Friday, 17 May 2024
With the race for Olympic and Paralympic selection hotting up, our British Equestrian World Class Programme athletes have been out and about over the past few weeks, getting some brilliant results at fixtures across the country.
Plus, there’s been some great achievements for British vaulters competing in Hungary.
This year’s 80th anniversary Royal Windsor Horse Show enjoyed its traditional array of showing, driving, endurance, Pony Club mounted games, dressage, jumping and displays provided four amazing days of entertainment and top sport.
CDI4* Defender Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle
On the opening day of Royal Windsor Horse Show, Gareth Hughes took the win in the Grand Prix riding ‘family pony’ Classic Goldstrike, who he shares with his wife Rebecca and daughter Ruby. They scored a respectable 71.957% on what is one of the biggest outings for the 13-year-old gelding. Third place went to Lewis Carrier and Diego V, who scored 69.304%.
In the Grand Prix Freestyle, Lewis and Diego went one better to take second place with 75.165%, behind Emile Faurie and Bellvue. Gareth and Classic Goldstrike scored 74.070% in what is the gelding’s first Grand Prix Freestyle to take fifth.
CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix
The Rolex Grand Prix is always the showcase of Royal Windsor’s jumping offering. The win went to Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, who retained his title from the previous year riding Leone Jei. The World Class Programme’s Robert Whitaker and Vermento were best of the Brits in fourth. Tim Gredley and Imperial HBF showed their partnership’s growing confidence at the level by going clear in the first round and finishing eighth thanks to just one time fault picked up in the jump-off.
Full results are available here.
A number of dressage and para dressage combinations vying for selection for the Paris 2024 Games made the trip to the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead in West Sussex. With some great results all round, they’ll have made it a tricky job for the selections late this summer.
CPEDI3* Grand Prix A, Grand Prix B and Grand Prix Freestyle
Grand Prix A
In Grade 1, Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg stormed to the win with 75.208%, while Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone continued to cement their new partnership as they took third with 71.806%.
In Grade 2, Georgia Wilson took the top two slots on the podium – eight-year-old Faside Got The Love just pipped Sakura to the win, earning 71.839% to her 71.782%. Jemina Green made her international debut with six-year-old Fantabulous for third and 68.678%.
In Grade 3, Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus made their return to international competition a winning one, following Natasha’s period of maternity leave after the birth of her son, Joshua. They scored 74.833% to finish ahead of Erin Orford and eight-year-old Dragons Fire on 69.444%.
In Grade 4, Nicola Naylor started the week on a good note with a one-two in the Grand Prix A – 12-year-old Humberto L topped the leaderboard with 69.908%, while eight-year-old Kallista’s Furstenlooks UVA was hot on his heels with 67.963. Fiona Maynard and Denver completed the podium with 67.778%.
In Grade 5, Paralympian Sophie Wells and her European Championship partner LJT Egebjerggards Samoa came out on top with 73.975%. Second place went to Charlotte Cundall and FJ Veyron with 72.137%, while Sophie’s second ride, Don Cara M, finished third with 71.881%.
Grand Prix B
In Grade 1, Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg finished almost seven percent ahead of the rest of the field with a score of 77.153%. Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone took another third place with 69.583%.
In Grade 2, Georgia Wilson’s two horses switched placings on the podium, with nine-year-old Sakura finishing just ahead of Faside Got The Love on 72.889% to his 72.000%. Jemima Green and Fantabulous continued their great run with another third place for 70.056%.
In Grade 3, the top two placings were a replica of the Grand Prix A – Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus came out on top with 73.333%, while Erin Orford and Dragons Fire came second with 72.056%.
In Grade 4, Nicola Naylor and Humberto L once again topped the podium with 73.063%. Fiona Maynard and Denver went one better to finish second with 69.144%, ahead of Nicola’s second ride, Kallista’s Furstenlook UVA, on 68.649%.
In Grade 5, Sophie Wells and LJT Egebjerggards Samoa continued their winning streak with 72.456%, while Sophie’s other ride, Don Cara M, was second with 70.439%. Charlotte Cundall and FJ Veyron rounded out the podium with 68.553%.
