Bianca Tota on her own Cadento V and Susie Dutta with her Don Design DC shone the brightest as the winners of the Grand Prix CDI3* classes in the large tour at the Global Dressage Fall Festival I, held Nov. 12-15, in Wellington, Florida.

Tota and Cadento V (Charmonix V— Lobster) earned back-to-back victories in the Grand Prix (68.76%) and Grand Prix freestyle (73.19%). Sunday was Dutta’s and Don Design DC’s (Der Designer—Sir Donnerhall) day as they rose to the top of the scorecard in the Grand Prix Special.

Bianca Tota and Cadento V. SusanJStickle.com Photos

“He is absolutely special, one of the most special horses I have ever sat on,” said Tota the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. “I remember when I went to try him in Denmark, and he wasn’t fit and was doing second level, but I sat on him and thought, ‘Oh my God, I have to have this horse!’ So here he is now!”

Watch Bianca Tota’s winning Grand Prix via Richard’s Equine Video.

The combination paired up in 2014. “I’ve had him since he was 8,” said Tota. “It’s been a really fun journey to get here. It’s been a lot of hard work, which was always fun, but it’s so nice to see it pay off. He is an amazing horse, and I’m really lucky to have him. We will see how far we can get! We will keep on keeping on.”

Dutta and the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding that she co-owns with her husband Tim Dutta rode to a score of 67.87% in the Special to capture the win.

Watch Susie Dutta’s winning test via Richard’s Equine Video.

“I’m on a really high-quality horse,” said Susie. “He is still young, and I think there is a lot more in there. We had a really steady test with just one small bobble. I hope that he is a team horse someday. That is my big long-term goal, but right now I am just trying to get him some experience and mileage. This is the first horse show this season, and we were a bit rusty. He is still a bit green, but it was a super start.”

Susie has trained Don Design DC with the help of Adrienne Lyle since he was a 5-year-old. Like many competitors, Dutta returned to the show ring at the Global Fall Festival I for the first time since the early conclusion of AGDF in March.

Susie Dutta and Don Design DC.

“It feels amazing to be here. I feel very lucky that we are able to do this,” said Susie. “Even though we are taking all these COVID precautions, I feel super blessed that we are able to do our sport and keep going. Wearing a mask is something we should do anyway, so I think it’s fine. I want to keep the horse shows going. All of us are training really hard, and we have a lot of sponsors behind us. For me, I have The Dutta Corp., and they want to see this horse go. We don’t want to sit, so we will do whatever we have to do.”

Representing Germany, Kevin Kohmann and Equitas LLC’s Five Star (Amazing Star—Jazz) also had a standout weekend in the small tour, earning multiple blue ribbons. In the Prix St. Georges CDI3* class on Friday, the duo tested to a score of 72.44%. Saturday brought more success for Kohmann and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion thanks to a score of 73.20% to win the Intermediate I CDI3*, and they added a third victory with a score of 72.76% in the Intermediate I Freestyle CDI3* on Sunday.

Kevin Kohmann and Five Star.

For full results, click here.