Dressage-News

KRONENBERG, Netherlands, Dec. 3, 2022–Annabella Pidgley and Gio won the Peelbergen CDI3* Grand Prix Special Saturday to complete the Big Tour debut for the 18-year-old rider who four months ago was on Britain’s European Championships bronze medal team as a junior.

Annabella and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding were awarded a score of 75.085% for the victory a day after placing third in the Grand Prix in the first outing at Big Tour since the Pidgley family acquired Gio a year ago.

Marlies van Baalen of the Netherlands, also making the Big Tour debut on Habibi DVB, 10-year-old KWPN gelding, scored 74.489% for runner-up. The pair won the Grand Prix Friday.

Germany’s Carina Scholz on the 14-year-old mare Soiree d’ Amour OLD was third on 73.213%.

Charlotte Dujardin, Britain’s Olympic star, aquired Gio when seeing the horse in a masterclass in Los Angeles in 2016.

Charlotte and Gio led Great Britain to team bronze and also took Freestyle bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The pair earned team silver and Freestyle bronze at the European Championships two months later.

Annabella has been successful at European pony and junior rider championships over the past four years.

After her success in the European Junior Championships earlier this year, she made her CDI young rider debut in October.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Special