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Fantastic win Dujardin and Valegro at Olympia

Dec 19, 2012

For Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro it was the first time to enter the arena again after their Olympic glory. But despite her serious bronchitis Dujardin gave the audience and the judges all. In Grand Prix their score of 84.447 per cent broke the previous world-best (84.09 per cent) set by Dutch star Edward Gal and black stallion Totilas at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor. It means the Olympic gold medal-pair now holds two world records, in two of dressage's three tests - Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. In the Freestyle the Olympia podium was theirs again. Their winning score: 87,98 percent.

Dujardin commented, "At the Olympics there were 24,000 spectators watching, but they were a long way away. Here in London Olympia it was very different! The audience was sitting so close you could hear them breathing!".
Valegro was on edge, with a nervous moment just before entering the arena. "Something spooked him coming in", Dujardin explained afterwards. "It messed up the whole beginning, but he settled down in canter. The changes and extensions are quite tough for horses when that happens, but I was actually very happy with them as it turned out" she said. And so were the majority of the Ground Jury, as she was awarded three maximum scores of 10 marks for her first extended trot along with two more for the one-tempi changes and three further top scores for her one-tempi canterwork.

Runner-up with a mark of 80.075 was double FEI World Cup™ Dressage champion Isabell Werth from Germany whose performance with the 11-year-old Don Johnson FRH left her well pleased. "Well well, my Christmas present was received already, I never had imagined to reach this runner up position twice with my young relatively inexperienced horse", Werth commented. Don Johnson had been out for a while due to a hoof injury and it was the first start of the season for the German ace.

It was Dujardin's trainer and mentor, Carl Hester, who lined up third with a score of 79.900. It was an emotional night for the Briton. Not only because he shared the top step of the team podium at London 2012 with his 26 year old pupil again, but also because Hester was riding Uthopia for the very last time. "He'll be sold in the new year", the rider confirmed. The supreme showman described his performance as "a great last ride".

After the posted new World Record score in Grand Prix there were great expectations ahead of this fifth leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2012/2013 Western European League series It seemed anything could happen again in the Freestyle. But the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Freestyle record of 92.3 set by The Netherlands' Edward Gal and the fabulous stallion Totilas at Olympia three years ago was never threatened despite some great efforts.

Imke Schellekens-Bartels and the massive 12 year old gelding, Toots, made their canter pirouettes look very easy indeed as the Dutch pair took the preliminbary lead with a score of 74.875 when seventh of the 15 horse-and-rider partnerships to take their turn. Edward Gal and Glock's Undercover could repeat Schellekens' words on the lack of experience but not her words on the relaxation.
BMC Miciano from Marlies van Baalen suffered from some mistakes in the series, but Marlies was too happy with the behaviour of the talented but sensible gelding.

Michael Eilberg, son of world-famous rider and trainer Ferdi Eilberg, gave an excellent account of himself with a score of 76.225 from the promising grey mare, Half Moon Delphi which would eventually place them fifth.

Sweden's Minna Telde was rewarded with a strong 77.050 from the brave one-eyed black stallion Santana who would line up fourth, before Denmark's Sidsel Johansen and Schianto brought the class to a close with another charming effort from Schianto to slot into sixth.

Find all result sheets here.

Standings after Round 5 at Olympia, London (GBR):

1. Valentina Truppa ITA - 52

2. Kristin Sprehe GER - 51

3. Tinne Wilhelmsson Silfven SWE - 46

4. Marcela Krinke Susmelj SUI - 44

5. Edward Gal NED - 42

6. Minne Telde SWE - 37

7. Sidsel Johansen DEN - 34

8. Patrik Kittel SWE - 30

8. Anna Kasprzak DEN - 30

10. Pia Fortmuller CAN - 28

Source FEI