Competition was hot throughout a sun-drenched Hartpury Festival, providing top class international action across the Big Tour and Small Tour CDI classes at the Gloucestershire venue (5 – 9 July 2017).
Spencer Wilton (44) and Jen Goodman’s Super Nova II (pictured) proved invincible, winning both Friday’s Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special on Sunday with 78.66% and 77.02% respectively. Super Nova, at the age of 14 years, just gets better and better – their Grand Prix was a personal best – and will be on the selectors’ radar for the European Championships later this year.
Spencer and ‘Neville’ played their part at the Rio Olympic Games helping Great Britain to team silver, and their scores have carried on an uphill trajectory since. This spring, they won the Doha CDI5* Grand Prix Special followed by the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at Compiègne in France.
Dressage legend Richard Davison opted to compete in, and won, the Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle which took place in front of an enthusiastic gala evening crowd. The pair earned a fabulous score of 76.77% just ahead of Gareth Hughes with Anne Keen’s Don Carissimo. Richard’s partner Bubblingh, now 11, is really coming into his own at this level, and has achieved top results at both Windsor and Bolesworth CDIs this year. Owned by Gwendolyn Meyer, Bubblingh is bred in the purple being a son of Richard’s former team horse Ballaseyr Royale and by the stallion, Lingh, who was ridden to great success by Dutch star, Edward Gal.
In the Small Tour divisions Charlotte Dujardin took Prix St Georges honours aboard Carl Hester’s Hawtins Delicato, a nine-year-old son of Diamond Hit. Charlotte and the very exciting Grand Prix prospect earned 76.63% before victory in the Intermediate I with 75.26%. Lara Butler (28) also enjoyed a hugely successful show. Thriving in her role as rider for the Bechtolsheimer family she is certainly making an impression on the international stage. As well as finishing close to Spencer in the Grand Prix Special with Rubin Al Asad, she also shone with Wilfried Bechtolsheimer’s Kristjan. Hot on the heels of Charlotte Dujardin in the Inter I with 73.28%, the pair went on to take victory in the Inter I Freestyle with a whopping 78.62%.
“Oh my goodness what a day I can't actually believe it!” said Lara on Facebook. “A win in Kristjan's 1st ever CDI and a PB of 78% in the Inter I Freestyle...then as if my day couldn't get any better, Rufus [Rubin Al Asad] was not to be outdone and really rose to the occasion to get another PB of over 76% in the GP Special and 2nd place! My boys are just so special and I couldn't be more proud of them and the awesome job they have done over the last few days.”
Results of the British riders. Please note, results below show British riders in the top ten. For full results click here.
Hartpury Equine Academy FEI CDI Grand Prix
1st Spencer Wilton with Super Nova II, 78.66%
2nd Gareth Hughes with Don Carissimo, 73.38%
3rd Richard Davison with Bubblingh, 73.16%
4th Lara Butler with Rubin Al Asad, 71.80%
5th Becky Moody with Carinsio, 70.14%
6th Daniel Watson with Amadeus, 69.30%
8th Emma Hindle with Romy Del Sol, 68.96%
10th Alex Hardwick with Donauwein, 68.26%
Superflex FEI CDI Grand Prix Freestyle
1st Richard Davison with Bubblingh, 76.77%
2nd Gareth Hughes with Don Carissimo, 76.65%
4th Henriette Andersen with Warlocks Charm, 74.85%
5th Daniel Watson with Amadeus, 72.50%
6th Becky Moody with Carinsio, 71.90%
7th Lara Butler with Unique, 71.72%
8th Matt Frost with Tribiani, 70.27%
9th Elizabeth Diegutis with Saskia Hit, 68.87%
10th Alex Hardwick with Donauwein, 68.47%
Baileys Horse Feeds FEI CDI Grand Prix Special
1st Spencer Wilton with Super Nova II, 77.02%
2nd Lara Butler with Rubin Al Asad, 76.19%
3rd Gillian Davison with Alfranco, 71.74%
5th Vicky Thompson Winfield with Mango Jacaro, 69.58%
8th Emma Hindle with Romy Del Sol, 67.23%
9th Sarah Millis with Hofjuwel, 67.11%
10th Sara Gallop with Bandreo, 66.80%
Hartpury Equine FEI CDI Prix St Georges
1st Charlotte Dujardin with Hawtins Delicato, 76.63%
2nd Kate Cowell with Samba Dancer, 71.60%
3rd Vicky Thompson Winfield with Artist, 70.65%
4th Becky Moody with Eureko, 70.10%
5th Daniel Greenwood with Chevalier O, 70.02%
6th Lara Butler with Kristjan, 69.68%
Hartpury Sport FEI CDI Intermediate I
1st Charlotte Dujardin with Hawtins Delicato, 75.26%
2nd Lara Butler with Kristjan, 73.28%
3rd Sune Hansen with Chass, 70.73%
4th Daniel Greenwood with Chevalier O, 70.68%
5th Sonia Baines with Sirius Black, 69.68%
6th Kate Cowell with Samba Dancer, 69.05%
7th Levi Hunt with Abbey Tiron, 68.52%
8th Vicky Thompson Winfield with Artist, 68.50%
9th Sophie Wells with Valerius, 68.47%
10th Becky Moody with Eureko, 68.42%
Andrews Bowen FEI CDI Intermediate I Freestyle
1st Lara Butler with Kristjan, 78.62%
2nd Charlotte Dujardin with Hawtins Delicato, 78.05%
3rd Sonia Baines with Sirius Black, 72.60%
4th Levi Hunt with Abbey Tiron, 72.54%
5th Becky Moody with Eureko, 72.19%
7th Daniel Greenwood with Chevalier O, 71.20%
8th Sophie Wells with Valerius, 70.87%
9th Kate Cowell with Samba Dancer, 70.70%
10th Leah Beckett with Nirvana Celestial, 70.02%
For full results visit the show website.
Photo credit: Kevin Sparrow