Monday, 24 June 2024
June has been a busy month for our World Class Programme athletes, particularly for those who are on the nominated entries lists for Paris 2024 and are therefore hoping to strengthen their bids for selection. Here’s a round-up of just some of the key competition results.
In the Longines League of Nations, the team of Ben Maher and Point Break, Tim Gredley and Imperial HBF, Joseph Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel and Harry Charles and Romeo 88 finished third in an incredibly close-fought competition. The podium placing was secured through super double clears from Ben and Harry, who took the pathfinder and anchor roles respectively. Joe jumped clear in the first round and had one fence down in the second, while Tim was clear but with two time faults in the first round. The win went to France, who were faultless across both rounds, and the Swedish team were second – they finished on the same four-fault score as the British team, but had collectively faster times in the second round.
In the FEI Dressage Nations Cup, Becky Moody and Jagerbomb, Lewis Carrier and Diego V, and Richard White and Heroi Do Seixo finished XX. Individually, Becky and ‘Bomb’ were best of the Brits, finishing seventh in the Grand Prix with a score of 73.609%. They elected to ride the Grand Prix Special, where they capped their Dutch weekend off well with a strong third-placed finish on 74.681% behind Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Horse Don Olymbrio (75/915%), and Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Touchdown (75.106%).
Lewis and Richard chose to ride in the Grand Prix Freestyle, where they finished 10th and 11th respectively.
Click here to see the full results.
Four combinations from the Paris 2024 para dressage nominated entries list headed to Kronenberg in the Netherlands for some overseas experience in their quest for selection. The elite company and large classes also offered plenty of challenge for our British group.
In the Grand Prix A, Grade 1 pairing Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone were just off the podium in fourth with 68.264%. Georgia Wilson was second and fourth in the Grade 2 class with her pair of rides – Sakura scoring 70.747% and Faside Got The Love scoring 68. 563%. Grade 5 combination Charlotte Cundall and FJ Veyron finished sixth with 68.974%.
There were podium placings all round in the Grand Prix B. Sophie and ‘William’ were third with 69.375%, Georgia was second with Sakura on 71.167%, and Charlotte and ‘Duke’ were third with 70.175%. Georgia also finished with with ‘Jax’ on 67.667%.
In the Grand Prix Freestyle, Sophie and William were back on the podium in second with 72.711%. Georgia elected to bring forward Sakura for another second placing with 74.778%, while Charlotte and Duke were fifth with 70.867%.
To see the full list of results, click here.
The CCI5* and CCI4*-S classes at Luhmühlen proved a popular hunting ground for a number of nations as part of their selection campaigns for Paris 2024. This included five combinations from the British eventing nominated entries list, who were hoping to catch the selectors’ eyes with strong results.
One of these, Laura Collett and London 52, were the best placed Brits through the first two phases of the CCI4*-S, posting a 24.8 dressage score to slot into second behind Germany’s Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH, then holding it thanks to just 1.6 time penalties accrued across the country. Unfortunately, a very minor injury picked up on course meant that Laura chose to withdraw her trusty partner before the showjumping phase, opting to save him for the future. With the duo out of contention, Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir, who had been sitting in third after the first two phases, put the pressure onto Michi and ‘Chip’ with a clear showjumping round. After a fence down relegated the German pair to third, it was Yaz and Banzai who lifted the Messmer trophy with a score of 29.3, while fellow Paris 2024 nominated entry Tom McEwen and JL Dublin finished in second on 29.6.
Tom and Yaz made the most of their trip to Germany by also achieving podium placings in the CCI5*. Rerouting CHF Cooliser to Luhmühlen after a minor issue meant she was unable to start at Badminton in May, Tom and the chestnut posted a 30.8 in the dressage phase, putting them into fourth, where they stayed after cross-country by adding just 5.2 time penalties to their score. Yaz was left disappointed her after dressage test with Rehy DJ, who also features on the Paris 2024 nominated entries list, when their score of 36.9 had them down in 28th place. However, a rare clear inside the time on cross-country day put them right back in the mix for sixth. The showjumping on the final day proved influential, but clear rounds meant that ‘Eliza’ was able to give Tom his second runner-up placing of the weekend, while Yaz and ‘Piglet’ were able to climb onto the podium in third place – one of just two combinations to finish on their dressage score. The win went to Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney d’Arville of Belgium, a first five star win for the country.
Two-phase leaders Ros Canter and Izilot DHI had an uncharacteristic two fences down and two time faults in the showjumping phase, dropping them to fourth.
Click here to see the full list of results.
It was a dressage and para dressage extravaganza at Wellington for their annual International Festival of Dressage, with numerous Paris 2024 nominated entry combinations using it as a stepping stone on their campaigns for Games selection.
In the CPEDI3* classes, World Class Programme combinations reigned supreme on the podium…
Grand Prix A
Grand Prix B
Grand Prix Freestyle
For the full list of results, click here.
In the CDI3* Grand Prix, it was Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep who came out on top, posting a score of 79.891% to win the class. Carl Hester filled the other two spots on the podium with Fame in second place on 77.457%, followed by En Vogue in third place with 71.783%. Paris 2024 nominated combined Andrew Gould and Indigro finished just off the podium in fourth with 69.718%.
Charlotte elected to bring her multi-medal-winning gelding forward for the Grand Prix Special, which they promptly won with a score of 77.638%. Carl was once again the bridesmaid behind his protégé, scoring 74.149% with En Vogue. Lewis Carrier and Diego V rounded out the podium with 68.893%, while Andrew and Indigro were once again fourth with 68.574%.
Carl got his turn atop the podium in the Grand Prix Freestyle, where he and Fame took the win with 83.935%.
Click here to see the full list of results.
Paris 2024 nominated entries Kitty King with Vendredi Biats and Ros Canter with Lordships Graffalo chose the CCI4*-S as part of their selection campaign. Ros and ‘Walter’ lead the dressage and jumping phases with a two-phase score of 22.5, but opted to run slowly across the country for eventual 16th place. Kitty and ‘Froggy’ scored 25.2 in the first two phases, then capitalised on a faultless cross-country run to take the win ahead of Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue of Ireland, and Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci De La Vigne of Japan.
In the CCI4*-L, the podium was dominated by World Class Programme athletes. Harry Meade took the win with Annaghmore Valoner, thanks to a clear showjumping round. Podium Potential Pathway athlete Max Warburton scored the biggest result of his career by taking second with Deerpairc Revelry, while Ros Canter and MHS Seventeen finished third – helped by a cross-country phase that course designer Ian Stark credited as his round of the day. Tom Jackson and Ask For Manchier, who led after cross-country, slipped to fifth after having the first showjump down. Tom and Harry also had second horses finish inside the top 10, with Tom’s Plot Twist B finishing seventh and Harry’s Et Hop Du Matz in ninth.
Click here to see the full list of results.