Dressage, Para-Dressage and Driving Test Events Boast Positive Response on First Day of Competition

TRYON, NC, USA - April 20, 2018 - The FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) Test Events for Dressage, Driving, and Para-Dressage disciplines began today at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), and commenced with a victory for Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) aboard Diane Perry's 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x Ferro), Goerklintgaards Dublet, who bested the FEI CDI 3* competition presented by Adequan®. Perry-Glass and "Dublet" earned a score of 73.935% from the judging panel, as they head into Sunday's FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3* in top form. Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Elizabeth Juliano's 2003 Oldenburg mare Horizon (Hot Line x Don Schufro), captured second place with a score of 71.957%, while third place honors were awarded to Belinda Trussell (CAN) and her own 2003 Westfalen gelding, Tattoo 15 (Tuareg x Ramiro's Son), receiving a 70.043%.

Perry-Glass is a first-time competitor at the venue, which will host FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 competition from September 11-23, 2018, and said she was thrilled when she first drove on property. "It's amazing. I think this place is world-class and will be especially when it's all done for the FEI World Equestrian Games™. I love it here. They've done a great job with all the stabling, the arena, and the atmosphere, so I'm excited for them to have the WEG here."

Although the Tryon Stadium will host Para-Dressage CPEDI and the Dressage phase of the Eventing CCI come September and not Dressage competition, Perry-Glass complimented the overall venue atmosphere. "To ride in that arena [Tryon Stadium] is very inviting, and especially when it's going to be full. It's going to be really nice." Dressage will be hosted in the main stadium at the venue, which will seat 20,000 spectators and will be assembled this summer, positioned adjacently to the existing Tryon Stadium.

In their second outing after an eight-month break from competition, Perry-Glass was pleased with her 2016 Olympic Bronze Medal mount. She elaborated, "He already feels better than he has ever felt. It's just really fine-tuning the small things and getting his nerves out of the arena and focusing on me a little bit more, and the connection. Other than that he's just a spectacular horse, so I feel very lucky to be on him. We're hopefully shooting for a spot on the European selection squad, and then we'll go from there and see what shows we can do in Europe."

When reflecting on her test, Perry-Glass joked that "everything's positive because he's amazing," but that some elements of their ride in particular pleased her. She commented, "His pirouettes have gotten really solid. I love those and they're fun to ride. His changes are always really nice to ride. His piaffe passage is also great, and it's really correct and good."

"What I would like to nitpick on myself is just being able to ride each corner and focus on each corner. It's so meticulous, but it's so important, and that's where his points are going to start coming up because he can do every movement. He's trained and knows what he's doing. It's just preparing him for it and I think that's where I have to get on myself for that."

With experience representing the United States internationally, Perry-Glass emphasized the importance of hosting the FEI World Equestrian Games™ on home turf.

"It's always a benefit to be on your home turf. I did the FEI World Cup™ Final in Omaha, NE, and just having that support from your own country and the majority of the crowd being American is important, especially for our really amazing squad that we have coming up. I think it's going to be pretty spectacular." The FEI CDI 3* competition will continue tomorrow in the Tryon Stadium, with the FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Adequan®. To access all results from the WEG Dressage Test Event, click HERE.

Para-Dressage Athletes Dominate on Day One of FEI CPEDI 3* Competition at FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 Test Event

The Para-Dressage Test Event showcased athletes from Canada and the United States in the main Tryon Stadium for the first time this season to familiarize with the ring that many will be competing in this September at the WEG. Victory in the Grade I Individual Test went to Roxanne Trunnell (USA) and Kate Shoemaker's 2012 Hanoverian gelding Dolton (Danone I x Londonderry), receiving a score of 73.155%. The Grade II Individual Test was championed by Sharon Buffitt (CAN) aboard her own Elektra II, a 2005 Oldenburg mare (Radjah Z x Rastar), after riding to a score of 66.716%. Rebecca Hart (USA) rode Rowan O'Riley's 2010 Oldenburg gelding (Fidertanz 2 x Don Romantic), Fortune, to the blue in the Grade III Individual Test, receiving a 70.147%.

Grade IV saw Kate Shoemaker (USA) secure first place in the Individual Test on her own 2009 Hanoverian stallion Solitaer, riding to a score of 71.341%. "I really liked how consistent he was throughout the test," commented Shoemaker. "It was an error-free test - there was never a moment that I thought, 'Oh gosh, that wasn't okay,' so it's really good to have that kind of consistency throughout the test. He stayed with me the whole time and it produced a really good result in the end."

Katie Shoemaker and Solitaer

Shoemaker is looking to earn her spot on the U.S. Para-Dressage Team with the stallion (Sandro Hit x De Niro), and said, "I think everybody's goal right now is to try and make the team, so we're just going to keep pushing towards that and hope that we continue to have a good show this weekend and show the selectors that we've earned our spot to be there."

