News

Hester and Uthopia post British record Grand Prix score

May 3, 2012

Carl Hester and Uthopia posted a new British record with a score of 83.298 per cent at Grand Prix in the Premier League Dressage CDN at Addington Wednesday, in the first competition of this Olympic year for the world’s second ranked combination.

The competition came just three days after his presumptive team mate, Charlotte Dujardin, and Valegro set a new world record for the Grand Prix Special.

Carl decided to compete the 11-year-old KWPN stallion at Addington after withdrawing from the Horses & Dreams meets Great Britain CDI4* at Hagen, Germany, last week. He went to Hagen to coach Charlotte on Valegro, a horse of which he is a part-owner.

The start for Uthopia was the first since the Olympia World Cup event in London last December and was before a panel of three British judges.

As well as winning the class, Carl placed second on Wie Atlantico on 73.546 per cent with Gareth Hughes and DV Stenkjers Nadonna third on 70.284 per cent.

Carl and Uthopia, Charlotte and Valegro and Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris are expected to be the three leading riders on Great Britain’s Olympic squad to be announced the first week of July.

Britain, along with Germany and The Netherlands, also qualified an individual for Olympic dressage, so a fourth member of the squad will be selected–most likely 2011 European Championship gold medal team mate Emile Faurie and Elmegardens Marquis or Richard Davison and Hiscox Artemis who competed at the World Cup Final in s’-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, last month. Emile and Elmegardens Marquis competed in the Hagen Grand Prix last week scoring 72.298 per cent, while Richard and Artemis scored 73.374 per cent in the World Cup Grand Prix.

When dressage competition starts at London’s Greenwich Park on Aug. 2, Great Britain will be looking to win their first ever Olympic medal in the sport.

Source Dressage-News.com