Sweden's Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven continued her hot streak in Wellington on Thursday afternoon, winning the FEI Grand Prix with Divertimento during the third week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Vilhelmson-Silfven took home two first place prizes with Don Auriello during the first week of AGDF and started off week three with equal success.
Vilhelmson-Silfvenand Lövsta Stuteri's 12-year-old Westphalian gelding topped the class with a score of 75.000%. The top three was rounded about by Danish riders Lars Petersen, who rode Mariett to second place with a 73.320%, and Mikala Munter Gundersen and My Lady, who were third with a 71.640%. Megan Lane of Canada was fourth with a score of 71.020% on Caravella. The top placing American rider was Adrienne Lyle, who finished fifth with Wizard on a score of 70.100%
Divertimento had a break from the show ring while traveling with other grand prix mount Don Auriello, and Vilhelmson-Silfven was thrilled with the gelding's first outing in some time. Divertimento occasionally suffers from a bit of performance anxiety, so Vilhelmson-Silfven was happy to feel him relax during their test.
“The best feeling I had was in the canter. He relaxed a little bit more once I got going. It was a bit tense starting, but he felt better and better. I was very pleased with the canter work because that's not always the easiest on him. I was happy with the pirouettes and the zig-zags, but overall I was happy he was so good in his mind and so relaxed,” Vilhelmson-Silfven commented.
Vilhelmson-Silfven opted out of any freestyle competitions with Divertimento to concentrate on helping the horse mature, a decision that has clearly paid off.
Final Results: FEI Grand Prix presented by US P.R.E. Association
Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge H%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B%, Total%
1 Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, SWE, Divertimento: 76.400%, 73.700%, 77.300%, 75.600%, 72.000%, 75.000%
2 Lars Petersen, DEN, Mariett: 72.500%, 71.600%, 74.400%, 73.700%, 74.400%, 73.320%
3 Mikala Munter Gundersen, DEN, My Lady: 72.800%, 71.400%, 71.200%, 70.900%, 71.900%, 71.640%
4 Megan Lane, CAN, Caravella: 70.500%, 71.000%, 73.400%, 68.400%, 71.800%, 71.020%
5 Adrienne Lyle, USA, Wizard: 68.900%, 71.800%, 71.400%, 66.400%, 72.000%, 70.100%
6 David Marcus, CAN, Chrevi's Capital: 70.700%, 67.700%, 69.700%, 70.400%, 68.200%, 69.340%
7 Belinda Trussell, CAN, Anton: 67.700%, 69.400%, 70.500%, 66.300%, 68.100%, 68.400%
8 Katherine Bateson Chandler, USA, Wellnetta: 66.900%, 70.500%, 67.100%, 67.600%, 69.800%, 68.830%
Check the videoclip of Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento HERE