May 2, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. It was an extremely close-fought tussle in the Galati Yacht Sales CDI3* FEI Grand Prix at TerraNova Equestrian Center on Friday, May 2. Just 0.8 percentage points separated the top six combinations in the class, which was topped by Canada’s Naïma Moreira Laliberté on KML Inc’s 12-year-old gelding Inspire with a 68.891%. Second-placed Charlotte Jorst (USA) was just 0.15 percentage points adrift, riding Kastel Denmark’s Zonik x Stedinger son Zhaplin Langholt, another 12-year-old gelding, to 68.739%.
Ben Ebeling (USA), double winner at TerraNova’s April CDI, rounded out the podium, riding Ann Romney’s 15-year-old Belissimo M mare Bellena to 68.239%. Ebeling edged out his trainer Christoph Koschel (GER), whose 68.174% on his own 10-year-old Dancier gelding Destare earned fourth place. There was a tie for fifth spot, with two U.S. female athletes scoring 68.087%: Katherine Bateson Chandler on Haute Couture and Kasey Perry-Glass on Heartbeat WP.
The win marked Moreira Laliberté and Inspire’s first international grand prix victory since stepping up to the level at TerraNova’s April CDI a year ago. Inspire’s test featured many sevens and 7.5s, with an eight given for the extended canter, the two-time changes, the flying change between the pirouettes, and the final halt. The only glitch came in one of the piaffes, which was costly as the movement carries a double coefficient.
“He really tried hard in there,” said the 28-year-old. “Of course, there are so many things I want to improve, and I always try and go mistake free. It is going to be achievable; I just need to run him. I consider him still a green horse and he still needs to learn the routine and get confidence and experience in there, he hasn’t done much at this level yet.
“I’ve had him since he was three and I’m very proud that he became a grand prix horse and there is so much more in there for the future. I’ve been training with Ashley Holzer, who was here today to support us, which I am grateful for, as well as Jordi Domingo in Europe,” continued Moreira Laliberté, who was excited to return to TerraNova to compete. “It’s a great venue. The facility is amazing, the footing is beautiful, and the stables are brand new. I love the mats in the stalls, and I think the horses like it too. It’s always nice to come back here.”
Moreira Laliberté often spends summers on the other side of the Atlantic but has opted to stay in Canada this time round.
“This year, I’m going to go back to my hometown Montreal,” she said. “This is a bit of an off year [with no major championship shows], so we’re going to enjoy spending a bit more time at home.”
Before Moreira Laliberté heads north, she will contest the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday, May 3. It will be Inspire’s first freestyle at the level, and he will perform to his stablemate Statesman’s music, as he does not yet have his own.
Moreira Laliberté added another ribbon to her collection on Friday in the CDI1* Prix St. Georges, finishing runner-up with 68.971% on the 11-year-old All At Once mare, Jaliska LD. The blue ribbon was awarded to Andrea Woodard (USA) for her 69.471% ride on Enter At A LLC’s eight-year-old mare Roxette (by Revolution x Quite Easy).
Para Dressage Debuts at TerraNova
TerraNova’s inaugural CPEDI3* international para dressage competition attracted some of the US’s best athletes, with some impressive scores. Marie Vonderheyden of Wellington, FL, rode to her fourth consecutive victory on Karin Flint’s eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Fan Tastico H. They topped the Para Grand Prix A test in the Grade I division with a new combination high score of 74.236%.
Vonderheyden was a professional event rider until a fall in 2015, at age 24, caused a traumatic brain injury. She now deals with seizures, paralysis on her right side, and tremors, as well as balance, speech and memory issues as a result of the accident.
Fan Tastico H was formerly ridden by Roxanne Trunnell, and the duo formed part of the gold medal winning US team at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Since Vonderheyden took over the ride, she and the leggy Fürstenball x Weltmeyer gelding have gelled well.
“It’s a big honor to ride Fan Tastico and I hope I deserve him,” said Vonderheyden. “[In the test] I tried to repeat what we’ve worked on with my coach Andrea Woodard and stay very relaxed but active.
“I am so thankful that Mrs. Flint is allowing me to ride this horse, and for the team around me. We are grateful to be here at TerraNova. I’ve never been here and the place is amazing and wonderfully organized. Hopefully we can come back,” she concluded.
Fiona Howard of Boston, MA, also topped the leaderboard in her division with a big score, securing the blue ribbon in the Grade II Para Grand Prix A test. She rode Diamond Dunes, Hof Kasselmann’s 12-year-old De L’Or gelding, to 75.345%. Their high score came from judge at M, Karen Pavicic, who awarded 80% for the ride, including three nines.
Howard and Diamond Dunes have a spectacular competition record, having won 10 FEI classes in a row, and have been unbeaten for a year. They hold the Freestyle world record for their grade, of 83.276%, which they set in March 2025.
Veterinarian Kate Shoemaker and her Paris 2024 Paralympic Freestyle bronze medalist partner Vianne put down a solid test in the Grade IV Para Grand Prix A, scoring 74.583%. Vianne was bred by Catherine Haddad and formerly campaigned by Australian athlete Hope Beerling before Shoemaker took up the reins in early 2024. Initially, she rode the mare for owners NorCordia USA, but Shoemaker has since acquired full ownership of the nine-year-old Vitalis daughter.
The duo already competes in able-bodied small tour classes, and Shoemaker is aiming to ride Vianne at grand prix level, which would be a first for the athlete. They are well on their way to that goal, having contested a developing horse grand prix test two months ago.
Vonderheyden, Howard and Shoemaker were joined by Grade III rider Rebecca Hart on El Corona Texel to form the US Para Dressage Team at TerraNova. The team element of the show covers the first two days, with the FEI Para Dressage Grand Prix B concluding team competition on Saturday. The team is being led by Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline and Team Leader Laureen Johnson. Athletes compete individually in Sunday’s Freestyles.
Action at TerraNova continues on Saturday, May 3, and features Children, Young Riders and Paras in the CDI ring, as well as a full slate of USEF national classes, running from young horses to grand prix level.
Words by Alice Collins for TerraNova Equestrian Center
