Rosa Cha W Wins Prix St. George at Palm Beach Derby

Silva Martin and Rosa Cha W. Susan Stickle Photo

Excerpted from Press Release: Wellington, FL - February 28, 2014 - Sweden's Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven earned the first victory of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W during Week 8 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Vilhelmson-Silfven and Lövsta Stuteri's Don Auriello, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding out of Wey o Mey x Don Davidoff, topped the FEI Grand Prix, presented by Martha W. Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties. Later in the day, Silva Martin (USA) bested the FEI Prix St. Georges with her homebred Australian Warmblood mare, Rosa Cha W....

 ...The FEI Prix St. Georges immediately followed FEI Grand Prix competition, with American Silva Martin coming out on top with Rosa Cha W, an eight-year-old Australian Warmblood mare out of Jasmine W by Blue Hors Romanov owned by the Rosa Cha W Syndicate.  Martin characterized their test as the best she's had with the mare, particularly because she felt she rode better.

Martin credited much of her progress over the last six weeks to coach Debbie McDonald. "I so much enjoy working with Debbie. I've been working with her for a while now. She's helped me so much, and she makes me very confident. Over the last six weeks, it's just been getting better and better and better. I love having her at the ring!" Martin expressed.

 Of her test today, Martin commented, "She can be a little bit of a tense mare. She gets a little tight sometimes, but today she was really relaxed and I let her do her job. Sometimes I override things and she does it better on her own, actually!" Friday's win was especially meaningful for Martin as she and husband Boyd, an Olympian eventer, bred the mare themselves. "I was there when she was born. It's emotional for me because she's come such a long way, and I've had her all her life," Martin smiled.

 Martin's husband was on hand to cheer her on, which Martin especially enjoyed since it was the first time he had attended one of her tests. "Boyd is not easy to get away, so it was exciting that he came and that I won when he was here. That was awesome. He's leaving tomorrow morning, so he won't see tomorrow. He's a terrible spectator, but it's so exciting that he's here," Martin remarked.

 Also in the crowd was American show jumping legend George H. Morris, who stopped by the AGDF to watch Martin ride after hosting a clinic with Martin's husband in Aiken, SC. "Wasn't that an honor? That made me more nervous than anybody else being here! He was so nice and said 'I love watching you ride.' It was exciting that he was here. He came here specifically to watch me. He was teaching Boyd last week, so it was pretty cool having him here!" Martin concluded.

 Competition for the Palm Beach Dressage Derby will continue on Saturday with the FEI Intermediaire-1 in the morning, beginning at approximately 11:00 a.m. *Silva and Rosa will compete at 1:36pm*. The week's feature class, the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, will begin at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Awards - Susan Stickle Photo

 Full Results for FEI Prix St. Georges Rider, Country, Horse, Age, Breeding: Judge E%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Total% 1 Silva Martin, USA, Rosa Cha W, 8-year-old Australian Warmblood mare owned by the Rosa Cha W Syndicate, Jasmine W, Redardez Moi: 70.395%, 71.053%, 66.974%, 69.474% 2 Christilot Boylen, CAN, Drentano, 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by rider, Brenda Lee x De Niro: 71.184%, 69.737%, 67.237%, 69.386% 3 Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, USA, Rassing's Lonoir, 10-year-old Danish Warbmlood geldling owned by rider, Lorani x De Noir: 69.211%, 70.263%, 65.263%, 68.246% 4 Christopher Hickey, USA, Ronaldo, 8-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Cecelia Stewart, Trostruplunds Secret x Blue Hors Romanov: 69.079%, 68.816%, 66.842%, 68.246% 5 Denielle Gallagher-Legrif, CAN, Argo Conti Tyme, 12-year-old Oldenburg Springfrede stallion owned by rider, Alina x Arg

entius: 69.868%, 68.553%, 66.316%, 68.246% 6 Evi Strasser, CAN, Rigaudon Tyme, 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by rider, Carmen x Rosano: 69.605%, 65.789%, 64.474%, 66.623% 7 Gabriela Stumpf, AUT, Finally Love, 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by rider, Winzerin x Farewell III: 67.763%, 66.974%, 64.342%, 66.360% 8 Angela Jackson, USA, Allure S, 9-year-old KPWN mare owned by Kerrin C. Dunn, Sizarma x Rousseau: 67.368%, 67.500%, 64.211%, 66.360% 

 Photo Credit:

Photos © SusanJStickle.com. These photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include photo credit.