By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
HICKSTEAD, England, Aug. 1, 2014–Carl Hester and Fine Time produced the best Grand Prix performance of their partnership to take Great Britain into the lead after the first phase of the year’s final Nations Cup with Denmark in second place, Sweden third, United States fourth and Germany fifth.
Carl and Fine Time also finished atop the Grand Prix with a score of 73.640 per cent and placing second on Dances With Wolves that he rode as an individual with a score of 70.240 per cent while the British-based Danish rider Anders Dahl on Wie Atlantico de Ymas third on 70.140 per cent.
This Nations Cup–the sixth in the 2014 transatlantic series that began in Wellington, Florida last winter–will be determined by the combined scores of the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special scheduled for Saturday.
The standings after the Grand Prix are: 1. Great Britain; 2. Denmark; 3. Sweden; 4. United States and 5. Germany.
Carl and the 13-year-old Westfalen stallion (Florestan 1 x Weinberg) were the second last of 32 combination into the arena after team mate Michael Eilberg on Marakov turned in a disappointing 67.760 per cent. Lara Griffiths on Andretti H was the high score of 68.080 per cent for Britain the first day.
“Fine Time is a wonderful horse and both of us were determined to go for it,” Carl said after the personal best score, surpassing the previous high of 72.511 per cent notched at this same show a year ago.
“Everyone talks about 80 per cent horses. Well, he’s 80 per cent in his head and 73 per cent in his body. He has an unbteable attitude.”
Anders and Wie Atlantico for Denmark, with only three combinations instead of fourfor Britain, Sweden and the United States that allows them a drop score, was the only other combination above 70 per cent.
With Ulrik Moelgaard and Michigan scoring 69.000 per cent and Rikke Svane on Finckenstein TSF at 68.520 per cent Denmark was less than two percentage points behind Britain.
Malin Hamilton on Fleetwood was the top placed pair for Sweden on 68.980 per cent.
For the United States, the score of 68.800 per cent for Brian Hafner of Sonoma on Lombardo LHF posted the first day of the Grand Prix held up as the highest for the team.
Katherine Bateson-Chandler of Wellington, Florida on Wellnetta scored 67.540 per cent, Lisa Wilcox of Loxahatchee, Florida on Denzello was at 66.820 per cent and Susan Dutta, also of Wellington was at 65.620 per cent.
Nations Cup standings after the Grand Prix:
| Team | Rider | Horse | Total | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GBR | 209.480 | 69.827% | ||||
| NIKKI CRISP | PASOA | |||||
| LARA GRIFFITHS | `ANDRETTI H | 68.080 | ||||
| MICHAEL EILBERG | MARAKOV | 67.760 | ||||
| CARL HESTER | FINE TIME 13 | 73.640 | ||||
 DEN | 207.660 | 69.220% | ||||
| RIKKE SVANE | FINCKENSTEIN TSF | 68.520 | ||||
| ULRIK MOELGAARD | MICHIGAN | 69.000 | ||||
| ANDERS DAHL | WIE ATLANTICO DE YMAS | 70.140 | ||||
