Four of Great Britain’s top para dressage riders travelled across the channel to France for the Deauville CPEDI3* (4 – 6 Apr). Competing as a team for the first time in 2014, the para dressage superstars swept the board bringing home the Nations Cup, alongside multiple other wins and trophies.
Multi Paralympic gold medallist Lee Pearson CBE cleaned up at the international competition as an individual rider, winning every class he entered over the course of weekend. Riding his own ten year old Dutch gelding, Zion, the first of their hat-trick of wins came in the Grade IB Team test. Scoring a whopping 78.28%, the duo stormed to victory leaving a massive 9% gap above second place, and fellow Brit, Ricky Balshaw who was riding nine year old gelding, LJT Engaards Solitaire, owned by the Lady Joseph Trust (69.92%), who was clearly excited by his first international trip of the year.
Moving on to the Grade IB Individual Championship, Lee and Zion pulled out the stops, producing an equally impressive score of 78.24% to claim the top spot once more. The only other 70%+ score of the class belonged to Ricky and a much cooler LJT Engaards Solitaire – or ‘Sid’ as he’s known at home – who continued to do their team and country proud notching up a strong score of 74.21% and stealing second place. Using his Facebook page to communicate from France to his legion of followers, Lee exclaimed “The boys did good!! Ricky rode brilliantly, watching him was quite emotional, love the guy”.
Lee and Ricky’s final class of the competition, the Grade IB Freestyle, saw Ricky and Sid produce their highest score of the competition, 76.25%, securing their position in second place. However, it was Lee and Zion who stormed ahead for their third and final time with their mark of 78.00% pocketing the title.
“I'm very pleased with my horse Zion! He was a total star” stated Lee from his Facebook. “Spooky arena with many upset horses and he was just 'aww lots of lovely people looking at me dad!!”
Competitors in the Grade II section proved to be no match for 24-year old Natasha Baker and her ride, 13-year old Polish gelding, Cabral. Co-owned by Natasha, mum Lorraine and Christian Landolt, Cabral and his rider mimicked Lee’s weekend achievements with a trio of wins. Their first came in the Grade II Team test where they stole the top spot with a grand score of 74.24% - 3% above second place. The following day, Natasha and Cabral rode to victory in the Grade II Individual Championship with a notable 75.37% and completed their weekend of success with a huge 78.45% - a whopping 5% above second place, Dutch combination Rixt van der Horst and Uniek.
Team GBR rider Deb Criddle and her partner, the Lady Joseph Trust owned 14-year old gelding, LJT Akilles, scored well in their first test of the weekend, the Grade III Team test with 69.34% and grabbed third place. Moving on to the Grade III Individual Championship, the duo racked up a score of 67.85%, securing a placing of fifth. Their final test, the Grade III Freestyle, saw Deb and Akilles gain their highest score and placing of the weekend, a solid 73.85% putting them in second.
Representing Great Britain in Grade IV was 23-year old Sophie Wells and her own 12-year old Flemmingh gelding, Valerius. There was great competition in the Grade IV Team test with Sophie and an electric Valerius topping the leaderboard with 71.67% - just 0.15% above second place’s Danish rider Camilla Christensen and her ride Ostergardens Deleight (71.52%). Moving on to the Grade IV Individual Championship, a more relaxed Valerius – or ‘Reece’ as he’s known by his friends – was back on form notching up a solid 74.50% and stealing the Grade IV Individual title. Finally, in the Freestyle, the duo achieved yet another first place and their highest score of the weekend with 78.20%.
The combined Team and Individual test scores of Natasha, Sophie and Ricky (with Deborah’s being the dropped score) brought their team total to a mammoth 439.900, topping the table and winning the Nations Cup .
Speaking from her Facebook, Natasha expressed her delight “Such a great week with a fantastic team! I think in all we have won roughly 19 trophies, 9 wins, 4 2nd's, a 3rd and 5th and [won the] Nations Cup. Lee won overall rider with me in 2nd and Sophie in 3rd. Wow, doesn't get much better than that!”
For the full list of results, click here