WELLINGTON, Fla.--Jordan LaPlaca on Gold Play won the FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Grand Prix Special on Saturday, March 21 at the Global Dressage Festival.
Jordan LaPlaca on Gold Play (Photo by CentreLine Media)LaPlaca was delighted as he had just won his second gold medal in his senior team debut following his team gold on Thursday.
LaPlaca and Gold Play, the youngest horse in the class, set a new personal best of 71% in the Special.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Canada on Jaccardo, won the silver medal on 70.362%.
Anna Marek on her sister-in-law Cynthia Davila’s Fayvel won the bronze with 68.021%.
That result was impressive given that Marek was only called up at the last minute to ride in the Nations Cup.
“I honestly expected none of this, and I’m a little bit in shock,” said LaPlaca. “Riding for the U.S. team is not only a privilege, it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. It’s what kept me inspired to learn, to teach, and to keep going. It’s incredibly humbling and an honor and I don’t take lightly. I just wanted to give my horse a good season and a good go at the CDI3* level, and it ended up in a gold medal. It’s what dreams are made of.”
“I THINK making mistakes is essential, because it’s how we learn," he said. "I don’t evaluate my performance off mistakes; I base it off how my horse is feeling. Is he still confident because he’s still relaxed? Did I leave a good impression after the mistake that didn’t set him back? That’s what’s important for me. That’s also the joy of my relationship with Gold Play, given our years together. We’re a bonded pair.”
LaPlaca is based at Maverick Hill Dressage in Ledyard, Conn. and trains with Albrecht Heidemann and U.S. Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig.
He has trained Gold Play since he was a young horse, ensuring that his varied life included plenty of trail rides and turnout.
“I got to bring a young horse up, and I have an owner that worked with me to help see this through, so the journey’s been nothing but fun and there has not ever been a bad day,” said the 37-year-old, who is also an FEI-registered driving competitor. “To go from a 4-year-old to an international grand prix horse has been everything. It’s hard to put into words.”
