009 KWPN gelding (Don Romantic x Fidermark) owned by Cynthia Screnci and Volado Farms, cared for by Kathy Seino, also improved on their scores from the first day of competition, marking a 63.555% in the FEI Grade III Grand Prix Test B.
The final day of competition saw two personal best achievements for members of the team in their respective FEI Grand Prix Freestyles. Starting of the day with an impressive test was Brimmer and My Moment in Grade II, who received a 69.178% from the judging panel to mark the first personal best test of the weekend, improving a full percentage point from their previous freestyle. Shoemaker and Vianne, who dominated with top performances throughout the week, finished with a personal best in their FEI Grade IV Grand Prix Freestyle, earning top marks and finishing with an 80.242%. Screnci and For Memory 4 rode to a 72.733% in their FEI Grade V Grand Prix Freestyle, marking a solid week for the emerging combination.
The U.S. Para Dressage Team will next compete at the AGDF 9 CPEDI3* in Wellington, Fla., from March 6-8, 2025.
Results
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