Dressage-News

PILIJÁSZFALU, Hungary, June 18, 2021–Simone Pearce on Destano won the World Cup Grand Prix Friday after capturing the CDI4* Grand Prix on Double Joy to dominate Big Tour at this Budapest area competition.

Simone and Destano, a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion, scored 74.816% in the short Grand Prix created for World Cup competitions. The score was the second highest Grand Prix for the pair behind only the 76.261% they posted last year to set an Australian record.

Portugal’s Filipe Canelas on Fortuna placed second on 68.632% with Fie Christine Skarsoe of Luxembourg on Shy Boy third on 68.184%.

Earlier Friday, Simone rode Double Joy to victory in the CDI4* Grand Prix for the Special on a score of 71.826% that qualified the rider’s third horse as a contender for a place on Australia’s Olympic team.

The result for Simone and the 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion was 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.

Simone is already qualified for the Australian team on Destano which hold Australian records for both the Grand Prix and the Special.

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:

CDI-W Grand Prix