Tag Archives: Charlotte Fry

Britain’s Dressage Golden Girls in Action at London International Horse Show

Lottie Fry at London International Horse Show (London International Horse Show/Peter Nixon)

Organisers of London International Horse Show have confirmed a stellar list of international Dressage entries to this year’s edition of the Show which runs from 13-18 December at ExCeL London.

The Show will host FEI World Cup™ action in three disciplines, including the CDI5* Dressage that takes place on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 December, with a new presenting sponsor – Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd, supported by long-time sponsor Horse & Hound. Britain’s golden girls of Dressage, Charlotte Fry and Charlotte Dujardin, head the high-quality list of entries for the 2023 FEI Dressage World Cup™ competition at London International Horse Show.

2022 double FEI Dressage World Champion, Fry, will be looking to reclaim the titles that she won at the Show last year, when she took home both the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix and the Freestyle to Music. This year, Fry – a London International Horse Show ambassador – will bring her Olympic bronze medal-winning mount Everdale, with whom she won the CDIO5* Grand Prix Freestyle to Music at Compiègne earlier this year.

Looking ahead to the Show, Fry said: “The London International Horse Show is one of my favourite shows of the year. Being able to compete at this level in front of my home fans is very special, and there is always an amazing atmosphere. The 2022 Show was incredible for me, and I hope to be able to do the same again.”

Fry’s British teammate, Dujardin, will return to the Show where she achieved her World Record breaking performances with her Olympic gold medal winning partner, Valegro. Dujardin has had an impressive season following the birth of her daughter in March. Having made a successful international comeback at Royal Windsor Horse Show, Dujardin and Imhotep – the horse she will bring to London – have gone from strength to strength, including winning team gold, individual silver in the Grand Prix, and individual bronze in the Freestyle, with a score of over 90%, at the FEI European Championships in Riesenbeck in September.

Compatriot Lewis Carrier was another to have a strong performance at Royal Windsor, and will head to London with Diego V, a KWPN warmblood he has produced himself from a four-year-old. Also achieving a podium position at Royal Windsor was Emile Faurie, who will ride Bellevue in London. Adding to the British entries and looking to impress selectors ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be Becky Moody, riding Jagerbomb – the horse she rode to victory in the CDI3* Freestyle to Music at both Hickstead and Hartpury and at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships during the summer.

The home riders will be challenged by a strong international contingent. France’s Morgan Barbançon will partner Sir Donnerhall II, a horse who recently led her to victory in the Freestyle to Music at CDI-W Wierzbna Bialy Las, and with whom Barbançon has competed at multiple championships. Fellow French rider, Alexandre Ayache, will also make the trip to London with his FEI European Championship mount Jolene.

The sole representative from Germany comes from United Kingdom based Kathleen Kröncke, whilst Caroline Chew will represent Singapore aboard Blue Hors Zatchmo, and Abigail Lyle will ride Giraldo for Ireland.

For tickets to London International Horse Show, please visit www.londonhorseshow.com.

For more information, please contact:
Niki McEwen / rEvolution / nmcewen@revolutionworld.com

Fry Wins Exciting Season Closer at Den Bosch

Charlotte Fry (GBR) riding Glamourdale ©FEI/Leanjo De Koster.

Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and her superstar stallion Glamourdale won the eleventh and last leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League at the Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED).

On an afternoon that proved challenging for a number of horse-and-rider combinations, the reigning double-individual world champions quickly recovered after a surprising moment of discord during canter half-pass to post the winning score of 86.835. The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere (Hermes NOP) finished second ahead of Germany’s Isabell Werth (Emilio) and Benjamin Werndl (Famoso OLD) in third and fourth places, while the exciting new Dutch combination of Marieke van der Putten and Torveslettens Titanium finished fifth.

There were nine places up for grabs for the 2023 series Final which kicks off in Omaha, USA on 4 April and, finishing sixth on the leaderboard, Fry has made the cut. However, the 27-year-old athlete could not confirm if she will take the busy breeding stallion, with which she won individual double-gold at the ECCO FEI World Championships last summer, across the Atlantic in three weeks’ time. “I’m not sure, but we will make plans shortly,” she said.

Excited

There was plenty for the Dutch crowd to get excited about, including a lovely performance from their own Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB who took the lead just before the halfway break. The 13-year-old chestnut gelding looked supremely chilled and confident as he strutted his way to a score of 79.360 on only his third Freestyle outing at this level.

Finland’s Emma Kanerva posted a personal best to overtake the Dutch pair, putting 79.505 on the board with Greek Air when the action resumed and then, fourth-last to go, Germany’s Werndl reset the target with Famoso OLD who swaggered his way to the first over-80% mark of the day, scoring 82.760, which was always going to put them in the frame.

