Brits shine at Le Mans CDI

A strong British contingent delivered promising results in Le Mans, where Anna Ross and Sofia Games led the charge, achieving wins at the popular French CDI (6 – 9 February 2024).

With her own and Marcelo Tosi’s Habouche (Ampere x Sydney), Anna Ross (pictured above) stole the show in the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle, clinching the victory on 72.525%. The win concluding a successful week for Anna, where she also finished a close second in the opening Grand Prix competition on 68.696%, just a fraction behind Spain’s Claudio Castilla Ruiz and Jota Das Figueiras who took the test win on 68.935%.

The Devon-based rider credited her success to a bold new freestyle routine, with music by Equidance and a floorplan designed by Emma Hobbs. “I proudly announced before that I had never used my joker line in my freestyle and then everyone said it’s not difficult enough! So we watched loads of World Cup videos and made up this absolute ninja floor plan,” Anna explained about the winning process, “We just put in a really high degree of difficulty and went for it.”

“No guts, no glory, that's what I say,” laughed Anna. “We had the best time. Holly was terrific; it really showed off her many attributes. She gets better the more you give her to do as she loves a challenge and so was very quick to pick it up.”

The pair have a strong partnership and speaking on this, Anna said, “Holly's very established now and actually it's the longest I've had a Grand Prix horse, so we’re good friends and get along well.”Beyond the competition arena, Anna emphasised the importance of keeping things varied for the 13-year-old mare. “I don’t think it’s good for them to just go round and round in perfectly flat arenas, so she hacks a lot, does hill work, and goes through different terrains. It helps keep her sound and she enjoys it. Plus she’s a real character, so is well known in the village!”

“I feel if I take her into Grand Prix too often then it's too much mileage - you wouldn't run a marathon every day,” said Anna, going on to explain how she’s careful to balance the mare’s workload whilst keeping her brain busy, “She gets pretty bored if she doesn't do anything, so she's been out competing at Advanced and Prix St Georges with Tom Carter and I've also got another team member who might do well on her. So, she’s very much the family horse at the moment; it's great because it gives her a day out and they can learn from her.”

Having taken home a Junior hat-trick with Honey D’Or at Le Mans last November, Gloucestershire’s Sofia Games made an impressive transition to the Young Riders ranks, delivering yet another trio of wins - this time aboard Leslie Forlee’s Belissimo M-sired Boccelli 6. The pair took wins in both the Team and Individual tests, earning 68.432% and 69.676%, before concluding their week with a freestyle victory on a superb 74.583%.

“Just a year ago I did my first Junior CDI and now stepping up to Young Riders just a year later is a crazy experience,” said the 16-year-old rider, “It’s a bit of a dream to be honest. The tests are more difficult and things come up a lot faster, but I feel really lucky to have a horse who knows what he’s doing.”

This success felt like a full-circle moment for Sofia as she explained, “I'm so proud of Chelli. He’s just wonderful. He was the first horse I rode when I was 10 and we came back together last year, so we’ve done a full circle. I don't know how it happened, but we somehow came back together and it's really nice that he's taken me on that journey.”

Junior rider Demi Howard-Cartwright (17) continued a successful week for the Elite Dressage team, with the nine-year-old gelding Newton Astro Nascente enjoying a promising first visit overseas. The combination, who have been competing together since late 2023, took home three podium finishes across the Junior classes. Their highest placing came in the Individual test, where they earned a score of 70.049% to finish as close runners up behind Poland’s Veronica Pawluk, whilst the duo also placed third in the Team and Freestyle competitions on 68.182% and 72.266%.

In the Pony division, Mimi Kempster with Che Bello (FS Champion de Lux x Dressman) and Sophia Longworth aboard the Champion de Luxe FS-sired Don de Luxe both gained valuable international experience, each earning top ten finishes.

Results – top three and British placings

CDI3* Grand Prix
1.    Claudio Castilla Ruiz and Jota das Figueiras, 68.935% (ESP)
2.    Anna Louise Ross and Habouche, 68.696% (GBR)
3.    Kathleen Kröncke and Uniteds Maerchen, 68.544% (GER) 

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle 
1.    Anna Louise Ross and Habouche, 72.525% (GBR)
2.    Rowena Weggelaar and Don Quichot, 71.570% (NED)
3.    Alexa Fairchild and Mala Skala's Hermes, 71.135% (BEL)

CDIP Pony Team Test
1.    Esmae Niessen and Strandgaards Do It My Way, 70.000% (NED)
2.    Isabella Karajkovic and First Hummer, 68.762% (NED)
3.    Charlotte Pons and Vinkenhove Xander, 68.667% (FRA)
5.    Mimi Kempster and Che Bello, 67.619% (GBR)
9.    Sophia Longworth and Don de Luxe, 60.095% (GBR)

CDIP Pony Individual Test
1.    Isabella Karajkovic and First Hummer, 71.982% (NED)
2.    Esmae Niessen and Strandgaards Do It My Way, 70.991% (NED)
3.    Kate Jansen and FS Mr. Magic, 70.585% (NED)
7.    Mimi Kempster and Che Bello, 66.081% (GBR)
10.    Sophia Longworth and Don de Luxe, 63.694% (GBR)

CDIP Pony Freestyle Test
1.    Esmae Niessen and Strandgaards Do It My Way, 76.208% (NED)
2.    Isabella Karajkovic and First Hummer, 75.042% (NED)
3.    Kate Jansen and FS Mr. Magic, 73.842% (NED)
6.    Mimi Kempster and Che Bello, 68.800% (GBR)
7.    Sophia Longworth and Don de Luxe, 67.891% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Team Test
1.    Zoë Vincourt and Cennin, 70.050% (NED)
2.    Veronica Pawluk and Fallete Old, 69.293% (POL)
3.    Demi Howard-Cartwright and Newton Astro Nascente, 68.182% (GBR)
4.    Sofia Games and Honey D'Or, 68.030% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Individual Test
1.    Veronica Pawluk and Fallete Old, 70.686% (POL)
2.    Demi Howard-Cartwright and Newton Astro Nascente, 70.049% (GBR)
3.    Zoë Vincourt and Cennin, 69.314% (NED)
5.    Sofia Games and Honey D'Or, 67.157% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Freestyle 
1.    Veronica Pawluk and Fallete Old, 73.825% (POL)
2.    Sofia Games and Honey D'Or, 72.433% (GBR)
3.    Demi Howard-Cartwright and Newton Astro Nascente, 72.266% (GBR)

CDIY Young Rider Team Test
1.    Sofia Games and Boccelli 6, 68.432% (GBR)
2.    Lou Eden Commenges and Legend Dancarino, 65.147% (FRA)
3.    Linde Hofs and Kupido, 63.284% (NED)

CDIY Young Rider Individual Test
1.    Sofia Games and Boccelli 6, 69.676% (GBR)
2.    Lou Eden Commenges and Legend Dancarino, 66.735% (FRA)
3.    Linde Hofs and Kupido, 64.088% (NED)

CDIY Young Rider Freestyle 
1.    Sofia Games and Boccelli 6, 74.583% (GBR)
2.    Linde Hofs and Kupido, 71.867% (NED)
3.    Daphne Bigan and Livius Van Het Dravershof, 67.725% (FRA)
 

FULL RESULTS

Photo © Les Garennes