Grand Prix Freestyle
In Grade 1, Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg posted another huge score – 77.889% - to finish their week on a high with another win. Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone achieved another third placing with 70.889% with their The Matrix-themed routine.
In Grade 2, Georgia Wilson selected to bring forward her Paralympic Games mount Sakura, going on to win the class with 74.000%. Jemima Green and Fantabulous finished second with 67.778%.
In Grade 3, Natasha Baker made it a clean sweep of wins with 75.111%, while Erin Orford and Dragons Fire finished second with 73.222%.
In Grade 4, Nicola Naylor and Humberto L made it three wins from three with a score of 72.167%, while Fiona Maynard and Denver took the runners-up spot with 69.083%.
In Grade 5, Sophie Wells chose of bring forward Don Cara M of her two rides, taking the win with 73.000%. Charlotte Cundall and FJ Veyron finished just behind them with 72.417%.
CDI3* Grand Prix, Grand Prix Freestyle and Grand Prix Special
Charlotte Dujardin made it an impressive one-two in the Grand Prix, taking first place with her World and European Championships partner Imhotep on a score of 80.780%, then sneaking into second with 10-year-old Alive And Kicking at only her second international appearance on 77.370%. Mentor Carl Hester had to settle for third with Fame on 76.239%.
Alive And Kicking made her Grand Prix Freestyle debut with Charlotte. The pair put in a confident performance to a soundtrack based on music from Disney’s Frozen to take the win with 78.300%. Andrew Gould and 13-year-old stallion Genie finished third with 69.250%.
Imhotep was once again on winning form in the Grand Prix Special, topping the leaderboard with Charlotte on a score of 81.362%. Carl and Fame went one better to finish second with 78.660%, while Gareth Hughes finished fourth with Classic Goldstrike on 69.872%.
Full results are available here.
In what was rollercoaster edition of MARS Badminton Horse Trials, former World Class Programme athlete Alex Bragg finished third with Quindiva thanks to a superb double-clear in the jumping phases. In a conclusion that caught almost everyone by surprise, the win went to New Zealand’s Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier, while second was taken by Badminton debutant and amateur rider Lucy Latta from Ireland riding RCA Patron Saint.
Of our World Class Programme cohort, Emily King and Valmy Biats finished in fourth place – marking Emily’s first Badminton competition in five attempts. Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift earned themselves another CCI5* top-five finish, really demonstrating their consistency at the level.
Emotions were high for Bubby Upton, who finished in 10th place just nine months after a riding accident that left her facing the possibility of never walking again. Thanks to support from our World Class Programme, and her own hard work and determination, Bubby had the crowd behind her all weekend as she made her successful comeback with Cola.
The other big piece of news to come out of the weekend was William Fox-Pitt’s announcement that this would be his final visit to Badminton. William, who has 14 CCI5* wins to his name – more than any other event rider – has won Badminton on two previous occasions, in 2004 and 2015. He was lying in second place after cross-country, following a superb round with 11-year-old Grafennacht, but dropped to 13th after the showjumping.
Full results are available here.
Vaulting sisters Milly (16) and Evie (13) Jessett from Kineton in Warwickshire, made the long trip to Hungary worthwhile by taking the win in the Junior CVI2* Pairs class, finishing on 7.3. This was the first international Pairs class the girls have competed in, having started competing together nationally in 2023 and taking the national title at the British Championships last October.
They were very kindly lent an Austrian horse, Le Garcon Du Coeur, lunged by Viktoria Mandi, and only had one practise before competing.
The girls also entered the individual Junior CVI2* class, where it was third place for Evie on 7.722 and Milly pulled up two places form the first round to finish in 8th on 7.17. Both competed with lunger Antonia Baumann on the young horse Jupiter, also from Austria, at his first international competition.
These scores and placing give the girls their qualifying scores for the upcoming Junior European Championships in Bern, Switzerland in July. British Vaulting will announce those selected in June.
Full results are available here.