However, van Liere and Hermes NOP, double-bronze medallists at last year’s World Championship, bettered that. Starting out with sensational passage/piaffe and the most wonderful rhythm, they looked set to really blow the lid off the competition. But the 13-year-old stallion became increasingly tense, and they finished on a mark of 83.375 – less than the 87.055 they posted to win on home ground in Amsterdam in January, but good enough to temporarily take the lead.

“Hermes gets more excited when there is a lot of people, but I am still very happy about our progress together and where we are going. He can be very good in piaffe/passage which I think were my best ever today. I need to get him more quiet in the canter now,” said Dinja van Liere.

Out in front

Fry and Glamourdale followed them into the ring and it was quickly clear that their score was going to put them out in front, especially after earning 10s across the board for their first extended canter and 9.3 for lovely two-tempi changes. But the stallion suddenly shook his head and spooked during the canter half-pass, and although he quickly regained his equilibrium, the lost points left the pair with a final tally of 86.835, well below the 90.995 they posted when winning in London last Christmas.

“It was a shame, because he did some of his very best work today!” Fry said afterwards. “It is a big arena with a lot of atmosphere and he came back and we finished well, so I am happy tonight!”

That big atmosphere also seemed to get to Werth’s 15-year-old gelding Emilio, who threw in some hijinks before they entered the arena to score 82.670, which would leave them in third.

“He went on fire when Lottie’s result came up!” Werth explained. “I was very satisfied with the first part, but I lost him a little in the canter work, which is a shame as I there lost the possibility to compete with Lottie. But it was a great atmosphere here today and at the end this is what counts,” pointed out the lady who knows more about atmosphere than most.

She is heading to her 23rd FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final this year, having won five of them since they were first staged back in 1986. She will take the stallion DSP Qantaz with which she claimed top points at both Lyon (FRA) and Basel (SUI) this season, when finishing second behind compatriot and defending World Cup champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the mare TSF Dalera on both occasions.

League table

Because she is automatically qualified, von Bredow-Werndl didn’t need to pick up points throughout this season, and the final Western European League table shows Werth on top followed by compatriot Ingrid Klimke in second, van Liere in third, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald in fourth, and Benjamin Werndl – Jessica’s brother – in fifth place. Fry lies sixth ahead of Sweden’s Patrik Kittel in seventh, The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra is in eighth place, and Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg slotted into ninth spot.

However, with only three athletes from any NF permitted to compete at the Final, neither Benjamin Werndl nor former double-champion Langehanenberg will travel. French rider Morgan Barbançon and Germany’s Frederic Wandres share tenth place and the Dutch duo of Emmelie Scholtens and Marieke van der Putten holds the next two places. There are still some matters to be settled before the final touches are put to the start-list for the 35th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final is decided.

by Louise Parkes

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

Dujardin Delights with Freestyle Win as British Dominate at Olympia

Charlotte Dujardin with Mount St John Freestyle. (FEI/Jon Stroud)

Charlotte Dujardin produced a superb victory with Mount St John Freestyle before an ecstatic home crowd at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League qualifier in the Grand Hall at Olympia, London (GBR). And to put the icing on the British Christmas cake, her compatriots Carl Hester and Charlotte Fry lined up in second and third.

It was an evening of great theatre, with Dujardin’s charming 10-year-old mare producing a stunning test for a mark of 87.520 to take the lead when fourth-last to go, only for a technical hitch to delay the scores of the three who followed. Still waiting for the final result, the riders were all sent back to the stables while Santa took over the arena for his Christmas Finale. But finally, the red carpet was rolled back out again, and it was Dujardin who led the British victory gallop.

She was delighted with the performance of her mare who has clearly matured a great deal since showing her massive potential at last year’s FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA where she claimed two bronze medals. Freestyle’s freshness and freedom of movement, the elegance and height of her passage, and the expressiveness of her extended canter were just some of the highlights. And the horse really seemed to be enjoying herself, her big ears pricked as she gave her rider her full attention.

“It’s only her third time doing that test; she’s very inexperienced at Freestyle and I’m so pleased with her. The atmosphere was buzzing, it was a full house, and I could really feel it when I rode in. But she’s coping better and I couldn’t have asked any more from her!” said the winning rider who, though still only 34 years old, is a legend of the sport following her world-beating career with the now-retired Valegro.

Her friend and mentor, Hester, followed her into the ring and put a score of 84.470 on the board with a lovely performance with Hawtins Delicato. “A personal best – I can’t believe that at my age!” laughed the 52-year-old who has long been a huge influence in this sport. He was sitting back in the stable area when he learned his result – “One of my girls texted me and said you got an amazing score – it was a bit of a weird way to hear about it!” he added.

