Simone Pearce & Double Joy Win Pilisjászfalu CDI4* Grand Prix to Qualify 3rd Horse for Australia’s Olympic Team

PILIJÁSZFALU, Hungary, June 18, 2021–Simone Pearce rode Double Joy to victory in the CDI4* Grand Prix for the Special Friday with a score that qualified the rider’s third horse as a contender for a place on Australia’s Olympic team.

Simone and the 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion were awarded 71.826% for the win and the second of two scores of at least 69% required to qualify for consideration for the Aussie team of three for the Tokyo Games beginning in five weeks. The Germany-based Simone, who will celebrate her 30th birthday in a month, earned her first qualifying score of 71.022% on Double Joy last month.

Dirk-Jan van de Water of the Netherlands on Hexagon’s Grandville was second on 69.739% with Russia’s Maria Klementieva on Doctor Wendell MF third on 69.609%.

Simone is already qualified for the Australian team on Destano, 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion which she is scheduled to compete here in the Grand Prix Freestyle division. Simone and Destano set Australian record scores of 76.261% in the Grand Prix and 77.894% in the Special last year.

She also is qualified on Amandori, 10-year-old German Sport Horse stallion. Both Destano and Amandori are owned by Gestüt Sprehe GmbH where Simone is a stable rider and as required by Olympic rules. Double Joy is owned by Sabine Rüben.

On Thursday, Simone rode Quando Unico, a Hanoverian stallion, to win the seven-year-old preliminary class on a score of 80.457%. The win was the second for the pair in two starts, earning 83.732% in their debut young horse competition last month.

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix for Special