Aussie Kristy Oatley & Du Soleil Win Budapest World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle for 1st 2019/2020 Western European League Points
6 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Aussie Kristy Oatley & Du Soleil Win Budapest World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle for 1st 2019/2020 Western European League Points
PILISJÁSZFALU, Hungary, May 4, 2019–Aussie Kristy Oatley and Du Soleil won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday to earn the first points for a Western European-based combinaton toward qualifying for the Final in Las Vegas next April.
Kristy and the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding scored 78.625%, the second highest ever result for the Germay-based rider and a day after posting an Aussie record Grand Prix that gave the pair all three Big Tour records for an Australian. The duo’s highest score was the record set of 79.330% in Salzburg, Austria last December.
Kristy and Du Soleil competed for Australia at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the World Equestrian Games in Tryon last September as well as the World Cup Final in Omaha in 2017. The partnership first competed at Big Tour in 2015 and were the highest scoring Australian duo for the World Cup in Gothenburg last month, but the rules would not allow an invitation to be extended although two possible starting combinations in Australia opted not to go halfway around the world for the Final.
Kristy gets to use all 20 points for the victory here for ranking in the Western European League.
The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud on Zanardi placed second on a score of 74.475%. Hans Peter was World Cup champion on Glock’s Flirt in 2016 as well as Olympic team silver medalist in 2008 and team gold at the 2010 Lexington WEG.
Russia’s Regina Isachkina on Sun of May Life that competed at last month’s World Cup Final on the 10-year-old Rhinelander stallion’s first year at Big Tour was third on 74.000%.
France’s Alexandre Ayache on Zo What won the CDI2* Grand Prix Special on a score of 70.362% with Uwe Schwanz of Germany on Fabious second on 70.319%.
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