Bolesworth International with both CDI3 dressage, national invitational dressage and young horse classes started today with CDI3 Grand Prix.
Nice weather conditions at the huge arena at Bolesworth for today´s dressage.
CDI3 Grand Prix was won by Carl Hester with Barolo. It was a quite spooky Barolo when heading towards K both outside the arena and inside, but Carl managed well an kept him nearly focused all the way, except by the ones towards K where he spookes at the end of the series. As far as they are still new together inside the white fence, it seems that Carl has found the buttons very well. Nice energy and activity for the piaffe tours, smooth supple trot and ground covering quality series. Result 74,240%, not over scored and still room for 2-4% more from H2R point of view. Barolo really looks like a top successor for Nip Tuck if needed for the Europeans.
Danish Anders Dahl brought his two international horses, Olympic horse Selten HW and Sir Donato. He was placed as no 4 and 5 with 70,360% and 69,690%. Nice supple trot tour for Selten, today lacking a bit more power and smoothness for the piaffe tours. One times with a couple of small changes hind. For Sir Donato it was also a smooth expressive light trot tour, unfortunately with expensive errors for both series today.
The other Dane back at competition after his horse Michigan recovered from an injury was Ulrik Mølgaard. Super sharp start beautiful entering halt, power extended trot, good half passes. Some tensions for the piaffe tours today and unfortunately also affecting the walk where Michigan doing some small trot steps. Lovely to see both horse and rider back fit for fight, and as Ulrik told before his ride "I´m just as excited as when I was a kind at Christmas time".
See the result of the class here.
Another high quality demo with Carl Hester
Small demo with Carl Hester in the middle and stable rider Rob with a 4 yr old gelding and Charlotte with a 6 yr old mare, and 16 yr old Uthopia as a lovely surprice.
A 4 yr old chestnut gelding by Everdale / Vivaldi was shown by Hester stable rider Rob. Here Carl told about what he was looking for when purchasing a youngster, which qualities were the most important. The gelding was purchased as a 2 yr old on video, and from that video the canter was outstanding Hester told, and still is. Super balance, self carriage and natural uphill tendency with power hindlegs and lightness in the forehand making round expressive frontlegs. And to Carl it´s all about the details being able to have the horse which among others gives the best final picture for the expression and quality of the series and pirouettes.
The 6 yr old bay mare River Rice Nisa by Negro / Amsterdam, caught H2R attention when watching her and Dujardin for the first time at the British Winter Championships (read H2R news from April here). Also today the mare showed something speciel, eventhough it looked as if she was a bit affected from the atmosphere. A power mare for the big future.
Uthopia back in the arena for the demo
16 yr old Uthopia came into the arena with Alan Davies walking him, and Charlotte went in the saddle. Carl told about how thankful he is to the lady who bought Uthopia back at the auction wanted him to retire at Carl´s place, and who still wants to remain anonymous. Uthopia is ridden 3 times a week now, and is now also available for the breeders. "He’s done one extended trot in the last eight months, but they only have so many extended trots in them, so we don’t practice them all the time, but he’s come out here and done about five now”, Carl said.
Last class for today was a national invitational Intermediaire I freestyle
Here Charlotte Dujardin rode Hawtins Delicato 9 yr old gelding by Diamond Hit. Lovely supple expression with power, and the huge walk seems to be in the best hands, as this gait now has clearly improved since last time H2R saw him. Small issue in transition from collected walk to canter where Delicato looked as if he just wanted to do some more advanced work (passage), but Charlotte managed to go on and got the transition for canter. They won with 74,750%.