 SWE | 204.900 | 68.300% | ||||
| JULIETTE RAMEL | TEN POINTS | |||||
| CHARLOTTE HAID BONDERGAARD | TRVIANT 2 | 67.500 | ||||
| MALIN HAMILTON | FLEETWOOD | 68.980 | ||||
| MADS HENDELIO WITZ | JIMMY CHOO SEQ | 68.420 | ||||
 USA | 203.160 | 67.720% | ||||
| SUSAN DUTTA | CURRENCY DC | |||||
| BRIAN HAFNER | LOMBARDO LHF | 68.800 | ||||
| KATHERINE BATESON CHANDLER | WELLNETTA | 67.540 | ||||
| LISA WILCOX | DENZELLO | 66.820 | ||||
 GER | 194.300 | 64.767% | ||||
| KATHARINA BIRKENHOLZ | DON ANDROSSO | 65.760 | ||||
| BERNADETTE BRUNE | SPIRIT OF THE AGEOLD | 62.940 | ||||
| STEFANIE WEIHERMULLER | WUNDERKIND | 65.600 | ||||
Complete individual results of CDIO3* Grand Prix:
Judges–E: K Kruger H: W Markowski C: S Clarke M: S Baarup B: P Engel
| Percentage (Rank) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Horse | E | H | C | M | B | Total | ||
| 1 | CARL HESTER GBRFEI ID 10011469 | FINE TIME 13 FEI ID GER43406 | | 76.200% (1) | 71.100% (1) | 71.900% (1) | 72.700% (2) | 76.300% (1) | 73.640% | |
| 2 | CARL HESTER GBRFEI ID 10011469 | DANCES WITH WOLVES FEI ID 103DH18 | | 71.400% (2) | 65.100% (15) | 71.200% (3) | 70.400% (4) | 73.100% (3) | 70.240% | |
| 3 | ANDERS DAHL DENFEI ID 10016382 | WIE ATLANTICO DE YMAS FEI ID ESP307 | | 68.600% (6) | 68.000% (8) | 70.100% (8) | 70.400% (4) | 73.600% (2) | 70.140% | |
| 4 | SAMANTHA THURMAN-BAKER GBRFEI ID 1006549 | SPRING PASCAL FEI ID 102UB79 | | 66.800% (17) | 70.000% (2) | 71.000% (4) | 73.300% (1) | 69.200% (5) | 70.060% | |
| 5 | ULRIK MOELGAARD DENFEI ID 10079468 | MICHIGAN FEI ID 102UC82 | | 66.600% (18) | 68.200% (6) | 70.000% (9) | 70.100% (7) | 70.100% (4) | 69.000% | |
| 6 | MALIN HAMILTON SWEFEI ID 10048035 | FLEETWOOD FEI ID SWE40906 | | 65.200% (21) | 68.300% (5) | 69.800% (12) | 72.500% (3) | 69.100% (7) | 68.980% | |
| 7 | BRIAN HAFNER USAFEI ID 10032108 | LOMBARDO LHF FEI ID USA41057 | | 66.600% (18) | 67.700% (9) | 71.800% (2) | 69.700% (11) | 68.200% (9) | 68.800% | |
| 8 | RIKKE SVANE DENFEI ID 10079528 | FINCKENSTEIN TSF FEI ID 103FA60 | | 69.500% (5) | 64.100% (17) | 70.400% (7) | 70.100% (7) | 68.500% (8) | 68.520% | |
| 9 | HAYLEY WATSON-GREAVES GBRFEI ID 10088848 | RUBINS NITE FEI ID 103RB72 | | 65.100% (22) | 68.500% (3) | 71.000% (4) | 69.500% (13) | 68.100% (10) | 68.440% | |
| 10 | MADS HENDELIO WITZ SWEFEI ID 10068316 | JIMMY CHOO SEQ FEI ID 103LX55 | | 67.200% (15) | 67.100% (10) | 70.000% (9) | 70.000% (10) | 67.800% (13) | 68.420% | |
| 11 | MADS HENDELIO WITZ SWEFEI ID 10068316 | WEIHENSTEPHANE FEI ID 102YK53 | | 67.900% (8) | 66.400% (11) | 70.500% (6) | 70.300% (6) | 65.700% (21) | 68.160% | |
| 12 | LARA GRIFFITHS GBRFEI ID 10015853 | `ANDRETTI H FEI ID ITA08433 | | 69.600% (4) | 66.000% (13) | 69.400% (13) | 70.100% (7) | 65.300% (24) | 68.080% | |
| 13 | MICHAEL EILBERG GBRFEI ID 100455459 | MARAKOV FEI ID GBR42667 | | 67.300% (14) | 65.800% (14) | 69.300% (14) | 69.600% (12) | 66.800% (16) | 67.760% | |
