Charlotte Fry (GBR) using Glamourdale ©FEI/Leanjo De Koster.
Nice Britain’s Lottie Fry and her celebrity stallion Glamourdale received the eleventh and final leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League on the Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED).
On a day that proved difficult for various horse-and-rider mixtures, the reigning double-individual world champions rapidly recovered after a stunning second of discord throughout canter half-pass to put up the profitable rating of 86.835. The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere (Hermes NOP) completed second forward of Germany’s Isabell Werth (Emilio) and Benjamin Werndl (Famoso OLD) in third and fourth locations, whereas the thrilling new Dutch mixture of Marieke van der Putten and Torveslettens Titanium completed fifth.
There have been 9 locations up for grabs for the 2023 collection Closing which kicks off in Omaha, USA on 4 April and, ending sixth on the leaderboard, Fry has made the lower. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old athlete couldn’t verify if she’s going to take the busy breeding stallion, with which she received particular person double-gold on the ECCO FEI World Championships final summer season, throughout the Atlantic in three weeks’ time. “I’m unsure, however we’ll make plans shortly,” she stated.
Excited
There was lots for the Dutch crowd to get enthusiastic about, together with a beautiful efficiency from their very own Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB who took the lead simply earlier than the midway break. The 13-year-old chestnut gelding appeared supremely chilled and assured as he strutted his strategy to a rating of 79.360 on solely his third Freestyle outing at this degree.
Finland’s Emma Kanerva posted a private greatest to overhaul the Dutch pair, placing 79.505 on the board with Greek Air when the motion resumed after which, fourth-last to go, Germany’s Werndl reset the goal with Famoso OLD who swaggered his strategy to the primary over-80% mark of the day, scoring 82.760, which was at all times going to place them within the body.
Nonetheless, van Liere and Hermes NOP, double-bronze medallists eventually yr’s World Championship, bettered that. Beginning out with sensational passage/piaffe and essentially the most great rhythm, they appeared set to essentially blow the lid off the competitors. However the 13-year-old stallion grew to become more and more tense, and so they completed on a mark of 83.375 – lower than the 87.055 they posted to win on house floor in Amsterdam in January, however adequate to quickly take the lead.
“Hermes will get extra excited when there may be lots of people, however I’m nonetheless very joyful about our progress collectively and the place we’re going. He will be excellent in piaffe/passage which I believe have been my greatest ever right now. I have to get him extra quiet within the canter now,” stated Dinja van Liere.
Out in entrance
Fry and Glamourdale adopted them into the ring and it was rapidly clear that their rating was going to place them out in entrance, particularly after incomes 10s throughout the board for his or her first prolonged canter and 9.3 for beautiful two-tempi modifications. However the stallion abruptly shook his head and spooked throughout the canter half-pass, and though he rapidly regained his equilibrium, the misplaced factors left the pair with a ultimate tally of 86.835, properly under the 90.995 they posted when profitable in London final Christmas.
“It was a disgrace, as a result of he did a few of his highest work right now!” Fry stated afterwards. “It’s a large area with a number of ambiance and he got here again and we completed properly, so I’m joyful tonight!”
That large ambiance additionally appeared to get to Werth’s 15-year-old gelding Emilio, who threw in some hijinks earlier than they entered the sector to attain 82.670, which would depart them in third.
“He went on fireplace when Lottie’s end result got here up!” Werth defined. “I used to be very glad with the primary half, however I misplaced him a little bit within the canter work, which is a disgrace as I there misplaced the likelihood to compete with Lottie. But it surely was an awesome ambiance right here right now and on the finish that is what counts,” identified the woman who is aware of extra about ambiance than most.
She is heading to her twenty third FEI Dressage World Cup™ Closing this yr, having received 5 of them since they have been first staged again in 1986. She is going to take the stallion DSP Qantaz with which she claimed high factors at each Lyon (FRA) and Basel (SUI) this season, when ending second behind compatriot and defending World Cup champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the mare TSF Dalera on each events.
League desk
As a result of she is routinely certified, von Bredow-Werndl didn’t want to choose up factors all through this season, and the ultimate Western European League desk reveals Werth on high adopted by compatriot Ingrid Klimke in second, van Liere in third, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald in fourth, and Benjamin Werndl – Jessica’s brother – in fifth place. Fry lies sixth forward of Sweden’s Patrik Kittel in seventh, The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra is in eighth place, and Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg slotted into ninth spot.
Nonetheless, with solely three athletes from any NF permitted to compete on the Closing, neither Benjamin Werndl nor former double-champion Langehanenberg will journey. French rider Morgan Barbançon and Germany’s Frederic Wandres share tenth place and the Dutch duo of Emmelie Scholtens and Marieke van der Putten holds the subsequent two locations. There are nonetheless some issues to be settled earlier than the ultimate touches are put to the start-list for the thirty fifth FEI Dressage World Cup™ Closing is set.
by Louise Parkes
