Kelly Layne has enjoyed success at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida with Living Diamond, securing one of two final slots for the Lövsta Future Challenge Final later this month.
Kelly and the 10-year-old gelding (Livaldon x Fürst Rousseau) scored 68.500% to win the Grand Prix qualifying class at Global Dressage Festival 10.
“He has fantastic piaffe and passage, and such a good brain, sensitive and energetic… but if you drop the reins, he just walks. He’s about 16.1 hands high and suits me perfectly,” says Kelly of the horse she owns and has been producing for the past five years.
The other combination to qualify for the final following a strong performance for second place was Jennifer Williams on Babylon Berlin.
A showcase of future talent
The Lövsta Future Challenge Final will showcase 10 developing Grand Prix horses aged 8 to 11 years old during the last week of the Global Dressage Festival winter circuit. The series has seen a total of 42 entries across five qualifiers, with the top two placings in each invited to the $15,000 final. In addition, an award of $3,000 goes to the grooms of the top three placed combinations.
Last year, Kelly and Living Diamond also qualified for the final and placed third after being the first out in the draw.
Riding for the USA
Long based in Wellington, Australian-born Kelly Layne this year switched to riding for the USA, having formerly represented Australia at an Olympic Games and World Championship. Kelly cited eligibility for grants, pipeline programs and development programs, as well as eligibility to work with the USEF young horse and young rider programs, as the driving reasons behind the change.
Lövsta Future Challenge Final field:
Rebecca Cohen of Wellington on Jameson
Austin Webster of Wellington on Guildenstern Sol
Hannah Bressler Jaques of Wellington on Jim
James Irwin of Canada on Flirtfaktor S
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Canada on Jaccardo
Erin Nichols of Yorba Linda, California on Kind Pleasure
Marcus Orlob of Wellington on JJ Glory Day
Amanda Perkowski of Wellington on Sonata MF
Kelly Layne of Wellington on Living Diamond
Jennifer Williams of Olympia, Washington on Babylon Berlin
Stay tuned for Roger Fitzhardinge’s full interview with Kelly Layne in the April issue of Equestrian Life.