| 14 | KATHERINE BATESON CHANDLER USA | WELLNETTA FEI ID 103UQ47 | | 67.500% (13) | 66.400% (11) | 69.900% (11) | 67.700% (15) | 66.200% (19) | 67.540% | |
| 15 | CHARLOTTE HAID BONDERGAARD SWEFEI ID 10031947 | TRVIANT 2 FEI ID GER41659 | | 67.800% (10) | 68.100% (7) | 68.000% (17) | 66.500% (20) | 67.100% (14) | 67.500% | |
| 16 | NIKKI CRISP GBRFEI ID 10045617 | PASOA NRPS | | 67.100% (16) | 63.600% (18) | 67.800% (18) | 68.700% (14) | 69.200% (5) | 67.280% | |
| 17 | LISA WILCOX USAFEI ID 10011391 | DENZELLO FEI ID 103XJ85 | | 65.100% (22) | 68.500% (3) | 69.100% (15) | 67.700% (15) | 63.700% (27) | 66.820% | |
| 18 | JULIETTE RAMEL SWEFEI ID 10019383 | TEN POINTS FEI ID SWE40514 | | 71.000% (3) | 63.400% (20) | 67.200% (19) | 66.900% (19) | 65.400% (23) | 66.780% | |
| 19 | RHETT BIRD GBRFEI ID 10010328 | DONZELLO FEI ID 102QU18 | | 64.600% (26) | 62.300% (23) | 68.600% (16) | 67.000% (18) | 66.600% (18) | 65.820% | |
| 20 | KATHARINA BIRKENHOLZ GERFEI ID 10026339 | DON ANDROSSO FEI ID GER42209 | | 67.900% (8) | 62.100% (24) | 65.800% (22) | 66.200% (22) | 66.800% (16) | 65.760% | |
| 21 | SUSAN DUTTA USAFEI ID 10003416 | CURRENCY DC FEI ID USA10641 | | 67.600% (12) | 59.900% (28) | 65.000% (23) | 67.600% (17) | 68.000% (11) | 65.620% | |
| 22 | STEFANIE WEIHERMULLER GERFEI ID 10032522 | WUNDERKIND FEI ID 103DC80 | | 65.000% (24) | 64.300% (16) | 67.200% (19) | 66.000% (24) | 65.500% (22) | 65.600% | |
| 23 | DANE RAWLINS IRLFEI ID 10023774 | SYDNEY FEI ID GBR14528 |  | 65.600% (20) | 62.900% (22) | 64.700% (27) | 64.400% (25) | 67.100% (14) | 64.940% | |
| 24 | LESLEY PEYTON GILBERT GBRFEI ID 10093457 | GARUDA K FEI ID 103UT25 | | 62.600% (30) | 61.500% (26) | 65.000% (23) | 66.300% (21) | 67.900% (12) | 64.660% | |
| 25 | HANNAH BIGGS GBRFEI ID 10045461 | WELTZIN FEI ID GBR42668 | | 68.100% (7) | 59.400% (30) | 66.300% (21) | 64.000% (27) | 65.100% (25) | 64.580% | |
| 26 | ALICE OPPENHEIMER GBRFEI ID 10057068 | HEADMORE DELEGATE FEI ID 103DS86 | | 67.800% (10) | 59.800% (29) | 64.900% (26) | 66.200% (22) | 63.200% (29) | 64.380% | |
| 27 | EMILY COUSINS GBRFEI ID 10015842 | SOLO BATCHELORETTE FEI ID GBR4136 | | 65.000% (24) | 63.100% (21) | 65.000% (23) | 64.100% (26) | 61.600% (31) | 63.760% | |
| 28 | MORGAN MESTRE BARBANCON ESPFEI ID 10028962 | VITANA V FEI ID 103CD42 |  | 64.300% (28) | 63.600% (18) | 63.400% (31) | 63.700% (29) | 63.600% (28) | 63.720% | |
| 29 | HENRIETTE ANDERSON GBRFEI ID 10016764 | WARLOCKS CHARM FEI ID 103LO57 | | 63.800% (29) | 60.500% (27) | 64.200% (29) | 63.900% (28) | 66.100% (20) | 63.700% | |
| 30 | BERNADETTE BRUNE GERFEI ID 10000842 | SPIRIT OF THE AGEOLD FEI ID 103PE45 | | 62.100% (31) | 61.600% (25) | 64.600% (28) | 62.200% (30) | 64.200% (26) | 62.940% | |
| 31 | CAROLINE CHEW SINFEI ID 10034877 | LAVERNO S NRW FEI ID GER24817 |  | 64.600% (26) | 58.000% (31) | 64.000% (30) | 62.100% (31) | 63.200% (29) | 62.380% | |
| 32 | PETRA VAN ESCH NEDFEI ID 10007867 | UNIQUE FEI ID 104HD44 |  | 58.100% (32) | 55.100% (32) | 59.200% (32) | 58.000% (32) | 58.200% (32) | 57.720% | |
