Adrienne Lyle Set to Make Come Back with Helix after One Year Break

Dressage

U.S.A.

U.S. team rider Adrienne Lyle is set to make her comeback aboard her 2024 Paris Olympic mount Helix after a one-year break from showing and the horse having a "layover" in Europe.

Helix is a 2012 born KWPN gelding by Apache out of Zeester T (by Jazz). He was originally named Handsome Zee T and is bred by Dutch breeder A. Toonen Arts.

Marina Mattson

Helix was licensed at the 2015 KWPN Stallion Licensing but did not complete his KWPN stallion performance test in the autumn of 2015.

In 2018 the breeder sold Helix to Swedish horse investor Patrik Hannell in a package deal with the one year older sibling Gladstone Zee T (now in U.S.A. with Chase Shipka). Helix was produced to Grand Prix level by Marina Mattsson. The pair made its international show debut in February 2023 at the CDI Le Mans, where they first scored 69.848 % in the Grand Prix. From there they went to the CDI's in Herning, Hagen, Rotterdam, and Falsterbo. In Rotterdam they posted their personal best, so far, of 71.761% with much more in the tank.

As Mattsson decided to leave Hannell after a 10-year collaboration, Helix was sent to Cathrine Dufour to be sold.

Adrienne Lyle

In December 2023 Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian purchased Helix as well as Lars van der Hoenderheide to supply Adrienne Lyle with two U.S. Olympic team hopefuls for Paris 2024.

The pair made its international debut at the CDI Wellington at the end of March 2024 to a 71.065% Grand Prix score. From there they went to Myakka City and Ocala, winning five out of six classes. They were short-listed for the U.S. Olympic team and at the CDI's in Hagen and Kronberg clinched their spot. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris they were 20th in the Grand Prix with 72.593% but Team USA was eliminated when Marcus Orlob/Jane got rung out for blood on the horse's leg.

In the winter of 2024-2025 Lyle and Helix competed in one CDI's in Ocala and three CDI-W's in Wellington, winning six out of seven tests. They were virtually unopposed on the U.S. East Coast for a ticket to the World Cup Finals in Basel in April 2025 where they got 72.565% in the Grand Prix (9th). In the Kur, however, Helix got overwhelmed by the electric indoor environment and Lyle had her hands full to manage the sensitive gelding. They were 16th with 71.255

European Lay-Over

After the "disappointing" result at the World Cup Finals, Helix was returned to sender: he was sent to Cathrine Dufour's in Denmark to be re-sold.

Dufour firmly denied to Eurodressage that Helix was in her barn, but his presence in her stable and availability on the market - for sale - were confirmed by multiple sources.

Return the U.S.A.

In the early spring of 2026 Helix returned to Wellington, Florida, and Lyle picked up the reins again.

"Helix is doing well and we’re looking forward to enjoying him in our barn and his return to competition," Lyle told Eurodressage. "We have focused on continuing his development with his best interest always coming first."

Lyle has/had no "ready Grand Prix horse" in this 2026 World Championship year with My Vitality just reaching Grand Prix and Belgian warmblood Lars van de Hoenderheide not having shown since CDI Kronberg in June 2024. With Helix being back in the barn, Lyle might be throwing herself in the mix for WEG Aachen.

The pair is scheduled to make their come back to the show ring at the national show in Ocala on Friday 25 April 2026.

"His plan will developed as the season goes on," Adrienne added.