Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin had been again in motion with their prime horses within the CDI3* and CDI4* at a moist and windy Hagen CDI, Germany (24–28 April).
Hagen CDI has been the normal opener of the out of doors dressage season in Europe for a few years, and though the occasion was usurped in that regard by the Aachen Competition 4 Dressage (27-31 March) this yr, it as soon as once more attracted a stellar subject of rivals.
The CDI3* noticed the understudies take centre stage, with Charlotte successful the grand prix (74.84%) and the grand prix particular (74.17%) aboard the 10-year-old rising star Alive And Kicking (All at As soon as x Fürst Piccolo), whereas Carl was second in each with the favored reigning nationwide champion En Vogue (Jazz x Contango).
This was solely Alive And Kicking’s – who Charlotte co-owns with Carl Hester and Ulrike Bachinger – second worldwide grand prix and she or he caught the attention once more, scoring constant eights for her piaffe and passage, with the transitions between being a spotlight.
In the meantime, this was En Vogue’s first look because the Nationwide Championships (17 September 2023) and Carl gave the now 15-year-gelding two delicate rides to ease him again into competitors, with Carl describing the particular (72.17%) as En Vogue’s “greatest particular up to now”.
Each Alive And Kicking and En Vogue have now met the minimal eligibility necessities to be chosen for the Paris Olympic Video games with the principles stating combos have between 1 January 2023 and 24 June 2024 to obtain no less than 67% from each a degree four-judge of a distinct nationality to the rider and as a mean from all judges at two completely different accredited CDI3*/CDI4*/CDI5*/CDI-W/CDIO occasions.
Olympic hopefuls in motion at Hagen CDI
Carl and Charlotte’s two favourites for Olympic choice competed within the CDI4*. Charlotte and European particular person bronze medallist Imhotep (Everdale x Vivaldi) received each the grand prix (77.47%) and the particular (79.06%) whereas Carl and Fame had been third within the grand prix (74.47%) and the particular (75.8%) – simply behind German mixture Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD in each lessons.
“I’m nonetheless having to stability and sluggish him down a little bit bit,” defined Charlotte. “Generally that may have an effect on the body a little bit. However I like having a horse that’s so eager and keen. His work ethic is second to none and he’s a lot enjoyable.
“I used to be actually happy with my experience”, mentioned Charlotte, who had a small blip within the transition from canter to trot in direction of the tip of the particular. “There was simply the final bit, that easy transition — one thing I by no means usually fear about. It simply goes to indicate, it could actually catch you out. However my pirouettes and my piaffe had been actually good. It’s an important begin to the yr and coming away from right here we each discovered loads.”
Carl was additionally delighted with Fiona Bigwood’s Fame: “He was rather more rideable, a pleasure actually! I simply had a mistake with my pirouette, which was very costly and my mistake. Nonetheless, I used to be actually blissful to complete the competitors with a experience like that. For us it’s not simply concerning the factors, however about having the feels and to see the place we’re as much as.”
Two-time Olympian Emma Hindle and her personal and Richard White’s Zippo M.I. had been additionally in motion at Hagen, ending joint eleventh within the CDI3* grand prix (67.73%) and tenth within the particular (66.59%) whereas Eire’s Abi Lyle was thirteenth within the CDI4* grand prix (66.04%) and eleventh within the freestyle (73.08%) aboard Giraldo.
New prizegiving format trialled
A brand new prizegiving format was trialled at Hagen CDI, with every horse doing a person lap of honour adopted by the highest three riders returning to the sector on foot for the nationwide anthems and awards.
Carl described the brand new format as “extra relaxed”, including: “From Charlotte’s and my viewpoint, that is the proper method. It’s undoubtedly higher for the horses and their welfare. Spectators can nonetheless see the horses on a lap of honour, and it’s good that this hasn’t been fully abolished.”
Frederic agreed: “Many because of Ulli Kasselmann, who developed this concept along with Monica [Theodorescu]. We try it out right here in Hagen and I hope that many organisers will comply with. That is the proper step in the proper path.”
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Credit score: Benjamin Clark
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