Dujardin dominates Grand Prix at Keysoe

Storm Hannah may have left some challenging conditions in her wake as high winds whipped across the UK, but this didn’t detract from three days of top class dressage last week at Keysoe Premier League in Bedfordshire (26 – 28 April 2019).

Charlotte Dujardin and Erlentanz (pictured) were the outstanding winners of the LeMieux Grand Prix on Friday. Multi-medallist Charlotte and 12 year old ‘Erly’ were awarded a score of 78% from the judging panel comprising Finland’s Paula Nysten at C, Kirsty Mepham at M and Mark Ruddock at B, to take the class by a margin of more than ten percent.

Charlotte has temporarily taken the ride on Erlentanz (by Latimer) whilst owner-rider Sonnar Murray-Brown continues his recovery from a broken leg, and they’ve been producing high quality Grand Prix performances since, despite their short time together. Charlotte knows the talented Trakehner well having played a part, alongside Carl Hester, in Sonnar’s training and is giving the gelding valuable arena exposure whilst Sonnar is sidelined.

They won at Myerscough Premier League in March before claiming second to Carl Hester and Nip Tuck in both the Grand Prix and Freestyle at Keysoe CDI. Next month they contest the Al Shira’aa sponsored Windsor CDI4* in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Reflecting on her previous day’s ride, Charlotte took to Facebook to say; “Wonderful day yesterday at the Keysoe Premier League with Erlantanz who won the Grand Prix with 78%. [He’s] Such a lovely horse, with so much to give. Thank you to Alan [Davies] and Ian Cast for your help. Next stop Royal Windsor Horse Show which I am very very excited for.”

Young French rider Camille Audo impressed on Friday, winning a competitive Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges with her new ride, the up and coming Grand Prix horse Behroez (United x Gribaldi). On only their third competition outing together the promising combination achieved a score of 71.49% to take the 40-strong class. Camille who is based with her trainer Sarah Millis in West Sussex now heads to Saumur CDI with Behroez to contest the Young Rider divisions for France.

Herefordshire’s Kate Cowell was on winning form Friday too, achieving a Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I victory with 71.89% aboard the elegant Sirocco (by Sandro Hit) for owner Helen Illes. Kate was thrilled with Sirocco who was experiencing his first competition outing since Vale View High Profile last November. She took to Facebook to say; “Super star Sirocco! Winning the Intermediate I at Keysoe Premier League with 71%. His first show for 2019 and he felt amazing; he's really improved with the intensive winter training.”

Saturday’s Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges was ably won by Debbie Poynter and her 14 year old Florencio son, Keystone For Real, on a score of 69.47%; and the Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I by Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore Davina, fresh from their Small Tour double at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships. Alice and ‘Davina’ achieved a cracking score of 74.69% before also taking Sunday’s Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges with 72.94%. Sunday’s Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I was won in style by Andrew Gould and Blue Hors Dexter (Don Schufro x Blue Hors Cavan), a black 12 year old owned by Terry and Joan Barnett-Knott. The pair, who’ve competed together just a handful of times scored 70.92%, with Daisy Coakley and Cleopatra and Dannie Morgan with Southern Cross Braemar completing the top three.

On Saturday afternoon, freestyle classes from Advanced Medium to Grand Prix took centre stage in the indoor. Maria Eilberg, team silver medallist at the Senior European Championships in 2009, was the convincing winner of the Grand Prix Freestyle with her own and Hermione Black’s Royal Diamond son, Royal Concert, on a score of 73.16%. Now 16, the talented, sensitive grey gelding is showing increased confidence in the arena. He and Maria won the Grand Prix Freestyle at Keysoe High Profile last November and were recently sixth in the Freestyle at Keysoe CDI.

