HAGEN, Germany, May 6–Great Britain’s triple World Equestrian Games silver medal winner Laura Bechtolsheimer made the best ever start of a competition year with Mistral Hojris to capture the Grand Prix qualifier for the Special while team mate Carl Hester on the flashy Uthopia placed third.
Laura, whose sole competition with the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding after WEG was London’s Olympia in December, scored 81.489 per cent with Germany’s Anabel Balkenhol, the daughter of former U.S. team coach and trainer of Laura, in second place on 76.723 per cent.
Carl Hester, who was Laura’s team mate on the silver medal teams at the 2009 European Championsips and the 2010 WEG, finished third on the 10-year-old Uthopia with a score of 75.426 per cent. The pair showed on the Sunshine Tour in Spain last year and at Saumur, France, earlier this year.
Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, who prepared for the opening outdoor competition with three months in Florida over the winter, placed fourth on Don Auriello with 73.128 per cent.
Of non-Europeans, Canada’s Belinda Trussell on her WEG mount, Anton, scored 70.085 per cent for 11th place while the USA’s Shawna Harding, of Aiken, South Carolina, on her World Cup mount, Come On III, scored 68.043 per cent for 14th place.
The German-based Australian Hayley Beresford on Belissimo NRW won the Intermediaire I Freestyle with a score of 73.150 per cent with German Holga Finken on Divertimento 6 second on 70.700 per cent and Fie Christine Skarsoe on One-Night-Stand third on 70.550 per cent.
Belissimo is a breeding stallion who has not competed since the young horse championship several years ago, but Hayley has begun preparing the horse for the Grand Prix.
Grand Prix Results:
1.
353
Mistral Hojris
Bechtolsheimer, Laura
GBR
1200 EUR
391.0
382.0
384.0
381.0
376.0
1915.0 Punkte
F 16-j.W v.Michellino/M.v.Ibsen/DK/DEN02686/B: Bechtolsheimer,Mr. & Mrs.
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