Lottie Fry and Everdale lead British campaign at CHIO Aachen

Lottie Fry was best of the Brits, presenting three astonishing performances with Everdale in the CDIO5* competition at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen in Germany (24 June – 03 July 2022). Lara Butler, Laura Tomlinson and Susan Pape showed much class - Great Britain finishing sixth in the Nations Cup - and Young Rider Anna Dalrymple rose to the challenge of competing at this iconic show for the first time.

Lottie Fry (26) and Van Olst Horses’ Everdale (pictured above) shone bright in the FEI Nations Cup™ competition to finish just outside the podium placings, in fourth, on a score of 76.500% in the CDIO5* Grand Prix. They later finished top-ten in the Special, with just a costly blip on the final centre line keeping their score at 73.681%, to take team sixth alongside teammates Lara Butler, Susan Pape and Laura Tomlinson.

Comfortably qualifying for the Freestyle finale on Sunday morning, where the atmosphere was at fever pitch, Lottie and Everdale's programme scored 82.650% propelling them to seventh position amongst many of the world’s current best combinations. Set to music from Kygo and Whitney Houston and Rihanna, the floorplan showed the Lord Leatherdale x Negro stallion’s highlights and controlled energy at their best in front of a packed and knowledgeable Aachen crowd.

“It’s been amazing this week,” commented Lottie about her Aachen experience. “And Everdale has been better than ever. We had a small mistake in the Special, which cost us quite a few points, but today in the Freestyle he was really on his best form.

“He gave me a great ride and the crowd here is always incredible to ride in front of, the atmosphere is something you can’t compare to anything else,” she continued. “He really enjoyed it. Sometimes he can get a little bit tense with big atmospheres, but he’s really growing up and learning to enjoy it. It all came together today.

“A year on from Tokyo, he feels much more experienced, and much more solid in the test… he just knows what he’s doing,” she explained. “He’s really reliable for me. He doesn’t want to let me down ever, so it’s a really great feeling.”

Lottie also competed in the CDI4* with the nine-year-old Everdale son Inclusive. Aachen was the fourth international big tour appearance for this talented, Van Olst Horses-owned stallion.

“The Grand Prix was really, really nice, and he couldn’t have gone much better for his level of experience,” said Lottie. “The Special… it was a bit too much. It was in the evening and there was a lot of crowd and atmosphere, and he’s a very hot horse so it got the better of him. But this week has given him such a great experience - experience that he couldn’t have had anywhere else. For sure it’s going to set him up for the future.”

About her thoughts on the coming weeks as the World Championships in Herning approaches, Lottie said, “I think I’m in a very good position with Glamourdale and Everdale both going so well at the moment. We’re just going to continue training and see what happens over the next month - see what the selectors decide - but it’s all very exciting.”

The talented and established partnership of Lara Butler and Kristjan (Polarion x Napoleon Quatre) - pictured above - delivered two beautifully-presented and harmonious performances to score just shy of 70% in the Grand Prix and 70.106% in the Special.

Susan Pape and Harmony’s Eclectish (Zenon x Olivi) posted scores of 69.15% in the Grand Prix and 68% in the Special - the 13-year-old stallion (pictured above) showing much quality, whilst Laura Tomlinson and Fallatijn (by Vivaldi) - pictured below - improved their scores over the two tests, from 67.761% in the Grand Prix to just shy of 71% in the Special. For 12-year-old Fallatijn, this was his first time competing in the incredible atmosphere of the Deutsche Bank Stadium and an invaluable experience for him to have under his belt.

Denmark dominated the CDIO5* FEI Nations Cup™, taking the team win ahead of Germany and Sweden, along with victories in the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle courtesy of Cathrine Dufour and the 10-year-old Vamos Amigos (by Vitalis), who she co-owns with Sarah Pidgley. Dufour was also in winning form in the CDI4*, taking both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle with Bohemian. The CDI4* Special was won in style by Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD.

