Dressage masters set for Olympia

Britain’s top dressage riders will be contesting a £21,920 prize fund at the FEI World Cup dressage qualifier at Olympia (12-13 December). The competition promises to provide a breathtaking display, with master classes and displays complimenting the competitive action.

British stars Laura Bechtolsheimer and Wayne Channon will be joined by riders from seven other countries, including Isabel Werth from Germany, Edward Gal from the Netherlands and British-based Finnish rider Kyra Kyrklund.

British National Champion 2005 Laura Bechtolsheimer will certainly be hoping for success in London; Olympia is her favourite show of the season. Laura will be riding Douglas Dorsey, her 17.2hh German-bred liver chestnut gelding by Donnerhall. Wayne Channon is entered with Lorenzo CH and Nicola Jourdain will ride St Swithens.

Spencer Wilton will also be trying his luck in the Olympia arena with Dolendo. The pair has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in 2006, winning their first grand prix special at Hartpury CDI, ahead of two members of the British team for World Equestrian Games. At the National Dressage Championships, they were close runners up for the national title and from there travelled to their first foreign international competition, Saumur CDI, where they won the grand prix and special.

But a competitive line-up of overseas competitors will no doubt give British riders a run for their money. Werth, Gal and Kyrklund will be joined by Denmark’s Anders Dahl, France’s Odile Van Doorn and USA’s Catherine Haddad among others.

The grand prix class of the FEI World Cup Dressage Qualifier, sponsored by The Berkeley Group and supported by Horse & Hound, will take place on Tuesday 12 December from 6.30pm. The following evening a dressage quadrille and master classes with Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Anky Van Grunsven will set the scene for the freestyle dressage to music (kur) at 8.15pm. Afterwards the KBIS British Dressage Horse of the Year award will be presented.

A world-class judging panel has been selected to adjudicate both Tuesday’s grand prix and Wednesday’s grand prix freestyle. Britain’s Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Stephen Clarke will be joined by Mariette Withages-Dieltjiens, Cara Whitham and Minako Furuoka.

For more details and to book tickets visit: www.olympiahorseshow.co.uk

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