Dressage-News

COMPIÈGNE, France, May 30, 2014–Australia’s Mary Hanna and her eight-year-old Boogie Woogie captured the CDI3* Prix St. Georges Friday, the second straight victory for the four-time Olympian on the eight-year-old gelding she began competing just a month ago.

The score of 70.158 per cent was the only result above the 70 per cent mark in the starting lineup of 26 combinations from 10 nations.

Belgium’s Francoise Hologne-Joux on Warhol placed second on 69.632 per cent with the Netherlands’ Joyce Lenaerts on Authentic third with 68.711 per cent.

Three of the five judges placed the 59-year-old Aussie rider and Boogie Woogie, a KWPN gelding, in first place, four with scores of 70 per cent or better–the highest being 73.518 per cent from Sweden’s Magnus Ringmark. France’s Alban Tissot awarded the pair 65.789 per cent, placing them 12th.

For such early days in Boogie’s international career, Mary old dressage-news.com later, she was “super happy…with only minor communications issues creeping in.

“Otherwise, I had a great feeling and I’m enjoying building up the relationship as he is such a fun and positive horse.”

Mary said, however, she “felt a little nervous” not having Patrik Kittel in her ear in the warm up as the Swedish rider and his Australian wife, Lyndal Oatley, are at the CDI5* in Munich, Germany.

Mary bought Boogie Woogie (Du Moulin x Forte) a year ago and left the horse with Patrik at his German training center.

The pair made their international debut at Horses & Dreams CDI4* in Hagen, Germany last month and won the Intermediate 1 with a score of 74.895 per cent after placing second in the St. Georges.

Mary is in Europe with her Olympic mount Sancette to seek a place on the Australian team at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France in August. If successful it would be second WEG, the first being at Rome in 1998.

Results:

Prix St. Georges CDI3*