"Having the home field advantage is huge for us - the fact that we get to get our horses in the venue and they get to see this, I think is a significant advantage, so we're just really excited to be here," she concluded. Grade V competitor Katie Jackson (USA) has only been with current mount Diesel, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding (De Niro x Welt Hit II), for eight weeks, but has her eyes set on WEG as well. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind," she explained. "We've been together with the focus of coming here for the Test Event for only a month and I've been riding him for about eight weeks, but Diesel is just a really incredible horse. I think the perfect analogy is from my coach, who said, 'He fits you like a glove,' and he really does. From the first day I rode him I asked, 'Are you sure you're not hiding another amputee somewhere?' He understood my aids from the very beginning. He didn't get nervous, he just said, 'Okay, let's do this.' He's such a hard worker and what a good boy."

"Until now, the focus really was getting him here and getting to bring him to his first CPEDI, so a big accomplishment for him today - but from here we're going to go to Catherine Haddad Staller's barn in New Jersey to continue training and potentially go to the CPEDI in Ottawa. Of course the goals for all of us right now are WEG and getting back in this arena in September."

Jackson, who has competed at TIEC before, spoke highly of the facility, stating, "I love this venue. I think I said this last time when I was here, but it has that international feel. It is a really incredible atmosphere with excitement, but not distraction, and I really think that was it. He came in and schooled really well and was able to focus. It's a really horse-friendly, rider-friendly venue, from the stabling to the warm-up and the arena."

"There is a huge value to be here," she explained. "That was one of the reasons we wanted to be able to come this week because the more times down the centerline in an international environment the better, and to be here especially - it gives the horses just a little bit more confidence in what's going on when they come in September. It's neat to be able to do this."

Expressing an exorbitant amount of gratitude for her team and those who have helped make her journey possible, Jackson concluded, "I want to thank Diesel's previous owner, Rowan O'Riley, for this opportunity and what she's done for all of us as Para-Equestrians and for the sport as a supporter and for her generosity in making this ownership of Diesel possible. It's just incredible, and to Catherine Haddad-Staller, my new coach - just for embracing Para-Dressage, stepping in and taking the reins. It's been a blast. I'm grateful to both of them and to the team that's formed around me." FEI CPEDI 3* competition will continue tomorrow in Tryon Stadium with the Para Team Tests. To access results from the Para-Dressage Test Event, click HERE.

Wrigley-Miller considers herself a newcomer to the sport despite having competed at WEG in 2014, as she more recently added Driving to her lifelong experience in traditional saddle seat competition. She trains with Boyd Exell (AUS), the highest-ranked driver in the FEI World Cup™ Driving Standings, at his home base in Holland throughout the year and has gained valuable experience since 2014.

Coming to TIEC following a strong finish at the Live Oak International CAI 2*, she reflected on adjustments made to her team, composed of horses Bravour 54, Beau, Bolino D, and Calipso 85: "I've been playing with my leaders a little bit - I changed one of my leaders and that worked out really well for me. The horse that I drove in the lead at Live Oak wasn't a confirmed leader and it just showed. With his inexperience, he didn't really understand his job. I swapped him out with a horse that knew his job and he saved me a few times today," she explained.

For the first Driving competition ever held at the venue, Wrigley-Miller said she was very impressed with the facility and looks forward to testing the Marathon track tomorrow. "It's looking like it's going to be amazing. Number one, the barn facilities are the best I've ever seen at a show facility - the safety of the barns - it's all top, top class," she commented. "There's no question that the venue is just absolutely gorgeous. We were going along by the creek today and it's going to be very soothing tomorrow to hear the creek - it'll be like a zen fountain!"

Wrigley-Miller has a busy schedule ahead of her this summer, as she plans to balance both her passion for Driving, as well as her love for competing Saddlebreds. She explained, "I'm headed to Europe from here and the horses will travel over to our base in Holland with Boyd Exell in his yard, and we'll do Windsor to start. We're not sure what's after that because I'm the crazy woman that does two disciplines and my Saddlebred trainer has actually requested that I come back to the United States and do some Saddlebred shows. I'm just going to have to take a deep breath, but it might work out really well. I'll come back to the States for a couple of weeks and do some shows and then we'll ship everyone over here and wait for the decision of the selectors."

Wrigley-Miller credits the expert advice of her mentor, Exell, for her increasing confidence in her abilities as a driver. She explained, "He has made me such a better horse person, overall, because he is a brilliant horseman. There is a reason he gets the results he gets. It's because he studies horses. He knows horses. He's the most horse-friendly trainer I've ever seen in my life and you never say 'it was the horse's fault' - it's never the horse's fault. You gave the horse bad information. That's the kind of horseman he is. His technical knowledge is so amazing that it's no wonder he's developed a great system on carriages."

"He's an engineer by training, so he's just made such a difference. When I first started training with him I told him it was like learning how to drink water from the fire hose. Every day, even five minutes before I went in the arena today, he gave me another tool for my toolbox," she concluded.

Tomorrow's Marathon phase for the FEI CAI 2* will be held at the White Oak property at TIEC, beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST. Directional information about how to access the course can be foundHERE.

To access all results from both WEG Dressage and Para Dressage Test Events, click HERE.

To access all results from the WEG Driving Test Event, click HERE.