LE MANS, France, Oct. 23, 2015–Lara Griffith rode Rubin Al Asad to the British combination’s first European victory and with a personal best score to win the Le Mans CDI3* Grand Prix Friday with her trainer, Laura Tomlinson on Unique third behind the Netherlands’ Marlies Van Baalen on Ratzinger.
Lara and the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, owned by Laura Tomlinson’s parents, scored 72.404 per cent that was the highest for the pair at any Grand Prix level since starting international Big Tour at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida in February where the pair also posted their only other victory.
Lara, 26 years old, competed for Great Britain in the European Championships as a Junior and Young Rider. In 2013, she went to work with Laura and took over the ride on Andretti H then began competing Rubin Al Asad (Rubin Royal x Wandergirl) at CDIs early this year. After eight starts on the Florida winter circuit, the pair competed at Windsor, England in May and on the British Nations Cup team at Hagen, Germany in July.
Marlies and the 11-year-old Ratzinger scored 69.957 per cent for second place in only their second CDI Grand Prix.
Laura, 2012 Olympic team gold medal rider on the now-retired Mistral Hjoris, rode Unique to second place on a score of 68.851 per cent that was by far the best of three Grand Prix starts for the pair.
Britain’s Anna Louise Ross on Die Callas was tentatively scoring high enough for second but was eliminated at the end of the ride.
Results:
CDI3* Grand Prix
Juge E: Gotthilf RIEXINGER GER Juge H: Jean-Michel ROUDIER FRA Juge C: Francis VERBEEK VAN ROOY NED Juge M: Alla SOUBBOTINA RUS Juge B: Lionel DU TRANOY FRA
BERNE, Switzerland, July 15--Dana van Lierop was the show-stopper as The Netherlands scooped all gold in the Junior division, while Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour recorded a Danish double in the...
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