Frederic Wandres could be forgiven if he’s started expecting to win big classes at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (Florida), especially aboard Bluetooth OLD.
In the past two years, the pair have entered eight Grand Prix CDI classes in Wellington and have won all but one. But during Friday Night Lights on Jan. 27, Bluetooth delivered something even Wandres might not have expected: a career-best Grand Prix score of 81.80% in the CDI4* freestyle.
The win was the second in a row for the pair, who the previous day won the Grand Prix in decisive style, with a score of 74.32% that was nearly 3 points better than their closest competition.
“I am very happy today,” Wandres said after Friday’s freestyle. “This is the first time for me this season under the lights, and I am always looking forward to coming back. I was a little nervous about how it would go because with this special atmosphere you never know how the horses will handle it, but Bluetooth took it in a positive way. I had a much better feeling than in the Grand Prix; he was way fresher and forward, and it felt like one of the best tests that he has offered me.”
Their 81.80% led the podium in front of second-place Morgan Barbançon of France aboard Bolero (77.89%) and third-place Caroline Darcourt of Sweden with Lord Django (77.83%).
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Bluetooth, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Bordeaux 28—Lorena, Riccione) owned by Hof Kasselmann, is one of several top horses Wandres brought to Wellington for AGDF. On Friday, the gelding performed a freestyle designed for Wandres’ 2022 FEI World Championships partner Duke Of Britain FRH.
“I have another freestyle in the making for Bluetooth, which maybe we can show later in the season,” he said. “I am lucky that I have three Grand Prix horses with me here, so I’ll try to rotate them. But for sure Bluetooth is the one that we are looking at for the [March 15-19] CDI5* — and we have the two World Cup shows in mind, too.”
Click on the picture to watch the winning ride that gave Bluetooth OLD his career-best Grand Prix score. Video courtesy of Wellington International:
Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD topped the CDI4* Grand Prix freestyle on Jan. 27 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (Fla.). Susan J. Stickle Photo