The British youth combination of Anna Dalrymple and Vagabond de Massa (pictured above) acquitted themselves well with two super rides in the CDIY Young Rider classes. Anna (19) and Maxine Vainio’s French-bred Lusitano, bred by Silvain Massa, were triple winners at Le Mans CDIOY earlier this year.

Anna took to social media to say; “What an experience we have had at the most incredible show in the world this week. V tried his absolute heart out as usual to score 70.618% and 71.000% in the YR classes placing well in the strongest company.

“An insane opportunity to ride in the most incredible arena and experience the energy of the crowd and the stadium. I can’t express how much of a dream this was for me and to achieve it with this special horse is a memory I will never forget.”

Results: top three and British placings
CDIO5* Grand Prix
1. Cathrine Dufour and Vamos Amigos, 81.544% (DEN)
2. Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH, 77.217% (GER)
3. Henri Ruoste and Kontestro DB, 76.783% (FIN)
4. Charlotte Fry and Everdale, 76.500% (GBR)
28. Lara Butler and Kristjan, 69.739% (GBR)
30. Susan Pape and Harmony’s Eclectisch, 69.152% (GBR)
33. Laura Tomlinson and Falltijn, 67.761% (GBR)

CDIO5* Grand Prix Special
1. Cathrine Dufour and Vamos Amigos, 80.064% (DEN)
2. Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH, 78.468% (GER)
3. Henri Ruoste and Kontestro DB, 76.404% (FIN)
10. Charlotte Fry and Everdale, 73.681% (GBR)
23. Laura Tomlinson and Fallatijn, 70.979% (GBR)
26. Lara Butler and Kristjan, 70.106% (GBR)
29. Susan Pape and Harmony’s Eclectisch, 68.064% (GBR)

FEI Nations Cup™ Team Standings
1. Denmark - 459.421
2. Germany – 454.903
3. Sweden – 440.499
4. The Netherlands – 437.161
5. Spain – 432.177
6. Great Britain – 430.157
7. United States of America – 427.048
8. Australia – 419.947

CDIO5* Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Cathrine Dufour and Vamos Amigos, 88.375% (DEN)
2. Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH, 83.880% (GER)
3. Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Marshall-Bell, 82.985% (DEN)
7. Charlotte Fry and Everdale, 82.650% (GBR)

CDI4* Grand Prix
1. Cathrine Dufour and Bohemian, 80.413% (DEN)
2. Adrienne Lyle and Salvino, 76.891% (USA)
3. Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD, 75.217% (GER)
11. Charlotte Fry and Inclusive, 71.413% (GBR)

CDI4* Grand Prix Special
1. Fredric Wandres and Bluetooth OLD, 75.638% (GER)
2. Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror 9, 73.936% (GER)
3. Helen Langehanenberg and Annabelle 110, 72.681% (GER)
10. Charlotte Fry and Inclusive, 66.404% (GBR)

CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Cathrine Dufour and Bohemian, 84.120% (DEN)
2. José Antonio García Mena and Sorento 15, 77.865% (ESP)
3. Laurence Vanommeslaghe and Edison, 76.225% (BEL)

CDIY Young Rider Individual Test
1. Sergio Moron Basoco and Farnham L, 73.970% (ESP)
2. Amber van den Steen and Fame, 73.588% (BEL)
3. Moritz Treffinger and Treffinger’s Superstition OLD, 72.794% (GER)
7. Anna Dalrymple and Vagabond de Massa, 70.618% (GBR)

CDIY Young Rider Freestyle
1. Sergio Moron Basoco and Farnham L, 79.135% (ESP)
2. Sara Aagaard Hyrm and Atterupgaards Cooper, 76.530% (DEN)
3. Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady, 74.930% (USA)
8. Anna Dalrymple and Vagabond de Massa, 71.000% (GBR)

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photos © British Equestrian/Jon Stroud Media (Nations Cup team) and DigiShots (Anna Dalrymple).