Dressage-News

VIDAUBAN, France, May 18–Don Charly, out of international competition for three years, was ridden by Sweden’s Minna Telde to their first ever CDI victory when the pair won the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special Saturday.

Minna and the 16-year-old Hanoverian stallion (Don Gregory x Indiana x Inschallah) scored 71.167 per cent for the win over team mate Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfvén and Divertimento who placed second on 70.583 per cent. Laurens Van Lieren on Hexagon’s Welnetta was third on 68.771 per cent. Tinne and Divertimento won the CDIO Grand Prix Friday while Laurens and Welnetta led the Netherlands to victory in the Nations Cup team competition.

Don Charly was trained by Minna from the age of five and competed at the 2003 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany. After success at small tour, the pair began their CDI Grand Prix career in 2007. The combination racked up a string of high placings in 2008 and qualified for the World Cup Final at Las Vegas in 2009, but had to withdraw with an injury after the Grand Prix.

Later the same year, Minna and Don Charly were on the fourth-placed Swedish team at the European Championships in Windosr, England. Then, after a couple more shows in Scandinavia that year was off the competition calendar.

Don Charly returned to the show ring in Bremen, Germany and Doha, Qatar in March this year before coming to Vidauban as a member of the Swedish team competing in the debut event of the FEI Nations Cup pilot series.

In the 29 starts from 2007 until Saturday, this was their first victory.

Results:
Vidauban CDIO3* GP Special results