Great Britain wins Nations Cup at Deauville CPEDI3*

The British quartet of Sophie Wells, Georgia Wilson, Sir Lee Pearson and Erin Orford have taken the Nations Cup victory at Deauville CPEDI3* in France (31 March – 03 April 2022, marking the ninth win for Great Britain at this key international fixture. Normally held outdoors, the organisers at Pôle International du Cheval Longines-Deauville were forced to move the CPEDI competition indoors due to unseasonably wintry weather.

Spearheaded by Grade V rider Sophie Wells and Don Cara M (by Don Jovi), who remained untouchable all week, the team took the win on a total of 431.647 points, or a 71.941% average, to head the four-nation team competition ahead of the Netherlands, France and Belgium. Sophie and ‘Don’, who is owned by Rowland and Maria Kinch, posted scores of 73.909% and 74.619% respectively in the Team and Individual tests to lead the team charge.

British team compatriots, Georgia Wilson with her eight-year-old mare Sakura and Sir Lee Pearson with Breezer (by Bacardi), both Grade II, each enjoyed victories – Georgia winning the Team test, and Lee taking the Individual. Erin Orford and Lady Joseph Trust’s LJT Diamond Crusador (by Diamond Hit) rode into third place in both the Grade III Team and Individual classes.

With the Nations Cup sealed, the team competed for Freestyle honours on Sunday. It was a tussle between two of the teammates for Grade II Freestyle honours, with Lee Pearson with his homebred gelding, Breezer, coming out on top with 74.567% and Georgia Wilson settling for second on 73.333%. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M hit the ball out of the park to take the Grade V Freestyle on 79.280%, ahead of the Netherlands’ Britney de Jong and Caramba, (75.260%), whilst Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador achieved another podium place in the Grade III (70.127%).

Competing as individuals, Gabriella Blake (Grade I), Nicola Naylor (Grade IV) and Charlotte Cundall (Grade V) each showed their potential with promising results throughout the show.

Gabriella and her grey Connemara gelding, Strong Beau, were runners-up in the Grade I Team Test on a score of 68.607%, beaten only by Latvia’s Richard Snikus and King of the Dance, a duo which enjoyed a phenomenal show.

Richard, who’s a disc jockey (DJ) on the side, scored 76.5771% in the Team Test to start his domination of the Grade I classes. Following marks of 77.967% and 79.967% in the Individual and Freestyle respectively, the Latvian headed the overall rider rankings at the end of the show.

Fourth in the Individual test on Saturday, Gabriella and Strong Beau climbed up the leaderboard to second in the Freestyle with a score of 70.467%.

Nicola Naylor and her 10-year-old Cachet x Haarlem gelding, Humberto L, posted consistently strong scores throughout the close-fought Grade IV classes, scoring 68.150% and 68.683% respectively in the Team and Individual tests. On Sunday, they finished fourth in the Freestyle on 71.385% behind the home nation’s Vladimir Vinchon and Fidertanz for Rosi (73.000%).

Grade V rider Charlotte Cundall and Lady Joseph Trust’s LJT Simply Red improved on their Team Test seventh place to take third spot in the Individual on a score of 68.286% before posting a super 72.155% for third in the Grade V Freestyle, won by Sophie Wells and Don Cara M on a tremendous 79.280%.

We are incredibly fortunate with the strength and depth of riders in British para dressage and grateful to the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued support of the British Para Dressage World Class Programme.

“The British combinations performed incredibly well under challenging circumstances, and we were very pleased to win the Nations Cup,” commented Para Dressage Performance Manager, Georgina Sharples. “Sophie and Don Cara M have continued to raise the bar since Tokyo, and to see Lee and Georgia stepping out and on to gold and silver on the podium was fantastic.

“We are incredibly fortunate with the strength and depth of riders in British para dressage and grateful to the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued support of the British Para Dressage World Class Programme. We are seeing increasingly positive results, with continually developing Performance Pathway athletes seeking to push those at the top.

“Over the last few years we’ve been challenged with Brexit and Covid so it was an important opportunity for our riders to get back out against the international competition.

“We are delighted to see global standards of para dressage getting ever higher, it is fantastic for the sport, high standards push everyone to continue to raise their Game and it’s a pleasure to witness incredible athletes delivering incredible performances. They couldn’t do it without the continued and invaluable support of their owners and commitment of their home teams.’’

