October 20, 2023, Myakka City, Florida. Susan Dutta (USA) and her own Don Design DC, a 2010 Hanoverian gelding (Der Designer-Servantine, Sir Donnerhall) known around the barn as Oscar, captured the CDI3* Grand Prix on Friday at the TerraNova Dressage II CDI3*/CDI-W with a 69.543%. After a busy summer competing in Europe under the tutelage of her German trainer, Frederic Wandres, Dutta believes her hard work paid off. She will continue training with Wandres when he returns to Wellington for the dressage winter show season.
It’s her first time to compete at TerraNova, and she enthusiastically intends to return. “It’s fabulous,” she said, adding that she was wowed the first time they drove through the gates. She was particularly impressed with the footing. “For me, the footing is important. You [have good footing] from the stabling to the show ring to the warmup ring. We were on beautiful tracks where they were taken care of constantly. [The show has] been beautifully run. People are so kind.”
Kevin Kohmann and Düenensee Earn Personal Best in the World Cup Grand Prix
Kevin Kohmann (USA) and Diamante Farms’ Düenensee, a 2009 Hanoverian gelding (Dancier-Doublette W, Davignon 3) they call Denzel, earned their personal best with a 70.478% in the FEI World Cup Grand Prix.
Kohmann also spent time in Europe over the summer and, coincidentally, it was in the same barn as Dutta, Kasselmann’s in Haagen, Germany. He trains with German trainer Cristoph Koschel. “My summer was awesome,” he said. “I was lucky enough to go to Europe and prepare for this. I was reserve rider for the Pan-American team, so I got to do the training camp. That was a great experience. And they went off to Chile, and I came here to this amazing facility.”
TerraNova Dressage II continues Saturday, October 21, with the FEI CDI3* Grand Prix Special at 11:15 a.m. Eastern and the FEI CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle at 1 p.m. Eastern.