Wins for Fry and Higgins at Kronenberg CDI

Lottie Fry and Sarah Higgins spearheaded a successful British campaign at Kronenberg CDI3*/CDI1*/CDIU25/CDIY/J/P, held at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in the Netherlands (30 November – 03 December 2023).

In the CDI3* classes, reigning World Champion Lottie Fry displayed promising form with her up-and-coming rides, Especial and Lars van de Hoenderheide, and rounded off her show taking the Grand Prix Freestyle win. In addition, Great Britain made a strong impression in the Small Tour classes with a win apiece for Lottie Fry (Kjento) and Sarah Higgins (Geniaal) and an outstanding British 1-2-3-4 in the Prix St Georges.

In the 41-strong Grand Prix, Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, the world bronze medal-winning mare formerly ridden by Charlotte Dujardin, made a glowing international debut together to earn a winning 81.196%, while Lottie and Van Olst Horses’ gelding Lars van de Hoenderheide (Negro x Layout), pictured above, produced a Grand Prix full of quality to finish second on the leaderboard with a mark of 75.10%.

The 27-year-old Brit also claimed sixth spot with Van Olst Horses’ nine-year-old grey Especial (Everdale x Vivaldi), a horse who has shown much star quality this year in his first season at Big Tour, including two top-two placings at Ermelo CDI3* in August.

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and 14-year-old Mount St John Freestyle (Fidermark x Donnerhall), owned by Emma Blundell with a half-share now owned by Laudrup-Dufour and the Zinglersen family, topped the following day's Grand Prix Special with an outstanding 81.404%, with Lottie and Especial taking second (71.894%).

The evening’s Grand Prix Freestyle featured yet another high-class lineup. Lottie Fry, drawn last to go with 12-year-old Lars van de Hoenderheide, was faced with a delay when her music failed to start. Totally unfazed by this technical glitch, she presented an outstanding ride to her well-known ‘Let me take you dancing’ programme to secure the win on 78.475%. Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB, who earlier delighted their home crowd with a freestyle performance earning 77.050%, took second place on the leaderboard.

The next highest-placed British combination, competing at only their third CDI, was Richard White with his own and Lynda Cameron’s Lusitano gelding Heroi Do Seixo (Rubi AR x Jalisco PC). This duo again showed their potential earning a promising 67.307% and 17th place in the Grand Prix, with a little tension in the walk costing them some marks. Richard (62), who trains with his wife Kyra Kyrklund, and is himself a respected dressage trainer worldwide, piloted the athletic bay 11-year-old beautifully to produce a Grand Prix Special score of 68.632% to finish just outside the top ten.

Brits dominate Small Tour
British riders showed strength in depth when taking all four top places in the opening day’s CDI1* Prix St Georges. Lottie Fry rode Van Olst Horses’ 2021 FEI 6YO World Champion, Kjento (Negro x Jazz), on his international Small Tour debut to take the win with 74.657%. The young stallion, pictured above, now eight years of age, has abundant power, natural expression and ability to collect, which makes him another exciting prospect for Lottie and the Van Olst team in the years to come.

Sarah Higgins rode Sarah Rao’s Geniaal into second place with an exciting new PB of 73.481%, Jess Dunn partnered Jennifer Whittaker’s 10-year-old British-bred Dan It’s Carston (by Durable) into third on 73.235%, and Jessie McConkey, making her senior CDI debut, impressed with Wilson Stensvang (Wilkens x Blue Hors Don Schufro) when completing the British domination of the leaderboard scoring 72.157% for fourth place.

Geniaal (Vivaldi x Biotop), fresh from competing at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with owner Sarah (Rao), went on to win the following day’s Inter I with another outstanding performance for a PB of 74.608%. Sarah and Geniaal, known at home as Mufasa, concluded their show scoring 77.175% in the Inter I Freestyle to finish a hair’s breadth behind Dutch victor Marlies van Baalen with Hulana T (77.233%).

Owner Sarah Rao, who was at Peelbergen herself representing China in the CDIU25, took to social media to say, “What an amazing experience at Peelbergen last week! Biggest Christmas win will definitely be Sarah Higgins on Mufasa. And his breeders came to see us which was a pleasant surprise.”

Sophie Wallace (17), riding Ursula Bechtolsheimer and Laura Tomlinson’s seven-year-old gelding First Light (by Fürstenball), was the highest placed Brit in the Junior classes achieving seventh in both the Junior Team Test and Individual Test with scores of 69.748% and 69.559% respectively, followed by ninth place in Sunday’s Freestyle with 73.100%.

