Laura Graves: Record Breaking Freestyle with 85%

Laura Graves does it again! On Friday night under the lights at the Grand Prix Freestyle in Wellington, Florida, Laura Graves and Verdades (Aka Diddy) broke their own personal record for the highest score in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Global Dressage Festival. This partnership just keeps getting better and better as we count down the days to the World Equestrian Games in Tyron.
I’m still learning to ride this horse when he’s as hot as he is,” said Graves. “He’s super duper hot in this atmosphere and it’s a bigger atmosphere than some of the indoor shows. And when we do three shows here under the lights, the structure and repetitiveness really gets him fired up. It gives me a lot to work with, but I always embrace difficult experiences because it puts me a little ahead of the game for next time, hopefully.
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[@lesliecarr3012]

So lovely. I cannot believe some of the comments below. Look at his relaxed ears, her delicate touch on the reins. This is a very willing partnership. Bravo.

[@maxinedevilliersequestrian]

Absolutely amazing performance, beautifully ridden and expertly performed. Horse is breathtaking and so in harmony with his rider. Very well done.

[@andrea0307]

Absolutely fantastic!

[@colleen867]

Wow this emotionally moved me. It literally brought tears to my eyes. Outstanding music choice, which I think was what especially sold the ride

[@wrfrhiannon]

She used his "hotness" to her advantage. They gave a wonderful performance in an difficult atmosphere! I would have liked to see a little less tension and more elasticity, but considering the electric, foreign environment, just keeping him focused was a huge accomplishment. A 100 pound woman cannot force a 1200 pound horse to do anything. At any moment he could have bucked her off or taken off with her. He stayed and did what she asked because he wanted to. He completely trusted her to keep him safe. Horses enjoy being the center of attention. I love it when non-riders or semi-riders critique a ride and try to anthropomorphize. When horses are in pain or are afraid, they run or fight (buck, kick out, rear) then run. They are flight animals. If he wanted out of there, he would have left! Try sitting on 1200 pounds of dynamite with a short fuse. That's what she was sitting on. You will notice he was chewing softly and rhythmically throughout. Good job Laura! Good boy Diddy!

[@lyssakate]

wrfrhiannon This. All of this. :)

[@charmainelee8815]

Love her work

[@martafrancis3488]

What happen to soft elastic movements?

[@jamestheodore4120]

It is what it is: compressed in front. Add that to tension and the result is spastic movement.

[@emtquiver1588]

Diddy ....really "reach" that far? His extension in half pass is amazing..he definately has Breyer pizzazz, but only if Laura Graves is riding him. WELL DUN Laura🐴

[@elliemccarthy5672]

There are many points here that she is behind the vertical, and pretty much the whole ride is ridden with the horse's head tucked in with an overly arched upper spine/neck. It is very clear at 0:44, 3:16, 4:52, 5:17, How do the judges not see that? That's not acceptance of the bit, that's submitting to pain. The dressage movements were very well executed though, and he is a very talented horse, but he is being trained in a physically damaging way. There is so much evidence that shows the musculoskeletal and respiratory effects of riding in this manner.

[@elliemccarthy5672]

Dutch Harness Horses have a slightly more rounded neck, but when watching them free lunge or even just running about, they are wayyyy more in front of the vertical than in this video or in most dressage movements (not hating on dressage, I actually love it, just the common execution of it). Example of DHH natural neck curvature kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3exqIGnjKt_bM0 He obviously slightly hallow in that video, but it just shows that his breed does not fully justify the position often used in upper level dressage.

[@equestanton1017]

Brilliant, electric performance!!! This horse just gets better and better. What are his obvious short comings as a carriage type both in movement and difficult character seem less and less to be obstacles to his success and more and more like attributes to improvement as he advances in his career. Remarkably Verdades at near 17 does appear to be just getting going. The only comparison worthy of this combination has to be the remarkable Valegro. Valegro had breath taking extensions that flowed right across both his body, back and the arena, from the tip of his tail bone to his toes. Verdades is perhaps still a work in progress in these, progress being the operative word but has miraculously an even better piaffe and passage than Valegro had. Will he learn to straighten out that knee a little more extend the elbow joint and point his toes into the horizon, almost taking wing as Valegro could? Maybe not but he can get higher and more through the back trying that's for sure. I've never seen a horse with more in the tank than this managing to be guided so brilliantly gently and patiently to these heights before in the International dressage arena. I think quite honestly he may never score in the nineties following so closely in the foot steps of the great Valegro as he has but when talking competition as long as no one else is who honestly minds. This horse to me is definitely the most brilliant in the arena today, there just isn't a horse comparable with the same piaffe and passage.

[@AB-nd6lo]

Beautiful ride. Why all the nasty comments?

[@amberblyledge7859]

Random fact about alot of warmbloods. They have REALLY tiny mouths. Some may wear a 4 1/2 in bit, where you might think they wear a 6in beause of how big their heads are.

[@a.jaydeb.7441]

Amber Blyledge That's actually really interesting! I grew up with quarter horses and thoroughbreds so I'm used to them although warmbloods have recently gotten my attention!

[@amberblyledge7859]

A. Jayde B. I have a qh with high thoroughbred content, and a lipizzaner. Plus two ponies.

[@marieriviere7099]

The world record is 90%! Edward Gal did it with Totilas. Maybe it’s 85% in the US

[@elizabethkeen3030]

Marie Rivière sorry, the currently freestyle record is from Valegro and Charlotte 94.3 %

[@a.jaydeb.7441]

I believe they're saying that this is the current highest score at that particular competition.

[@dominicweber]

Marie Rivière The world record is 94,smthg and is being held by Charlotte Dujardin with Valegro. How are you not knowing this?

[@tami2170]

When a horse is a tool of someones fame the horse suffers!!

[@anastasiastyles3861]

The horse was crealry in pain

[@SpottedLeafy]

Lol where does he look in pain? tell me, I'm dying to know what you are interpreting here as pain, I'm not seeing any.

[@robertcohen3951]

The horse is not in pain at all the horse loves doing it a lot.

[@tami2170]

SpottedLeafy take your blinders off and you'll c

[@tami2170]

Robert Cohen that's what they all say

[@anastasiastyles3861]

SpottedLeafy dont you freaking see his ears his eyes and anyways there are many signs but you cant understand obviously..

[@austindenning3692]

So all the glory goes to the horse and coach...... maybe an amazing performance, but is also the most pointless competition I have ever seen.