In the Pony divisions, Olivia Whitelaw and Martha Jobling-Purser won the Team and Individual tests respectively. Pony Prime Squad member Olivia and Brouwershaven’s Viceroy, a Dutch-bred 10 year old by Jurjen H, earned a score of 70%; the new combination of Martha and Valido’s Starlight (Valido x Capri Moon) scored 70.61%. Martha who has a wealth of experience in the show ring, has ridden Valido’s Starlight, the ride of Megan Barrett at the 2018 Pony European Championships, since last autumn.

A highlight of Sunday was the Cavalor Inter II which emphasised how many younger riders are working their way towards Grand Prix. In the line-up were riders such as Lucy Pincus with Sheepcote Fiesta, who also contested the Grand Prix, Joanna Thurman-Baker with her Young Rider European Championship partner Highcliffe Apollo, and Izzy Chaplin and Vincente II who won the Petplan Equine Inter II Silver at Hartpury earlier this month. The combination to take the honours however was 21 year old London based German rider Julia Giner with her 16 year old gelding Wytens on a score of 68.64%. World Class Podium Potential rider Rebecca Edwards with Headmore Delegate, and Katrina Cantrell with Woodlander Donna Summer completed the top three with 68.33% and 68.11% respectively.  

British Dressage thanks all the class sponsors as well as Simon Bates and his team at Keysoe for putting on a fantastic event. Congratulations to all the winners listed below, and to all those who took part.

The winners
Friday 
Class 1: Equine Construction Advanced Medium
Fiona Brennan with De Angelis II, 71.05%

Class 2: Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Camille Audo with Behroez, 71.49%

Class 3: Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Kate Cowell with Sirocco, 71.89%

Class 4: LeMieux Grand Prix
Charlotte Dujardin with Erlentanz, 78.00%

Class 5: Hickstead British Young Horse FEI 5YO Qualifier
Antonia Brown with SJL Baks Zacco, 79.2

Class 6: Hickstead British Young Horse FEI 6YO Qualifier
Tom Goode with Sakira, 78.0

Saturday
Class 7: Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Davina, 74.69%

Class 8: Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Debbie Poynter and Keystone For Real, 69.47%

Class 9: Pony Team Test
Olivia Whitelaw with Brouwershaven’s Viceroy, 70.00%

Class 10: Equine Construction Advanced Medium
Dylan Deutrom with San Marco, 73.96%

Class 11: Hickstead British Young Horse National 5YO Qualifier
Melissa Chapman with Jaguar DHI, 7.88

Class 12: Hickstead British Young Horse National 6YO Qualifier
Judy Harvey with SP Bento, 8.26

Class 13: Advanced Medium Freestyle
Jasmine Harding Heitzmann with Deco, 69.277%

Class 14: Prix St Georges Freestyle
Ellie McCarthy with Donna Summer, 71.70%

Class 15: Intermediate I Freestyle
Tahley Reeve Smith with Special, 72.37%

Class 16: Grand Prix Freestyle
Maria Eilberg with Royal Concert, 73.16%

Sunday
Class 17: Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Alice Oppenheimer with Headmore Davina, 72.94%

Class 18: Cavalor Intermediate II
Julia Giner with Wytens, 68.64%

Class 19: Pony Individual Test
Martha Jobling-Purser with Valido’s Starlight, 70.61%

Class 20: Equine Construction Advanced Medium
Fiona Brenna with De Angelis II, 72.11%

Class 21: Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Andrew Gould with Blue Hors Dexter, 70.92%

Class 22: Shearwater Young Horse 4YO Qualifier
Femke Meiland with First Lady, 44

Class 23: Shearwater Young Horse 5YO Qualifier
Alex Hardwick with Joie De Vivre Prins, 44.5

Class 24: Shearwater Young Horse 6YO Qualifier
Mark Mills with Washington DC, 44.1

Class 25: Shearwater Young Pony 4YO Qualifier
Frances Turner with Dypool Miami Reef, 38.6

Class 26: Shearwater Young Pony 5YO Qualifier
Vikki Pengilly with Cynheidrefawr Isaac, 39.6

Class 27: Shearwater Young Pony 6YO Qualifier
Melissa Harvey with Bluehaven Example, 36.1