Results: top three and British placings
Team Test
Grade I
1. Richard Snikus and King of the Dance, 76.571% (LAT)
2. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 68.607% (GBR)
3. Marie Vonderheyden and Bombastic D’Arion, 64.036% (FRA)

Grade II
1. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 71.000% (GBR)
2. Béatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense, 70.758% (USA)
3. Céline Gerny and Rhapsodie*Ene-HN, 70.303% (FRA)
4. Lee Pearson and Breezer, 70.121% (GBR)

Grade III
1. Lotte Krijnsen and Rosenstolz, 70.765% (NED)
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 68.147% (CAN)
3. Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador, 67.000% (GBR)

Grade IV
1. Manon Claeys and Katharina Sollenburg, 71.500% (BEL)
2. Melissa Janssen and Dreamy Boy, 70.800% (NED)
3. Vladimir Vinchon and Fidertanz for Rosi, 70.575% (FRA)
6. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 68.150% (GBR)

Grade V
1. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M, 73.907% (GBR)
2. Britney de Jong and Caramba, 71.721% (NED)
3. Ulricke Dekeyzer and Sir William, 68.326% (BEL)
7. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 65.930% (GBR)

Individual Test
Grade I
1. Richard Snikus and King of the Dance, 77.964% (LAT)
2. Michael Murphy and Cleverboy, 72.964% (IRL)
3. Marie Vonderheyden and Bombastic D’Arion, 67.143% (FRA)
5. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 63.429% (GBR)

Grade II
1. Lee Pearson and Breezer, 71.324% (GBR)
2. Céline Gerny and Rhapsodie*Ene-HN, 70.794% (FRA)
3. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 70.676% (GBR)

Grade III
1. Lotte Krijnsen and Rosenstolz, 72.059% (NED)
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 70.294% (CAN)
3. Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador, 68.882% (GBR)

Grade IV
1. Vladimir Vinchon and Fidertanz for Rosi, 71.146% (FRA)
2. Melissa Janssen and Dreamy-Boy, 70.878% (NED)
3. Tessa Baaijens-Van de Vrie and Happy Grace, 70.756% (NED)
5. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 68.683% (GBR)

Grade V
1. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M, 74.619% (GBR)
2. Britney de Jong and Caramba, 72.405% (NED)
3. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 68.286% (GBR)

Nations Cup ranking
1. Great Britain – 71.941% - Total: 431.647
Sophie Wells and Don Cara M (73.907%, 74.619%)
Georgia Wilson and Sakura (71.000%, 70.676%)
Lee Pearson and Breezer (70.121%, 71.324%)
Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador (67.000%, 68.882%)

2. The Netherlands – 71.438% - 428.627
Britney de Jong and Caramba (71.721%, 72.405%)
Lotte Krijnsen and Rosenstolz (70.765%, 72.059%)
Melissa Janssen and Dreamy-Boy (70.800%, 70.878%)
Tessa Baaijens-Van de Vrie and Happy Grace (70.450%, 70.756%)

3. France – 69.638% - 417.828
Vladimir Vinchon and Fidertanz for Rosi (70.575%, 71.146%)
Céline Gerny and Rhapsodie*Ene-HN (70.303%, 70.794%)
Cloé Mislin and Fellini de Malleret (68.333%, 66.676%)
Anne-Frédérique Royon and Quaterboy LH (EL, 65.929%)

Freestyle
Grade I
1. Richard Snikus and King of the Dance, 79.967% (LAT)
2. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 70.467% (GBR)
3. Marie Vonderheyden and Bombastic D’Arion, 64.540% (FRA)

Grade II
1. Lee Pearson and Breezer, 74.567% (GBR)
2. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 73.333% (GBR)
3. Béatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense, 73.300% (USA)

Grade III
1. Lotte Krijnsen and Rosenstolz, 76.420% (NED)
2. Roberta Sheffield and Fairuza, 72.127% (CAN)
3. Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador, 70.127% (GBR)

Grade IV
1. Vladimir Vinchon and Fidertanz for Rosi, 73.000% (FRA)
2. Tessa Baaijens-Van de Vrie and Happy Grace, 71.940% (NED)
3. Manon Claeys and Katharina Sollenburg, 71.555% (BEL)
4. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 71.385% (GBR)

Grade V
1. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M, 79.280% (GBR)
2. Britney de Jong and Caramba, 75.260% (NED)
3. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 72.155% (GBR)

Athletes Ranking
1. Richard Snikus and King of the Dance, 234.502 (LAT)
2. Sophie Wells and Don Cara M, 227.806 (GBR)
3. Britney de Jong and Caramba, 219.386 (NED)
5. Lee Pearson and Breezer, 216.011 (GBR)
6. Georgia Wilson and Sakura, 215.010 (GBR)
14. Nicola Naylor and Humberto L, 208.218 (GBR)
15. Charlotte Cundall and LJT Simply Red, 206.371 (GBR)
17. Erin Orford and LJT Diamond Crusador, 206.009 (GBR)
21. Gabriella Blake and Strong Beau, 202.502 (GBR)

FULL RESULTS

Words: British Dressage/Joanna Bowns