Dressage-News

CHESTER, England, June 14, 2018–Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St. John Freestyle won their first CDI Grand Prix Special when they took The Equerry Bolesworth International CDi3* Special Thursday to remain undefeated at Big Tour in campaigning to start at the World Equestrian Games in three months.

Charlotte and the nine-year-old Hanoverian mare scored 80.362 per cent for the win that was the sixth Big Tour outing for the pair since starting their Grand Prix career in April–three Grand Prix, two Freestyles and now a Special. Freestyle (Fidermark x Donnerhall) is owned by Emma Blundell and named for her Mount St. John stud.

Gareth Hughes and Classic Briolinca were second on 75.383 per cent, a personal best for the pair as was their result in placing third in the Grand Prix Wednesday behind Charlotte on Freestyle and Carl Hester on Hawtins Delicato..

The results here along with a pair of victories at Keysoe, England three months ago and the top finishing pair for Great Britain in the Nations Cup at Compiègne, France a month ago enhanced their chances of becoming one of the four combinations to make the team for the world championships in Tryon, North Carolina in September.

Emile Faurie on Dono di Maggio was third on 73.021 per cent.

Charlotte said after he ride: “Finally! I’m really pleased; there’s still blips and I think I slightly overrode the passage and should have ridden some transitions differently but she’s so reliable. She never worries and I knew she’d cope; it’s so nearly there. I know I can be braver in the extended trot so there’s more to come. She’s so incredibly strong, balanced and confident

“Carl said to just go in and ride a clear round and I was like ‘hell no!’ – I always like to be competitive!”

“She’s just a freak,” Carl said of the mare. “She takes whatever you throw at her. I went all goosebumpy during the test and it’s exciting when you think it’s just the start of things.”

The inaugural year’s Big Tour competition schedule for Charlotte and Freestyle is similar to that of Valegro, the KWPN gelding that also was nine years old when the pair performed their first CDI in Vidauban, France in March, 2011, The duo won the first four starts and seven of their first 10 with two seconds and one third before competing on the gold medal British team at the European Championships in Rotterdam the same year, placing sixth overall.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Judges-E: Isabelle Judet-FRA H: Peter Engel-GER C: Vincenzo Truppa-ITA M: Jacques Van Daele-BEL B: Jo Graham-GBR

Rank			Rider	H.No	Horse                                                                                                   Sex / Studbook / Color / Born / Sire x Dam sire / Breeder / Owner		E	H	C	M	B
1	GBR		Charlotte Dujardin	474	Mount St John Freestyle                                                         Mare / HANN / Dark Brown / 2009 / Fidermark x Donnerhall / / Emma Blundell		80.426    1	80.745   1	80.426   1	77.340   1	82.872   1	80.362
2	GBR		Gareth Hughes	461	Classic Briolinca                                                                          Mare / KWPN / Bright Bay / 2006 / Trento B x Royal Dance / Gebr Van Der Steen, Den Dungen / & Hughes, J Hornig		78.085   2	74.149   2	73.617  2	74.043   2	77.021     2	75.383
3	GBR		Emile Faurie	464	Dono Di Maggio                                                                       Gelding / OLDBG / Bay / 2007 / Dimaggio x Santander H / Heinisch, Gabriele / Hof Kasselmann		75.638    3	72.021   3	72.234   3	72.447   3	72.766   3	73.021
4	DEN		Ulrik Moelgaard	462	Michigan                                                                                     Gelding / DWB / Bay / 2001 / Michellino x Unknown / Kaj Jensen, Aars / Claus Munkedal		69.894   5	71.064   4	71.170   4	70.426  4	70.957   5	70.702
5	GBR		Sonnar Murray Brown	455	Erlentanz                                                                                    Gelding / TRAK / Bay / 2007 / /Ingrid Lejeune Dirichlet / Sonnar Murray Brown		70.000  4	69.681  5	68.830  5	66.489  7	72.766    3	69.553
Not placed
6	GBR		Michael George Eilberg	459	Marakov                                                                                    Gelding / LBHA / Bay / 2000 / Rufs x Mitjulands / 3 Vitolu Stalli, Farmstud / F Eilberg		67.553  7	67.872  7	68.511  6	67.872   5	69.681  7	68.298
7	GBR		Henriette Andersen	477	Flavio                                                                                           Stallion / DSP / Bay / 2005 / Florencio I x Glueckspilz / Roland Hald / H Andersen		69.681  6	65.745  8	67.660  7	67.340  6	70.426  6	68.170
8	AUT		Florian Bacher	456	Fidertraum                                                                                   Gelding / OLDBG / Bay / 2009 / Fidertanz x Rubinstein I / Claus Fenske / Verena Bacher		65.766  8	67.979  6	66.702  8	65.851  8	67.340  8	66.728