{"id":17558,"date":"2019-12-18T16:27:34","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T15:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpingamsterdam.nl\/?p=17558"},"modified":"2019-12-18T16:27:36","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T15:27:36","slug":"dujardin-delights-with-freestyle-win-as-british-dominate-at-olympia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jumpingamsterdam.nl\/en\/dujardin-delights-with-freestyle-win-as-british-dominate-at-olympia\/","title":{"rendered":"Dujardin delights with Freestyle win as British dominate at Olympia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Charlotte Dujardin produced a superb victory with Mount St John Freestyle before an ecstatic home crowd at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019\/2020 Western European League qualifier in the Grand Hall at Olympia, London (GBR) tonight. And to put the icing on the British Christmas cake, her compatriots Carl Hester and Charlotte Fry lined up in second and third.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Louise Parkes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was an evening of great theatre, with Dujardin\u00e2\u0080\u0099s charming \n10-year-old mare producing a stunning test for a mark of 87.520 to take \nthe lead when fourth-last to go, only for a technical hitch to delay the\n scores of the three who followed. Still waiting\n for the final result, the riders were all sent back to the stables \nwhile Santa took over the arena for his Christmas Finale. But finally \nthe red carpet was rolled back out again, and it was Dujardin who led \nthe British victory gallop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was delighted with the performance of her mare who has clearly matured a great deal since showing her massive potential at last year\u00e2\u0080\u0099s FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA where she claimed two bronze medals. Freestyle\u00e2\u0080\u0099s freshness and freedom of movement, the elegance and height of her passage and the expressiveness of her extended canter were just some of today\u00e2\u0080\u0099s highlights. And the horse really seemed to be enjoying herself tonight, her big ears pricked as she gave her rider her full attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s only her third time doing that test, she\u00e2\u0080\u0099s very inexperienced at Freestyle and I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m so pleased with her. The atmosphere was buzzing, it was a full house and I could really feel it when I rode in. But she\u00e2\u0080\u0099s coping better and I couldn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t have asked any more from her!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/strong>Charlotte Dujardin (GBR)<\/strong><\/em> Said the winning rider who, though still only 34 years old, is a legend of the sport following her world-beating career with the now-retired Valegro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her friend and mentor, Hester, followed her into the ring and put a \nscore of 84.470 on the board with a lovely performance with Hawtins \nDelicato. \u00e2\u0080\u009cA personal best, I can\u00e2\u0080\u0099t believe that at my age!\u00e2\u0080\u009d laughed the\n 52-year-old who has long been a huge influence\n in this sport. He was sitting back in the stable area when he learned \nhis result – \u00e2\u0080\u009cone of my girls texted me and said you got an amazing \nscore – it was a bit of a weird way to hear about it!\u00e2\u0080\u009d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fry was second-last to go, and the 23-year-old, who alongside \nDujardin and Hester was a member of the British side that finished \nfourth at this summer\u00e2\u0080\u0099s FEI European Championships, produced a score of \n82.620 with the 10-year-old stallion Everdale. This was\n good enough to pip the final partnership, and last year\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Olympia \nwinners, Germany\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain who finished a \nclose fourth with 82.550 this time around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hester said tonight that although he was happy with the way things \nturned out today he realises he needs to put more pressure on himself, \nbecause he continues to have big ambitions. \u00e2\u0080\u009cIt was clear after the \nGrand Prix test yesterday that this horse needs\n to get out more. I know I need to get myself committed – this happens \nbefore every Olympics!\u00e2\u0080\u009d said the man who has competed at five of them, \ntaking team gold with Uthopia at the London 2012 Games, and team silver \nwith Nip Tuck at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de\n Janeiro, Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dujardin confirmed that she has both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and\n the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2020 in Las Vegas, USA in her sights \nnow. So her plan? \u00e2\u0080\u009cJust to carry on doing what I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m doing and see how we \ngo as we prepare for Tokyo. I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m hoping to\n get to Vegas in April, so I\u00e2\u0080\u0099ll go to the qualifier in Amsterdam in \nJanuary and maybe another after that\u00e2\u0080\u009d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was twice winner of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title with \nValegro, taking her second title in Las Vegas in 2015. Today\u00e2\u0080\u0099s result \nsees her move up to eighth on the Western European League table from \nwhich the top nine will qualify for the 2020 Final,\n so she may need another good result to ensure she makes the cut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are still five legs of the Western European series left to go, the next taking place at Mechelen, Belgium on 29 December.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n