News

Spain one and two in Compiègne

Jun 2, 2012

Two of Spain’s top combinations, Morgan Barbançon Mestres on Painted Black and the Olympic veteran Beatriz Ferrer-Salat on Delgado, posted personal best results to top the International CDI3* Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was held over two days to accommodate 42 combinations from 16 nations, many vying to be at the Olympics in two months.

Morgan and the 15-year-old KWPN stallion that was trained and competed by Anky van Grunsven who also coaches the Spanish rider, scored 75.532%. Beatriz Ferrer-Salat placed second with a personal best in the Grand Prix of 74.106% on Delgado, her top horse which returned to international competition in March after an absence of almost two years with an injury. Belgium’s Claudia Fassaert and Donnerfee placed third on 70.936 per cent.

Lyndal Oatley and Sandro Boy secured a start in Olympic dressage competition with the top finish of Australians in the Grand Prix at Compiègne (4th place, scored 70.894 per cent) for two successive victories in the two selection trials for her nation. Australian veteran Mary Hanna on Sancette was the second placed Australian horse and rider with 68.638 per cent in seventh place overall with Lyndal’s cousin, Kristy Oatley and Clive, also based in Germany, the third highest pair with 68.234 per cent in eighth place.

New Zealand’s Vanessa Way and KH Arvan scored 63.468 per cent to fall short of their country’s requirement to qualify for London. New Zealand qualified their first ever Olympic dressage team but has given up one of the three places when a potential Olympic mount was retired, leaving only two possible entries. Louisa Hill on Bates Antonello is the only pair to have qualified so far.

Source Dressage-News.com