Rising Duo Jordan LaPlaca and Gold Play Glitter in Plus-70% Grand Prix Special at AGDF
By Alice Collins for Wellington International
Wellington, Fla. – February 21, 2026—In Gold Play’s second-ever CDI Special, Jordan LaPlaca (USA) coaxed an unhurried, harmonious and assured performance from the inexperienced 11-year-old gelding to post their first plus-70% CDI score in Saturday’s Dutta Corp CDI3* Grand Prix Special. The duo made their international big tour debut in February 2026 and, just a month later, they topped the podium twice during the seventh week of the 12-week Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.
It was a U.S. one-two-three, with local rider Kevin Kohmann—who was born in Germany but switched countries in 2021 to ride under the same flag as his wife Devon Kane—finishing second. He rode Equine Law Group’s 15-year-old Floriscount gelding, Famous, to 68.34%. Second to go in the class of eight starters, Bianka Berktold and her own 13-year-old Charmeur mare, Imperial, held onto the third spot with 66.298%.
LaPlaca and Gold Play’s score was trending around 72%, but mistakes in both lines of one-time changes garnered marks as low as 3.5, pegging the score back. His high score of 72.447% came from the seasoned German judge Katrina Wüst, hinting at the Grey Flanell x Sir Donnerhall II gelding’s substantial future scoring potential. Their final score of 70.425% eclipsed their only other CDI Grand Prix Special result by more than two percentage points.
“Breaking 70% was so exciting!” enthused the Connecticut-based trainer, who is also an FEI driving competitor and whose horses also benefit from an all-around education. “You always strive to be better and better, and as that starts to unfold, it’s that much more rewarding. This is just the beginning of what I believe this horse can do.
“He trusts me implicitly, and I trust him,” he continued. “This season, I’ve gained more and more trust in the ring with him. I’ve had him since he was a baby [after finding him at Hof Kasselmann in Germany as a four-year-old], but being in the big ring is a totally different pool. I’ve never had a bond with a horse like I have with him. When he kicks into the piaffe/passage and realizes it’s game on, I feel like time is stopping. That’s something special with a horse.”
LaPlaca has help from his mentor Albrecht Heidemann, and also trains with U.S. Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe, Christine Traurig. He splits his time between Ledyard, Conn., and Loxahatchee, Fla. Gold Play’s younger years were spent hacking, galloping and hauling to various facilities to acclimate to working anywhere. That groundwork has paid off, as the cauldron-like atmosphere at AGDF did not intimidate him.
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