Fry was second-last to go, and the 23-year-old, who alongside Dujardin and Hester was a member of the British side that finished fourth at this summer’s FEI European Championships, produced a score of 82.620 with the 10-year-old stallion Everdale. This was good enough to pip the final partnership, and last year’s Olympia winners, Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain who finished a close fourth with 82.550 this time around.

Hester said that although he was happy with the way things turned out, he realises he needs to put more pressure on himself, because he continues to have big ambitions. “It was clear after the Grand Prix test yesterday that this horse needs to get out more. I know I need to get myself committed – this happens before every Olympics!” said the man who has competed at five of them, taking team gold with Uthopia at the London 2012 Games, and team silver with Nip Tuck at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Dujardin confirmed that she has both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2020 in Las Vegas, USA in her sights now. So her plan? “Just to carry on doing what I’m doing and see how we go as we prepare for Tokyo. I’m hoping to get to Vegas in April, so I’ll go to the qualifier in Amsterdam in January and maybe another after that,” she explained.

She was twice winner of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title with Valegro, taking her second title in Las Vegas in 2015. This result sees her move up to eighth on the Western European League table from which the top nine will qualify for the 2020 Final, so she may need another good result to ensure she makes the cut.

There are still five legs of the Western European series left to go, the next taking place at Mechelen, Belgium on 29 December.

Result here.

Watch highlights here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Fry Cooks Up a Storm at Exloo

Jil-Marielle Becks GER (silver), Charlotte Fry GBR (gold), and Lisa Maria Klossinger GER (bronze) at the FEI European Dressage Championships U25. FEI/Leanjo de Koster, DigiShots,

Exciting British newcomer, Charlotte Fry (22), posted her second sensational victory of the past two weeks when winning the Freestyle at the FEI European Dressage U25 Championships 2018 in Exloo, The Netherlands. Just days ago, the Dutch-based Yorkshire rider, who trained with British legend Carl Hester during her teenage years, claimed the 7-Year-Old title with Glamourdale at the Longines FEI World Breeding Dressage Championships in Ermelo (NED). She added another gold medal to her collection when posting a great score of 82.145 with the lovely 10-year-old gelding, Dark Legend, to be crowned U25 Freestyle champion.

The result ensured she went home with a full set of colours, having posted the biggest individual score in Wednesday’s Team Championship to boost Great Britain to bronze medal position, and slotting into silver medal spot behind Grand Prix winner Jil-Marielle Becks (20) from Germany.

“I’m in shock – this is all really unexpected!” — Charlotte Fry (GBR)

Becks was joined by Bianca Nowag (Fair Play), Juliette Piotrowski (Sir Diamond), and Lisa-Maria Klossinger (FBW Daktari) to top the team standings with a score of 219.706 which left them well ahead of their Dutch rivals in silver medal spot. Carlijn Huberts (Watoeshi), Maxime van der Vlist (Bailey), Denis Nekeman (Boston STH), and Jeanine Nieuwenhuis (TC Athene) racked up a final tally of 212.765 for The Netherlands. But the British foursome of Fry, Ryan Todd (Charlex Eskebjerg), Rebecca Jane Edwards (Headmore Delegate), and Claire Gallimore (Annette Ballerina) were hot on their heels in bronze when posting 212.118.

Becks, who with her 10-year-old chestnut gelding Damon’s Satelite was an individual bronze medallist at the Young Rider Championships in Valencia (ESP) in 2016, won the Grand Prix with a score of 75.385, while Fry took silver when posting 75.308. Bronze went to Denmark’s Victoria Vallentin (20) who rode Ludwig der Sonnenkoenig to a mark of 74.000.

Fry turned the tables, however, when pinning Becks into silver in the Freestyle, and it was the German rider’s team-mate, Klossinger (25), who scooped bronze this time around with FBW Daktari.

“I trained with Carl when I was 14 to 17 years old, and then moved to Holland when I just turned 18. Carl actually suggested I should come over to work with Anne Van Olst who is my trainer now, so he put this opportunity my way and I’m very grateful for that!” — Charlotte Fry (GBR)

She said that Dark Legend is a very nervous horse. “This is the first show he felt confident in the ring, so he peaked at a good time!” she pointed out. “Today was a really good test; he couldn’t have been better; he really rose to the music and danced to it!” she added.

And her plans for the future? “To compete at the Olympic Games someday – but for now I just want to get my feet back on the ground and start training again!” she said.

Everyone was singing the praises of the venue at Hippisch Centrum Exloo where the Organising Committee stepped up to the plate at very short notice following the withdrawal of Roosendaal. And the quality of the performances from the Dressage world’s rising stars left even the judges in awe. “What we saw here this week was almost at the same level as senior riders, and it’s really very exciting!” said Ground Jury President, Francis Verbeek-van-Rooy.

Full results here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46