Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by adminahb
Week 10 provided the last qualifying opportunities in the two prestigious developing horse classes, the Lövsta Future Challenge Intermediate II Future Challenge and the Buffalo Wild Wings Prix St. Georges Future Challenge at the 2024 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.
The qualifiers — and the final — are designed to offer riders the opportunity to get their up-and-coming talented younger horses into a championship type environment. They compete in the main International Arena, gaining exposure to spectators, tents, flags, and a bustling VIP tent alongside, without the pressure of competing in a CDI and needing to stable at the venue for days.
The season’s final qualification round winner in the Future Challenge Prix St Georges was the USA’s Ashley Holzer. From the 18 horses entered, she rode her own eight-year-old Liberty L to 70.588% and the top spot. Her compatriot Jennifer Williams nabbed the second qualifying slot available, riding her own nine-year-old Bordeaux gelding Babylon Berlin to 69.314%. Lars Linus (GER) and Hof Kasselmann’s Visionär, an eight-year-old by Vilancio, finished in third with 68.873%.
Liberty L is such a solid citizen that he participated in the 2024 Robert Dover USEF Horsemastership Clinic Week in January with a 12-year-old, “whose foot could hardly get below the flap.”
“He went out there in that main ring and did a second level test,” said Holzer. “He is just a saint of an animal and a real pet. He’s such a fun, lovely horse and I don’t have a day when I don’t have a great ride on him. He’s a Glock’s Toto Jr x Charmer and some people say that bloodline can be a little temperamental, but he’s proving them wrong. He’s fabulous and his mind is always with me.”
For more information and results, visit https://gdf.coth.com.