BD abroad: Saumur CDI3*/2*/U25

It was a strong showing for the quintet of riders who headed to the legendary Cadre Noir in Saumur France for the CDI3*/2*/U25 with all achieving top eight placings throughout including two wins for Jess Dunn in the Small Tour ranks on her first trip to Europe to compete internationally.

In the CDI3*, Gareth Hughes was best Brit with Rebecca Hughes’ Trento B sired Classic Briolinca in both the Grand Prix and Freestyle. The duo were runners up in the Grand Prix behind Spanish Olympic pair Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Delgado with 73.39%. Louise Bell narrowly missed a +70% score with her own and Tonya Wood’s Into the Blue to finish eighth. 

In the Freestyle, Gareth and Briolinca impressed again to score well with 76.55% which put them third. On Facebook he said; ‘she was a rather impatient princess in her halts gaining threes but showed off her talent in the piaffe/passage gaining nines!’
Louise and ‘Dynamo’ improved one place with their Freestyle routine to earn 72.2% and seventh spot.

The story of the weekend came in the CDI2* Small Tour classes as both British riders acquitted themselves on their first trip to represent Britain on the continent. In the PSG, it was Cheshire rider Helen Dutton who impressed with her own Valdorama D with a personal best 70% which earned second spot. Not far behind was Jess Dunn with Alicante Valley, owned by Jennifer Whittaker, on 68.97% which left them just off the podium in fourth.

A step up in difficulty to the Inter I and it was Jess’s turn to shine with ‘Chello’. A score of72.05% left them nearly two percent ahead of the nearest challengers to take their maiden European victory. Helen and ‘Valde’ finished fifth on 67%.

It was then Inter I Freestyle to finish off the week and again Jess rose to the challenge to post a fabulous76.04% test with the Dutch bred Alicante Valley – this time by an even more impressive margin of nearly four and a half percent. Helen and Valdorama D ended their first show on European soil with 69.37% which gave them sixth spot.

In the U25 division, our sole representative was Ellie McCarthy with Bridget McCarthy’s Belissimo M sired Belafonte and they earned two podium places. In the Inter II they were narrowly edged into third with 67.2% while in the U25 Grand Prix it was one place better for the runners up spot with 65.81%.

CDI3*
Grand Prix
1. Beatriz Ferrer-Salat with Delgado (ESP), 75.19%
2. Gareth Hughes with Classic Briolinca (GBR), 73.39%
8. Louise Bell with Into the Blue (GBR), 69.82%

Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Beatriz Ferrer-Salat with Delgado (ESP), 77.52%
3. Gareth Hughes with Classic Briolinca, (GBR), 76.55%
7. Louise Bell with Into the Blue (GBR), 72.20%

CDI2*
Prix St Georges
1. Jos Hogendoorn with Convalaria (NED), 70.78%
2. Helen Dutton with Valdorama D (GBR), 70%
4. Jess Dunn with Alicante Valley (GBR), 68.97%

Inter I
1. Jess Dunn with Alicante Valley (GBR), 72.05%
5. Helen Dutton with Valdorama D (GBR), 67.5%

Inter I Freestyle
1. Jess Dunn with Alicante Valley (GBR), 76.04%
6. Helen Dutton with Valdorama D (GBR), 69.37%

CDIU25
Inter II
1. Cedric Gallinard with Scherzo ZC (FRA), 68.67%
2. Ellie McCarthy with Belafonte (GBR), 67.2%

Grand Prix 16-25
1. Carl-Iennart Korsch with Ayers Rock BB (SUI), 66.88%
2. Ellie McCarthy with Belafonte (GBR), 65.81%