Dressage-News

SAUMUR, France, April 29, 2016–Fiona Bigwood and Atterupsgaard Orthilia posted a personal best score to capture the CDI3* Grand Prix Friday with fellow British team partnership of Michael Eilberg on Marakov second.

In only their second show of the year, Fiona and the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare scored 77.600 per cent that beat their previous high Grand Prix score of 76.800 per cent at Hartpury, England last July. The pair began Big Tour a year ago and were on Britain’s European Championship silver medal team last year along with Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro, Carl Hester on Nip Tuck and Michael on Marakov.

Michael and Marakov scored 70.460 per cent for second place Friday.

Belgium’s Jorinde Verwimp on the 16-year-old Tiamo she partnered in European Junior, Young Rider and senior championships in the past five years were third on 69.720 per cent.

Anders Dahl, Fiona’s husband who rides for Denmark, placed fourth on Selten HW on a score of 69.200 per cent in the Big Tour debut and the first international competition in almost two years for the 12-year-old American-bred gelding.

Anders, based in England with Fiona and their three children, first competed the Hanoverian gelding (Sandro Hit x Hohenstein) at CDI Prix St. Georges in the summer of 2013 and capped a successful Small Tour career with the 2014 Dressage Future Elite Championship at Britain’s Horse of the Year show.

Selten was sold by Californian Elizabeth Ball in October 2012 after she trained and competed the horse to an historic triple triple crown by winning the United States four-year-old title in 2008, five-year-old victor in 2009 and the six-year-old championship in 2010.

She sold Selten at the Netherlands’ Equine Elite auction in 2012 for €500,000, or US$647,000 at the exchange rate at the time.

Selten was bred by Irene Hoeflich-Wiederhold of Cape Coral, Florida.

Results:

Saumur CDI3* GrandPrix