Denielle Gallagher Spearheads Evening of Grand Prix Freestyle Personal Bests at World Equestrian Center – Ocala
Personal best scores were the flavor of the evening during the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* on Saturday, February 15, at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) February Dressage show presented by Hampton Green Farms at WEC – Ocala. Both the winner, Canada’s Denielle Gallagher, and the second-placed athlete, Eline Eckroth (USA), posted new high scores with their horses.
Gallagher now has an unbroken string of four international winning starts in 2025 with Come Back de Massa, a striking buckskin 13-year-old Lusitano gelding by Galopin De La Font. When her score of 72.94% flashed up on the screen, Gallagher whooped and jumped for joy. Her previous top score of 71.475% was set at WEC – Ocala’s January CDI, underscoring the pair’s upward trajectory. Their new personal best score was boosted by the nine they received for their statuesque halts from judge at H, Mercedes Campdera Alatorre (MEX).
Eckroth rode Connie Duff Wise’s 14-year-old mare Daphne, by Diamond Stud, into second with 71.055%, the first time the duo has cracked the 70% barrier in international company. James Koford (USA) had a much-improved ride from the Grand Prix, rising up the leaderboard to clinch third place from first draw riding Christina Morin-Graham’s 13-year-old KWPN gelding Hatsjie B, by Charmeur.
“I’ve been dreaming of trying to get up and over that 70% hump, and I felt that today I got there,” said Gallagher, who co-owns the horse with Ellen Lazarus. “I was trying to really be on my music, not chase it and take my time. He was listening to the music, and my piaffe and canter pirouettes felt great. My technical difficulty in the test is quite hard — everything is back-to-back combos, so I can’t miss them.”
Gallagher’s floorplan included flying changes on circles and extended trot into piaffe pirouettes. She rode to music from the “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” movie, a film about a valiant wild buckskin stallion. Gallagher admitted that she fights back emotion each time she rides it.
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