Results – top five and British placings
CDI3* Grand Prix
1. Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, 81.196% (DEN)
2. Charlotte Fry and Lars van de Hoenderheide, 75.109% (GBR)
3. Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB, 73.913% (NED)
4. Flore de Winne and Flynn FRH, 71.565% (BEL)
5. Corentin Pottier and Gotilas du Feuillard, 70.978% (FRA)
6. Charlotte Fry and Especial, 70.804% (GBR)
17. Richard White and Heroi Do Seixo, 67.304% (GBR)
26. Andrew Gould with Genie, 65.587% (GBR)

CDI3* Grand Prix Special
1. Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, 81.404% (DEN)
2. Charlotte Fry and Especial, 71.894% (GBR)
3. Corentin Pottier and Gotilas du Feuillard, 71.574% (FRA)
4. Malin Wahlkamp-Nilsson and Bergsjoholms Valbonne, 71.170% (SWE)
5. Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier and Valesco 50, 71.043% (GER)
11. Richard White and Heroi Do Seixo, 68.362% (GBR)
17. Andrew Gould and Genie, 64.213% (GBR)

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Charlotte Fry and Lars van de Hoenderheide, 78.475% (GBR)
2. Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB, 77.050% (NED)
3. Flore de Winne and Flynn FRH, 76.790% (BEL)
4. Camille Judet Chéret and Herelja Higgins, 74.650% (FRA)
5. Anush Agarwalla and Sir Caramello OLD, 74.400% (IND)

CDI1* Prix St Georges
1. Charlotte Fry and Kjento, 74.657% (GBR)
2. Sarah Higgins and Geniaal, 73.480% (GBR)
3. Jessica Dunn and Dan It’s Carston, 73.235% (GBR)
4. Jessica McConkey and Wilson Stensvang, 72.157% (GBR)
5. Marlies van Baalen and Hulana T, 71.226% (NED)

CDI1* Intermediate I
1. Sarah Higgins and Geniaal, 74.608% (GBR)
2. Jessica Dunn and Dan It’s Carston, 72.696% (GBR)
3. Marlies van Baalen and Hulana T, 72.157% (NED)
4. Jessica McConkey and Wilson Stensvang, 71.176% (GBR)
5. Charlotte Fry and Kjento, 71.078% (GBR)

CDI1* Intermediate I Freestyle
1. Marlies van Baalen and Hulana T, 77.233% (NED)
2. Sarah Higgins and Geniaal, 77.175% (GBR)
3. Denise Nekeman and Kansas STH, 76.108% (NED)
4. Danielle Houtvast and Janeiro, 74.092% (NED)
5. Laura-Franziska Riegel and Dior 168, 74.058% (GER)
8. Jessica Dunn and Dan It’s Carston, 73.058% (GBR)
14. Jessica McConkey and Wilson Stensvang, 65.250% (GBR)

CDIU25 Intermediate II
1. Thalia Rockx and Golden Dancer de la Fazenda, 72.010% (NED)
2. Quinty Vissers and Hummer, 69.314% (NED)
3. Kim Noordijk and Joep, 69.216% (NED)
4. Kimberley Pap and Just a Dream, 68.627% (NED)
5. Vendela Eriksdotter Rubin and Bonafide, 68.431% (SWE)
11. Emily Bradshaw and Enjoy Amaris V, 61.961% (GBR)

CDIU25 Grand Prix
1. Thalia Rockx and Golden Dancer de la Fazenda, 69.701% (NED)
2. Ekaterina Dubrovina and De Vivo, 69.487% (ARM)
3. Kimberley Pap and Just a Dream, 69.487% (NED)
4. Zoë Kuintjes and Cupido, 69.402% (NED)
5. Vendela Eriksdotter Rubin and Bonafide, 69.274% (SWE)
13. Emily Bradshaw and Enjoy Amaris V, 63.291% (GBR)

CDIY Young Rider Team Test
1. Micky Schelstraete and Donovan, 70.686% (NED)
2. Wynja Eriksdotter Rubin and El Diablo, 70.539% (SWE)
3. Robin Heiden and Gasmonkey, 69.706% (NED)
4. Isabella Bergsma and Havita OMHG, 69.461% (NED)
5. Ava Krause and Geronimo, 68.775% (NED)
12. Lily Laughton and Skovborgs Romadinov, 65.441% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Team Test
1. Yasmin Westerink and Amphitryon, 72.071% (NED)
2. Alessa Marie Maass and Fräulein Tausendschön, 71.465% (GER)
3. Alessa Marie Maass ad Descolari, 70.303% (GER)
4. Michella Skovsager and Blue Hors Zampalo, 70.202% (DEN)
5. Kebie Raaijmakers and Kevita, 70.101% (NED)
7. Sophie Wallace and First Light, 69.748% (GBR)
20. Isabella Caldwell and Don Geniro, 66.263% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Individual Test
1. Michella Skovsager and Blue Hors Zampalo, 73.039% (DEN)
2. Yasmin Westerink and Amphitryon, 72.010% (NED)
3. Kebie Raaijmakers and Kevita, 71.569% (NED)
4. Alessa Marie Maass and Fräulein Tausendschön, 70.833% (GER)
5. Marie Sohler and Sir Max 4, 70.637% (GER)
7. Sophie Wallace and First Light, 69.559% (GBR)
15. Isabella Caldwell and Don Geniro, 67.402% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Freestyle
1. Alessa Marie Maass and Fräulein Tausendschön, 78.417% (GER)
2. Marie Sohler and Sir Max 4, 76.408% (GER)
3. Michella Skovsager and Blue Hors Zampalo, 75.958% (DEN)
4. Yasmin Westerink and Amphitryon, 75.658% (NED)
5. Kebie Raaijmakers and Kevita, 74.992% (NED)
9. Sophie Wallace and First Light, 73.100% (GBR)
15. Isabella Caldwell and Don Geniro, 70.108% (GBR)

VIEW FULL RESULTS

Photo © Łukasz Kowalski