Spotting dressage stars is always a common occurrence at Hartpury’s Festival of Dressage, however this year’s event took it to another level as all four members of the recently announced 2016 Olympic team were in attendance to give their horses a last run out before leaving for Rio.
In the CDI3* Grand Prix, sponsored by HorseScout.com, Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro proved that they were still on top form, scoring 83.280% to claim the top spot. Team mates, Carl Hester, Spencer Wilton and Fiona Bigwood followed suit placing second (78.200%), third (77.500% - a personal best for Spencer and Jen Goodman’s Super Nova) and fourth (75.140%), respectively. Boding well for impending Olympics, Charlotte and Blueberry also debuted their Rio music in the NAF Superflex Grand Prix Freestyle – a carnival-themed compilation filled with salsa vibes and complimented by a thrilling technical floorplan. Charlotte and the talented 14-year-old Negro gelding – owned by Carl, Roly Luard and Anne Barrott – wowed the gala evening crowd and judges to score a gigantic 90.625% to win the class by 16%, Henriette Andersen and her own and Jen Charlesworth’s 13-year-old son of Jazz, Warlocks Charm pulled out the stops to score an impressive 73.875% to claim second place. Missed Charlotte and Blueberry’s winning test? You can catch it here.
Carl and Nip Tuck (pictured) – known as Barney to his friends – also impressed, leaping to the top spot with a personal best in the international Baileys Horse Feeds Grand Prix Special of 79.216%, edging ever closer to that illusive 80%.
Amongst the excitement of the Olympic quartet and the CPEDI, the Gloucester venue was also host to the Shearwater Young Horse Semi-Final, the British Dressage Young Pony Championships and the last Premier League competition of the season.
With the final direct qualifications to the LeMieux National Championships up for grabs in the FEI classes (PSG – Grand Prix), 26-year-old Maya Goldberg had two reasons to celebrate, with wins in the Fairfax Saddles PSG and Zamar Inter I. Aboard Ferdi Eilberg’s 16-year-old Dutch-bred gelding, Torino, Maya scored 68.99% to win a hotly contested PSG class that was split into two sections due over 50 competitors vying for the last qualification tickets. Charlotte Dujardin won the other section on last year’s TopSpec Medium Open National Champion, Mount St John Freestyle. Owned by Mount St John stud, the seven-year-old Fidermark mare – piloted by Charlotte – scored a huge 76.58% in her first ever PSG, definitely one to watch for the future. Maya’s second win came in the Zamar Inter I where they scored 71.10% to claim the win and their second slot at the Nationals in September.
Carl Hester and his reserve ride for Rio, Coral Ingham’s Wanadoo won the LeMieux Grand Prix and secured their place at the Nationals. Scoring an impressive 74.78%, Carl and the 15-year-old Hanoverian topped the tables above last year’s National Champions, Charlotte Dujardin and Barolo who scored 73.32% for second. Katherine Bateson and her own 11-year-old son of Contango, Alcazar achieved a personal best score of 70.22% for third and Gareth Hughes claimed fourth with his new ride, Anne Keen’s Don Carissimo, scoring 69.64% in the 11-year-old Don Crusador gelding’s first Grand Prix.
13-year-old Sophie Taylor clearly impressed in the Speedskip Pony Team test with Becky Moody’s 11-year-old Dutch mare, Madam’s Miss Maria. After winning the class on 71.92%, the pair was later named as part of this year’s Pony European squad. Fellow team mate, Lara Kuropatwa was narrowly behind in second place aboard Samantha Brown’s nine-year-old son of Caesar 171, Le Chiffre, scoring 71.42%.
The Festival of Dressage also held the Championship of a competition new to 2016, British Dressage Young Pony. Similar to the Shearwater Young Horse classes, ponies are marked out of ten on their paces, general way of going and potential. Dr Angelika Raith’s four-year-old De Niro-sired mare, De Votion won the four-year-old title. Bred in Britain and piloted by North Wales-based rider Annie Lloyd-Aylett, the talented mare attained the highest score across all age ranges of 8.00 to topple the competition. Woodlander ponies also did well at the Championships; not only did Claire Wyatt’s Woodlander Sir Gorgeous – ridden by Charlotte Drakeley – place second in the four-year-old section on 7.42, but Nicole Nelson’s five-year-old mare, Woodlander Wagalina claimed the five-year-old Championship with Rosie Morgan on a mark of 7.56.
The six-year-old British Dressage Young Pony Championship went to Sam Sargeant-Smith with her own son of Djamai Du Bois, Dylano Du Bois. Scoring 7.08 to win the class, the pair has enjoyed much success at Novice and Elementary, most recently contesting this year’s Petplan Equine Area Festival Elementary Championships.
For full results, click here.
Class 1a: Fairfax Saddles PSG
Maya Goldberg with Torino, 68.99%
Class 1b: Fairfax Saddles PSG
Charlotte Dujardin with MSJ Freestyle, 76.58%
Class 2: Bailey Horse Feeds Inter II
Anna Ross with Wydny, 69.69%
NAF Five Star Optimum Advanced Medium 92
Gold: Lucy Pincus with Sheepcote Suncrest, 72.30%
Silver: Elizabeth Allen with Don Dellero, 69.05%
Bronze: Joan Adrain with VSH Florenciano, 62.16%
TAGG Equestrian Advanced Medium 98
Gold: Kate Smith with De La Veiga, 70.26%
Silver: Lucy Norris with Light of Earendil, 72.89%
Bronze: Joan Adrain with VSH Florenciano, 66.97%
Zamar Inter I
Maya Goldberg with Torino, 71.10%
LeMieux Grand Prix
Carl Hester with Wanadoo, 74.780%
Lovington Ice Advanced 105
Jennifer Johnston-Harman with MFS Caliana, 72.01%
Elite Stallions Young Horse PSG
Charlotte Dujardin with Hawtins Delicato, 75.66%
Speedskip Pony Team test
Sophie Taylor with Madam’s Miss Maria, 71.92%
Class 12: Elite Stallions Young Horse PSG Championship
Charlotte Dujardin with Hawtins Delicato, 76.62%
Class 14: Dawson Memorial Pony/Junior/Young Rider Individual
Pony: Sophie Williams with Ferrari, 70.58%
Junior: Abbie Newbury with Disneyland, 68.72%
Young Rider: Jasmine Harding Heitzmann with Di Spirito, 65.00%
Class 15: Fairfax Saddles PSG
Kate Cowell with Barcelona, 73.11%
Class 16: Monarch Inter II
Becky Moody with Carinsio, 70.31%
Class 17: British Dressage Young Pony Final – 4yo
Annie Lloyd-Aylett with De Votion, 8.00
Class 18: British Dressage Young Pony Final – 5yo
Rosie Morgan with Woodlander Wagalina, 7.56
Class 19: British Dressage Young Pony Final – 6yo
Samantha Sargeant-Smith with Dylano Du Bois, 7.08
Class 20: Hickstead National British Young Horse – 5yo
Matthew Burnett with Grisbimone, 7.80
Class 21: Hickstead National British Young Horse – 6yo
Willow Kemp with Dark Horse, 7.74
Class 22: Hickstead International British Young Horse – 5yo
Matthew Burnett with Grisbimone, 7.60
Class 23: Hickstead International British Young Horse – 6yo
Leah Beckett with Woodcroft San Leonardo, 7.46