Thermal, Calif. – Genay Vaughn and Gino earned the win in the FEI Grand Prix CDI5* ahead of the highly anticipated FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* tomorrow evening, crowning the second-ever US Equestrian Open Dressage Final champion at Desert International Horse Park. The partnership topped the standings with a score of 69.544%.
Kristina Harrison-Antell (Burbank, Calif.) aboard Finley, her own 2010 KWPN gelding (Don Jovi x Rubels), earned a 67.478% to finish in second place, while Ali Potasky (Versailles, Ky.) and Inxs, a 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Everdale x Harmony’s Rousseau) co-owned by Potasky and Kathy Priest, rounded out the all-American podium on a 67.283%. All three combinations will advance to tomorrow night’s final under the lights.
“I am so proud,” said Vaughn after her test. “There’s nothing like showing in front of a hometown crowd, and I love this Horse Park, so I’m just ecstatic. [Gino] was really with me, and I just owe him everything. I love him so much.”
Vaughn (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Gino, a 2011 KWPN gelding (Bretton Woods x Haarlem) owned by Michele Vaughn, earned their berth to the US Equestrian Open Dressage Final with three standout FEI Grand Prix Freestyle performances during the qualifying season, finishing on the podium in each of their outings. Their scores averaged 76.05% and totaled 45 points, placing the pair eighth in the overall Series standings. Their longstanding partnership dates to Gino’s arrival from Europe at age six, when Vaughn’s mother, who had picked him out for herself, saw the pair’s first ride together.
“I just love him. He’s incredible,” said Vaughn. “We’ve owned him since he was six years old. My mom picked him out as a horse for herself, and when she saw us on the first ride together after he came from Europe, she just knew we were a match. I think it’s been that way ever since.”
Of tonight’s test, Vaughn said, “I was happy with it. There were no big hiccups. I think it was quite clean, and there are areas that we can improve on, but I was very happy with a clean, good, solid performance.”
Four of the five judges placed the pair first in the class with a winning margin of more than two percentage points over Harrison-Antell and Finley.
Tomorrow, the duo will go fifth in the draw order of the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* under the lights, with their freestyle set to music by Barry White, Luther Vandross, and Earth, Wind & Fire. The freestyle features songs chosen by Vaughn’s family and freestyle choreography put together by Terri Gallo.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to dance with my best friend,” Vaughn said of tomorrow night’s highlight freestyle.
Competition Information:
The spotlight turns to the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* on Saturday, November 14, with the ClipMyHorse.TV livestream beginning at approximately 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET. The first combination will head down the centerline at 5:20 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET.
Live Streaming
USEF Network and ClipMyHorse.TV will feature coverage of the US Equestrian Open Dressage Final from Desert International Horse Park. Tune in to the action on USEF Network powered by ClipMyHorse.TV.
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