Brits bring their A game to Wellington CPEDI

The Wellington Festival of Dressage, in Heckfield, Hampshire (31 May – 03 June 2024), hosted three days of top tier international para dressage as the race for Paris 2024 selection heats up.

Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg (Gribaldi X Diamant) - pictured above - continued to build on their partnership together. Following a treble win at Hickstead CPEDI in May, Mari and the 17-year-old mare, owned by Diane Redfern, achieved three PBs for three wins across the CPEDI3* Grade I classes.

After a confident start on 76.666% in the Grand Prix A, the British combination, trained by Rob Waine, notched up two further decisive wins, scoring 78.958% in the Grand Prix B and 82.089% in the Freestyle, breaking the 80% barrier for the first time. Mari has now moved to the top of the FEI Para Dressage World Individual Ranking.

“Athene was incredible all week and just gets better and better,” commented Mari, speaking on social media. “It’s an honour to ride her and [I’m] not sure my smile could get much bigger.”

Repeating their Addington and Hickstead international hat-tricks, another British combination unbeaten was Nicola Naylor and Humberto L - pictured above. Nicola and the 12-year-old KWPN gelding, who she co-owns with Ros Emery-Kay, once again showed much consistency and style with a convincing clean sweep of the CPEDI3* Grade IV classes. They scored 73.519% to take the Grand Prix A, 74.775% to win the Grand Prix B, rounding off their show with a Freestyle win on 77.534%.

The CPEDI3* Grade II witnessed a British triple win, too, courtesy of Georgia Wilson who won the Grand Prix A and B with her Tokyo Paralympics ride, Sakura, on scores of 71.034% and 72.500% respectively, before claiming the Freestyle aboard the Grey Flanell-sired eight-year-old, Faside Got the Love (74.823%).

Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus - pictured above, competing at their second CPEDI since a 20-month break from competition while Natasha welcomed her first child, Joshua, won the CPEDI3* Grade III Grand Prix B on a cracking score of 75.222%.

Keystone Dawn Chorus (Dimaggio x Escudo), who she co-owns with Joanna Jensen and Christian Landolt, along with her parents Phil and Lorraine Baker, was skilfully piloted by Natasha to also claim the Grade III Grand Prix Freestyle with 80.023%, a fraction off their PB, riding to a Shania Twain and Cher compilation by Nicole Pendzich.

Erin Orford was also on fine form in the CPEDI3* Grade III, with a win in the Grand Prix A scoring 71.333% aboard Sophie Wells, Diane Gallon and Neil and Jackie Walker’s eight-year-old British-bred gelding, Dragons Fire, while Sophie Wells dominated the 3* Grade V.

Winning the Grand Prix A with Rowland Kinch’s Don Cara M (73.761%), a whisker in front of stablemate LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, pictured above, it was with The Lady Joseph Trust’s eight-year-old ‘Diana’ that Sophie claimed the Grand Prix B (75.877%) followed by an emphatic Freestyle win. “So unbelievably proud of this girl absolutely smashing it out the park this week, finishing on a huge PB of 82.467% in the freestyle today,” said Sophie after her winning ride accompanied by music from the 2013 screen adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. 

In the CPEDI2*, Elan Williams and Susanna Wade shared the accolades in the Grade I, with the Intermediate A going to Elan and Brandini, and the Intermediate B and Freestyle belonging to Susanna and Premier Royal Mint.

Jan Cummings showed bright form with her 12-year-old Rhondeo-sired gelding, Rhonderful Dorrells, in the Grade III, while the Grade V combination of Alice Begg and Gluckauf achieved a winning double in the Inter A and Inter B, with Liz McBurney and Banaglore C taking Freestyle honours.

Alice also won all three CPEDI1* Grade V Novice tests with her young ride, six-year-old mare Nalique (Ferdaux x Serano Gold), while Ellie Hamilton and her Welsh gelding, Twynmelyn Aderyn Du, showed promising form in the Grade IV.

Congratulations to all the riders and owners, and thank you to the team at Wellington Riding for organising a successful CPEDI.   

