A return to Britain seems to have done no harm to the form of Senior International rider Emma Hindle and her 14 year old Zangersheide branded stallion, Chequille (pictured).
Together the pair rode to fourth place in the Grand Prix (67.702%) and third in the Special (66.458%), at Villach Treffen CDI4*, 16 – 19 May.
Emma, who was born in Lancashire to business magnate and former Olympian John Hindle, moved to Sweden at the age of 18 in order that she could train with Kyra Kyrklund. In 1993, she moved to Frankfurt to train with Dutch Olympic dressage medallist Ellen Bontje but continued to ride internationally for Great Britain with much success at both Young Rider and then Senior level.
Treffen was the pair’s second international outing of 2013 and already they have managed to improve their positioning from their first international show of the season at Stadl Paura CDI3* where they posted seventh place in the Grand Prix (68.10%) and fifth in the Special (69.33%).
Riding to take the top spots at Treffen alongside Emma and Chequille in the Grand Prix were Jose Daniel Martin Dockx and Grandioso (Spain, 71.681%) and in the Special, Stephan Koberle and Darjeeling (Germany, 68.750%).
Emma, who is extremely superstitious and always rides in her ‘lucky socks’, moved back from her own Brookhouse Stud in Germany to be based in the UK permanently in 2012 following the sad death of her father.
She combines her riding and stud work with running her late father’s property business and is now based in Cheshire.