Dressage-News

COMPIÈGNE, France, May 20, 2018–Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy dominated the CDIO5* Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday but not enough to stave off a Swedish steamroll of the Nations Cup to take gold and put the country at the top of the series standings.

Sweden, defending champion of the trans-Atlantic series now in its third year as an official international event, took gold, Denmark claimed silver and the Netherlands bronze after two of the seven Nations Cups scheduled for 2018. Great Britain placed fourth, Belgium fifth, France sixth and Switzerland seventh.

The Ramel sisters Juliette, 30 years old on Buriel K.H. and Antonia, 32, on Brother de Jeu placed first and second and both with personal best scores of 75.532 per cent and 72.596 per cent, respectively, in the Grand Prix Special to give Sweden an unassailable lead even before the Freestyle.

The musical performance by Cathrine and Cassidy, 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding ranked No. 4 in the world, was awarded 84.250 per cent as the unanimous choice by the five judges for first place. The duo competed for Denmark at the 2016 Olympics but became international stars when leading her team to silver and collected individual and freestyle bronze medals at European Championships last year.

Sweden’s multi Olympian Patrik Kittel on Well Done de la Roche CMF placed second on a personal best 78.950 per cent in the freestyle while team mate Rose Mathisen on Zuidenwind was fourth on 74.700 per cent.

Great Britain’s Gareth Hughes on Classic Briolinca was third on 76.825 per cent in only the pair’s second Big Tour Freestyle.

Sweden took a commanding lead from the outset in the Grand Prix Saturday that it never relinquished in the Special and the Freestyle Sunday. A new scoring system was implemented this year that awards points for the placings of combinations so teams with the lowest total points are ranked highest. The previous system used the average of the best scores, such as for the three highest per nation in the Grand Prix.

The Nations Cup standings after two events: 1. Sweden 15 points; 2. Denmark 13; 3. Netherlands 11; 4. USA 10; 5. Great Britain 9; 6. Canada 8.

The first event in this year’s series in Wellington, Florida in March was won by the United States, with Canada second and Australia third. The U.S. that won the inaugural year of the series in 2016 is focused on the World Equestrian Games at Tryon, North Carolina in September, and did not send a team here. It has committed only to Rotterdam and Aachen, Germany so far. U.S. quarantine requirements that limit the amount of time horses can spend out of the countey without having to undergo lengthy confinement for stallions and mares have also impacted American involvement in European Nations Cups.

The next Nations Cup is a CDIO4* at Uggerhalne, Denmark later this week.

The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud on Glock’s Dream Boy won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special with a score of 71.213 per cent. The pair won the Grand Prix Friday.

Anne Sophie Serre of France on Vistoso de Massa placed second on 70.596 per cent and Belgium’s Jeroen Devroe on Hyrano was third on 69.362 per cent.

Results:

CDI03* Nations Cup Grand Prix Freestyle

Compiegne CDIO5* Nations Cup GP Freestyle

CDI03* Nations Cup Grand Prix Special

Judges-E: Francisco GUERRA DIAZ H: Annette FRANSEN IACOBAEUS C: Mariette SANDERS-VAN GANSEWINKEL M: Gotthilf RIEXINGER B: Jean-Michel ROUDIER

CDI3* – Grand Prix Special