Gallagher Sweeps Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Ocala January CDI3* Show

Gallagher Sweeps Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Ocala January CDI3* Show

The highlight class of the January Dressage CDI3*, presented by Hampton Green Farms on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) was the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*. Repeating their win from the day before were Denielle Gallagher (CAN) and Come Back de Massa, owned by Gallagher and Ellen Lazarus.

It was a wonderful night for Gallagher and “Come Back,” who had only performed this freestyle at a CDI once in 2023 but had prepared at national shows leading up to this. Not only did Come Back give Gallagher a great feeling, but they scored a personal best 71.475% with all five judges scoring more than 70%.

“He was a beast, and it was great,” said Gallagher with a smile. “It feels like everything I’ve done and all of the training has led up to this point. There is so much more there I can keep going for. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of, that he felt happy, safe, not nervous, and looking to me for support. That’s what I’m so happy about. He felt confident.”

With Come Back feeling more at ease in the ring the second day, Gallagher mentioned that his piaffes improved and their canter half-pass to pirouette “felt really seamless.” She continued, “I was in the middle of my test thinking, ‘Wow, it feels really easy.’ I felt like I could have done the whole thing with one hand. At the end, I had to decide if I would do one-handed passage up centerline to finish. I had to take the risk and have some fun. The judge was smiling at me, and I was smiling at her. I think they enjoyed it as much as me.”

Gallagher, who moved to nearby Morriston, FL, from South Florida and built a farm in 2024, worked with longtime trainer Ashley Holzer on her freestyle choreography. Her music, which is from the soundtrack of the animated movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” was designed by Boy De Winter of Music Motions.

“The ‘Spirit’ soundtrack is emotional,” said Gallagher. “I heard people in the crowd talking about crying when I started out. I either want people dancing in their seats or crying. I want to hit them emotionally.”

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Gallagher Sweeps Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Ocala January CDI3* Show – World Equestrian Center



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