Kevin Kohmann in Pole Position for World Cup™ Final Starting Spot After Grand Prix Win on Personal Best
By Alice Collins for Wellington International
The pressure is cranked up for two athletes in week eight of the 2025 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL, which is Palm Beach Derby week. AGDF8 heralds the last chance for two U.S. riders to clinch the one remaining place available for this year’s FEI World Cup™ Final in April via the North American League. Anna Marek and Kevin Kohmann are bidding to join compatriots Adrienne Lyle and Geñay Vaughn—both of whom have already qualified—in the final in Basel, Switzerland.
In the FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix sponsored by 3 Graces Dressage, Kohmann put himself in pole position for Friday night’s freestyle, the class that counts toward the final League placings and points allocation. Kohmann topped the qualifying Grand Prix riding Dünensee to a new personal best in this test of 71.522%.
Marek was breathing down his neck in second place, logging 70.152% on Janet Simile’s 15-year-old Fire Fly (by Briar Junior). Jan Ebeling also topped 70% with Jubi’s Tenacity, taking the yellow sash on Ann Romney’s 15-year-old Tailormade Temptation gelding with 70.043%. Marcus Orlob and Jane were also in the mix—at times trending above the leader—but two big spooks meant Orlob ultimately decided to retire Alice Tarjan’s 11-year-old mare by Desperado on the final centerline.
Dünensee, a 16-year-old gelding by Dancier, is owned by Diamante Farms where Kohmann is based with his wife, Devon Kane. Kohmann rode Dünensee as a young horse before he was sold on. Eventually, Kohmann’s trainer Cristoph Koschel was allocated the ride, before persuading Kohmann that he should take him back. Kohmann and Dünensee began competing at international grand prix at ADGF in 2023 and together have contested 22 CDIs around the globe, including the 2024 World Cup Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Kohmann credits his rock-solid partnership with Dünensee and the trust they have built over the years for the improvements inside the white boards.
“We’ve found a strong relationship and what we do here in the warm-up and in the competition arena is just what we do at home; we’re not putting on a show,” explained Kohmann. “I cannot thank ‘Dünee’ enough. He makes me confident so that I can focus on actually riding the test. I am not nervous any more in the arena with this horse.
“It’s such a nice feeling when you know your horse trusts you. Before we go to the arena I scratch him for 15 minutes in the stall,” added Kohmann of his show preparations. “He gets carrots and apples all day long—I think he likes it better at the show than at home because I pay more attention to him.”
At home, Dünensee goes in the field seven days a week and Kohmann rides him six times a week, consisting of one stretching day, work days, a trail ride, and Sundays, when Kohmann puts on his freestyle music and has fun. Dünensee is “part of the family” and has earned his forever home.
“Nobody else will ride him after me, he’s not going to be given to other people to learn on,” explained Kohmann. “When he’s done doing his job with me, he’ll stay with us, be in the field, and live his best life. Although I think right now he’s pretty much living his best life! After a show I give him a few days just hacking, but after two or three days he always tells me that he wants to go back to work.”
Despite the apparent pressure to qualify for the World Cup Final, Kohmann is approaching Friday night’s freestyle with a cool head and a horse-first attitude.
“I just want the same ride I had the last freestyle at AGDF,” he stated, referring to his 77.545% performance during AGDF 3. “I don’t want to do anything better. Dünee did an amazing job last time and I was very proud of him. Just being able to do the same thing a couple of times in a row is difficult enough in this sport, so there’s no pressure on the horse.”
Click here for full results from the FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix, sponsored by 3 Graces Dressage.
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