Lottie Fry continues FEI World Cup™ campaign with top results in Gothenburg

Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and Dark Legend impressed with an emphatic Grand Prix second and two personal best scores at the penultimate FEI Dressage World Cup™ qualifier in Gothenburg, Sweden (19 – 23 February 2020).

The Netherlands-based 24 year old and her 2019 FEI Senior European Championship partner Dark Legend (Zucchero x Tango), an 11 year old gelding she co-owns with Van Olst Horses, presented a high energy, superbly executed Grand Prix on Friday for a PB of 76.41%. This super performance by the British contenders earned them second between German victor Benjamin Werndl with Daily Mirror (Damon Hill x Florestan I), and Danish star Cathrine Dufour with Atterupgaards Cassidy (Caprimond x Donnerhall) who completed the podium in third, sealing further Lottie’s place as a truly world class competitor.

A delighted Lottie took to Facebook on Friday to say, “Personal Best at Gothenburg of 76.413% and second place in the Grand Prix World Cup qualifier! Darky was amazing, the best test we’ve ever had. [I’m] So proud of him. Thank you Anne van Olst, you are the best trainer! Thank you Claire James - International Groom and everyone else who helps us to make this possible.”

Darky was amazing, the best test we’ve ever had. I’m so proud of him.

On to the weekend, in front of a sell-out Saturday crowd at Gothenburg’s Scandinavium arena, Lottie and ‘Darky’ delivered a super Grand Prix Freestyle showing great harmony from start to finish and were rewarded with a personal best of 81.03%. This placed them just outside the podium but nonetheless earned a valuable 16 World Cup ranking points, bringing Lottie closer still to her goal of competing at the FEI World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas, USA in April.

Danish prodigy Dufour and Atterupgaards Cassidy produced a personal best of 87.86% to head the Freestyle ahead of Werndl and Daily Mirror in second (86.17%) and Wandres with Duke of Britain third (81.46%).

Leading up to the FEI World Cup™ finals with only one European qualifier in 's-Hertogenbosch (12 – 15 March) remaining, Germay’s Jessica von Bredow Werndl tops the rankings with brother Benjamin in second. Third and fourth are fellow Germans, Wandres and Helen Langehanenberg with Charlotte Dujardin hot behind in fifth and Charlotte Fry eighth.

With nine riders from the Western European League able to go to Las Vegas and thus only a handful of riders guaranteed their spot in the upcoming finals, the highly anticipated final qualifier is going to be edge-of-the-seat stuff.

Top five results
FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix
1. Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror, 77.587% (GER)
2. Charlotte Fry and Dark Legend, 76.413% (GBR)
3. Cathrine Dufour and Atterupgaards Cassidy, 76.348% (DEN)
4. Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain, 74.761% (GER)
5. Sandra Dahlin and Ichi, 73.870% (SWE)

FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Cathrine Dufour and Atterupgaards Cassidy, 87.860% (DEN)
2. Benjamin Werndl and Daily Mirror, 86.170% (GER)
3. Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain, 81.465% (GER)
4. Charlotte Fry and Dark Legend, 81.030% (GBR)
5. Sandra Dahlin and Ichi, 79.845% (SWE)

Full results

Photo © Jon Stroud Media