Team GBR grab podium place in Geesteren

Team GBR’s all-female team excelled last week at the five day equestrian festival CHIO Twente in Gesteeren, Netherlands (19 – 23 June). Whilst the riders in orange claimed the top accolades at their home Nations Cup event, Louise Bell, Lara Butler, Charlotte Fry and Sara Gallop impressed amongst tough company to achieve third place on the team podium.

23 year old Charlotte Fry enjoyed a monumental week on board her own and Anne van Olst’s Dark Legend. Building on their senior team debut in Compiegne last month, Charlotte produced two top results for Team GBR earning two new personal best scores for her effort. In the Grand Prix an inspired performance was rewarded with 74.40% from the judges panel; Jacques van Daele (BEL), Mariette Sanders-van-Gansewinkel (NED), Maria Colliander (FIN), Clive Halsall (GBR) and Francis Verbeek (NED). In Saturday’s Special a couple of spooks at a rogue camera man amongst some otherwise solid work resulted in 72.48% with the placings both days a fantastic fifth.

Lara Butler made a welcome return from her baby break to add her positive contribution to the team total. With Wilfried Bechtolsheimer’s Rubin Al Asad, Lara rode to ninth in the Grand Prix and seventh in the Grand Prix Special with two superb scores of 72.41% and 71.40%. Lara also gave her rising star Kristjan two great rides in the CDI3* Big Tour classes, gaining some valuable mileage and results for the Polarion sired gelding in just his sixth start at Grand Prix level. Speaking about her Geesteren experience on Facebook Lara said, “Wow what a show we have had CSI Twente…It was definitely a little different at this show for me as not only was I busy with the two horses but also trying to look after my ten week old son, who actually made my life very easy by sleeping and eating really well throughout the show!”

After promising starts in Uggerhalne at the end of May, Louise Bell and Sara Gallop returned to the team line up and achieved further great results for their country. Both ladies achieved a top ten placing in Sunday’s hot CDIO3* Freestyle with stellar +70% scores. Sara summarized a exciting week on social media, “What a week! CHIO Twente Geesteren - you know how to put on a show! It was incredible. To top it off, I got to stand on my first podium for an Equestrian Team GBR Nations Cup Team with these incredible ladies – Louise Bell, Lara Butler and Lottie Fry – against some of the world’s best, including the Dutch A Team including my idol Emmelie Scholtens. Thank you British Dressage for this amazing opportunity!”

Congratulations to all four riders and their support teams, and Chef d’Equipe Caroline Griffiths.

Results of the British riders

CDI3* Grand Prix 
1ST Adelinde Cornelissen with Zephyr, 73.60% (NED)
8th Lara Butler with Kristjan, 69.13% (GBR)

CDIO3* Grand Prix 
1st Edward Gal with Glock’s Zonik NOP, 78.30% (NED)
5th Charlotte Fry with Dark Legend, 74.41% (GBR)
9th Lara Butler with Rubin Al Asad, 72.41% (GBR)
16th Sara Gallop with Bandreo, 68.60% (GBR)
20th Louise Bell with Into the Blue, 67.67% (GBR)

CDI3* Grand Prix Special 
1st Emmelie Scholtens with Apache, 74.08% (NED)
6th Lara Butler with Kristjan, 65.66% (GBR)

CDIO3* Grand Prix Special
1st Juliette Ramel with Buriel KH, 79.91% (SWE)
5th Charlotte Fry with Dark Legend, 72.48% (GBR)
7th Lara Butler with Rubin Al Asad, 71.40% (GBR)

CDIO3* Grand Prix Freestyle
1st Edward Gal with Glock’s Zonik NOP, 82.25% (NED)
6th Louise Bell with Into the Blue, 73.62% (GBR)
8th Sara Gallop with Bandreo, 70.74% (GBR)

CDIO3* Nations Cup standings
1st Netherlands, 17 points
2nd Sweden, 19 points
3rd Great Britain, 48 points
4th USA, 61 points
5th France, 65 points
6th Belgium, 85 points