London Olympic team gold medalists Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin are spearheading the British charge at Keysoe CDI (15-17 April), the first international on home soil this year.
Reigning individual Olympic rider Charlotte rides the current national champion, Barolo, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Breitling W owned by Carl and Anne Seifert-Cohn.
Charlotte Dujardin riding Barolo
The pair have only contested one CDI together before — in Jerez, Spain last month — but have never scored below 73%.
Carl is also riding his second-string horse, Wanadoo, another compact chestnut, this one owned by Coral Ingham.
The Wolkenstein II 15-year-old gelding was born in Spain but has competed in the UK up to grand prix under Coral, as well as a handful of tests with Carl as a young horse and under Charlotte as he worked his way through the grades.
Keysoe will be Carl and Wanadoo’s fourth international show together. They have won at least one class at each international they have so far contested.
Alice Oppenheimer will campaign two horses at Keysoe: the home-bred Headmore Delegate, who won on his last outing in Doha in March, and Boadicia, an Oldenburg mare by Belissimo M bred by Christian Heinrich.
Alice Oppenheimer riding Headmore Delegate
Pippa Hutton also has two horses entered; her long-time partner Duela and her mother Pammy’s Belmondo.
Steph Croxford has made the drive down from Derbyshire with the striking Mr Hyde – who is the subject of this week’s ‘horse hero’ in Horse & Hound magazine.
Keith Robertson riding Boheme AF Sulsted
Henriette Andersen, Beverley Brightman, Daniel Watson and Keith Robertson — an international debutante with Boheme Af Sulsted — round out the British entries.
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Watch Charlotte Dujardin win Hartpury grand prix on Barolo: VIDEO
Former British rider Roland Tong will be flying the flag for Ireland with the 11-year-old Rybrook Ambience. This will be their sixth international together at grand prix level. The Trento B x Metall gelding was bred by Sarah Tyler-Evans.
There are also a host of junior and pony riders competing — including Phoebe Peters with Denford Surprise — and other top names from the young riders dressage scene.
Full report from Keysoe CDI in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 21 April
