CDI Wellington

In mid-2015, it was announced that the Swedish Lövsta Stud had acquired the former Oldenburg reserve champion So Perfect, not as a stallion but as a sport horse for Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén. The Sezuan son was laid and accompanied his rider to Wellington to prepare for the season in Europe. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén has been a regular at the Global Dressage Festival for years.

The pair made their first competition appearance two weeks ago. They came second with 71.882 percent in the Intermédiaire II of the “Lövsta Future Challenge” – a US relative of the Louisdor Prize sponsored by the gelding’s owners – behind Marcus Orlob, who had just been promoted back to the US elite squad, on the ten-year-old Grand Galaxy Win son JJ Glory Day (72.706).

Today was the first victory for the pair with 70.941 percent. The scores for piaffe and passage were predominantly in the 7.0 to 7.5 range. The pair also scored well in the canter. The only moment that disturbed the harmony was the transition from canter to trot, which was not ideal at the first performance and cost them dearly today. Nevertheless, it was easily enough to keep Sarah Tubman on the Toto Jr. son Liberty L at bay (69.235). Orlob and JJ Glory Day were absent from today’s competition.

About So Perfect

So Perfect is an Oldenburg Sezuan son out of a Sir Donnerhall dam. He was bred by Dr. Frank Nordhausen. At the age of two and a half, the noble dark bay was reserve winner of the Oldenburg main licensing and began his career under the ownership of Helgstrand Dressage. He was in demand as a stallion and did not compete in his first show classes until 2025. Leonie Richter, who was still part of Team Helgstrand Germany at the time, presented him directly in advanced (S***) level and came third once and second twice in three starts. So Perfect was then sold to Sweden. So today was only his fifth competition ever.

From his time at stud, So Perfect has produced numerous highly decorated foals as well as 20 licensed sons, including the current Westphalian champion stallion So Magic, who is now at home at Klosterhof Medingen.

Further results from Wellington

At the beginning of the week, we reported that the World Championship bronze medal winner Fashion Prinz OLD from Hof Kasselmann is now competing under the Chinese flag. Yesterday was the show premiere and the Fürst Romancier son carried his new rider Zhanzhao Gu to fourth place in the field of nine participants. The judges awarded the pair 66.647 percent.

Speaking of Kasselmann – since this year, Lilly Kasselmann has been sitting in the saddle of the FEI pony Nasdaq FH, who has won five European Championship gold medals. The two of them also seem to have settled in perfectly. They have been victorious three times in three starts so far. That wasn’t too difficult either, as they were the only pair at the start each time. However, they scored well over 70 percent in all their appearances in front of the international panel of judges, and that says something.

The Grand Prix classes in the three- and four-star tour, qualifying for the freestyle and special respectively, went to Ashley Holzer with the San Amour daughter San Floriana (70.261), who was once trained by Charlotte Dujardin, and Geñay Vaughn on Gino (70.283).

You can find all the results from Wellington here.