Top three results

CPEDI3* 

Grade I Grand Prix A
1. Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg, 76.666% (GBR)
2. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 73.820% (GBR)
3. Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone, 72.083% (GBR)

Grade I Grand Prix B
1. Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg, 78.958% (GBR)
2. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 76.111% (GBR)
3. Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone, 70.764% (GBR) 

Grade I Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg, 82.089% (GBR)
2. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 77.045% (GBR)
3. Sophie Christiansen and Gladstone, 72.822% (GBR) 

Grade II Grand Prix A
1. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 71.034% (GBR)
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 70.402% (CAN)
3. Jemima Green and Fantabulous, 69.655% (GBR) 

Grade II Grand Prix B
1. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 72.500% (GBR)
2. Georgia Wilson and Faside Got the Love, 70.778% (GBR)
3. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 69.500% (CAN)

Grade II Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Georgia Wilson and Faside Got the Love, 74.823% (GBR)
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 73.533% (CAN)
3. Natasha Adkinson and Sweet Caledonia, 71.978% (GBR)

Grade III Grand Prix A
1. Erin Orford and Dragons Fire, 71.333% (GBR)
2. Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus, 71.222% (GBR)
3. Erin Orford and C Fatal Attraction, 69.222% (GBR)

Grade III Grand Prix B
1. Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus, 75.222% (GBR)
2. Erin Orford and C Fatal Attraction, 72.555% (GBR)
3. Erin Orford and Dragons Fire, 71.555% (GBR)

Grade III Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus, 80.023% (GBR)
2. Erin Orford and Dragons Fire, 75.034% (GBR)
3. Jessica McKenna and Davidoff 188, 65.878% (IRL)

Grade IV Grand Prix A
1. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 73.519% (GBR)
2. Izzy Palmer and Last Gift, 70.880% (GBR)
3. Heather Bennett and Dolores Van Cartier CF, 66.852% (GBR)

Grade IV Grand Prix B
1. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 74.775% (GBR)
2. Izzy Palmer and Last Gift, 70.586% (GBR)
3. Heather Bennett and Dolores Van Cartier CF, 69.054% (GBR)

Grade IV Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 77.534% (GBR)
2. Izzy Palmer and Last Gift, 72.242% (GBR)
3. Fiona Maynard and Denver, 70.108% (GBR)

Grade V Grand Prix A
1. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M, 73.761% (GBR)
2. Sophie Wells and LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, 73.633% (GBR)
3. Melissa Cannon and Quentino 43, 66.880% (AUS)

Grade V Grand Prix B
1. Sophie Wells and LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, 75.877% (GBR)
2. Melissa Cannon and Quentano 43, 63.421% (AUS)

Grade V Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Sophie Wells and LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, 79.333% (GBR)
2. Melissa Cannon and Quentano 43, 71.950% (AUS)

CPEDI2*

Grade I Intermediate A
1. Elan Williams and Brandini, 67.813% (GBR)
2. Elan Williams and WSH Something Borrowed, 65.313% (GBR)
3. Susanna Wade and Premier Royal Mint, 62.500% (GBR)

Grade I Intermediate B
1. Susanna Wade and Premier Royal Mint, 64.667% (GBR)
2. Elan Williams and Brandini, 64.000% (GBR)
3. Elan Williams and WSH Something Borrowed, 63.000% (GBR)

Grade I Intermediate Freestyle
1. Susanna Wade and Premier Royal Mint, 72.711% (GBR)
2. Elan Williams and WSH Something Borrowed, 65.722% (GBR)

Grade III Intermediate A
1. Jan Cummings and Rhonderful Dorrells, 68.095% (GBR)

Grade III Intermediate B
1. Jan Cummings and Rhonderful Dorrells, 64.930% (GBR)

Grade III Intermediate Freestyle
1. Jan Cummings and Rhonderful Dorrells, 68.400% (GBR)

Grade V Intermediate A
1. Alice Begg and Gluckauf, 69.583% (GBR)
2. Lix McBurney and Bangalore C, 64.917% (GBR)
3. Noella Angel and Master Voyager, 60.214% (AUS)

Grade V Intermediate B
1. Alice Begg and Gluckauf, 67.929% (GBR)
2. Liz McBurney and Bangalore C, 62.828% (GBR)
3. Noella Angel and Master Voyager, 55.253% (AUS)

Grade V Intermediate Freestyle
1. Liz McBurney and Bangalore C, 66.033% (GBR)
2. Alice Begg and Gluckauf, 65.258% (GBR)
3. Noella Angel and Master Voyager, 62.600% (AUS)

CPEDI1*

Grade IV Novice A
1. Ellie Hamilton and Twynmelyn Aderyn Du, 66.833% (GBR)

Grade IV Novice B
1. Ellie Hamilton and Twynmelyn Aderyn Du, 66.500% (GBR)

Grade IV Novice Freestyle
1. Ellie Hamilton and Twynmelyn Aderyn Du, 70.450% (GBR)

Grade V Novice A
1. Alice Begg and Nalique, 71.583% (GBR)
2. Donna West and Hio Lookswell, 65.750% (GBR)

Grade V Novice B
1. Alice Begg and Nalique, 72.000% (GBR)
2. Donna West and Hio Lookswell, 62.833% (GBR) 

Grade V Novice Freestyle
1. Alice Begg and Nalique, 77.075% (GBR)

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photo © Kevin Sparrow Photography