Latest from Horse & Hound in Lottie-fry

Fame, Glamourdale, Jagerbomb – and who joins them? British dressage team revealed for World Championships

Oscar Williams — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:07:47 +0000

The British dressage team heading to the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, Germany (11–23 August) has been announced.

The core of the team remains unchanged from last summer’s Europeans and the Paris Olympics before that. Carl Hester returns on Fame – 36 years after appearing at his first World Championships – and is joined by defending double-individual world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, and World Cup winners Becky Moody and Jagerbomb.

Those three combinations were never in doubt – the fourth spot has been the season's real subplot. Over winter, the final place looked to belong to Charlotte Dujardin and Alive And Kicking – until the mare was sold in April, throwing the door wide open.

What followed was a crowded field: national champions Sadie Smith and Swanmore Dantina were early favourites, with Gareth Hughes and Susan Pape also in the mix. But two names pulled clear.

Fiona Bigwood’s homebred mare Donna Bella announced herself with a Hartpury grand prix win in March, then held her own on a Fontainebleau Nations Cup debut alongside Carl and Lottie.

Charlotte, meanwhile, switched her attentions to Ellie McCarthy’s Brave Heart, and the pair went head-to-head with Fiona and Donna Bella twice: Fiona edged it at Hickstead in May (73.13% to 72.8%), then again at Wellington in June (74.6% to 71.87%), by which point she'd emerged as the clear favourite.

Going into nominated entries, Fiona’s more extensively tested form – four international grands prix to Charlotte’s two – had her average ahead on 72.90% to 72.34%. But Charlotte had one shot left, at Hartpury, the last domestic international before the team was due to be confirmed. She took it: a stunning grand prix and special double, personal bests of 74.8% and 74.7%, that lifted her average to 73.16% – above Fiona’s, with just 0.26 points separating them.

That swing reopened a contest that had looked settled, leaving selectors Judy Harvey, Jenny Ward and Anne Keen with a genuinely tight call between two relatively inexperienced horses.

In the end, it's Fiona Bigwood and Donna Bella who complete the team. Although Charlotte edged it on the raw grand prix average – the mark selectors weight most heavily – it came from three starts against Fiona’s four, all three on the subdued domestic CDI3* circuit rather than the championship-like atmosphere of Fontainebleau CDIO5*, where Fiona scored 71.36% in the grand prix and 72.28% in the special.

Charlotte’s Hartpury score also carried a notable spread across the judging panel – more than five points between the highest and lowest marks – a factor selectors will have weighed alongside the numbers. But it was likely their head-to-head record – the only occasion the same judges saw both combinations, and one Fiona won twice – that was the deciding factor.

Where Britain stands against the rivals

Set against the field, Britain’s core trio total 232.80 on this season’s international grand prix averages, just 0.67 points off Germany's dressage team projected 233.47 (their best three of Isabell Werth, Katharina Hemmer and Frederic Wandres, with Raphael Netz's score dropped) and 1.80 points clear of reigning champions Denmark’s dressage team 231 (their best three of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, Carina Cassøe Krüth and Daniel Bachmann Andersen).

That figure hasn't moved with the fourth-spot news – best three of four counts for the team total, and Lottie, Carl and Becky were never in doubt. What Fiona’s selection changes is the insurance policy: a fourth combination capable of stepping into a top-three score if any of the trio falter.

A neat footnote: Donna Bella is out of Atterupgaards Orthilia, Fiona’s former ride on the British team that took silver at both the 2015 Europeans – held in this same Aachen arena – and the Rio Olympics the following year.

The individual medals look just as open. Lottie and Glamourdale are among the favourites, alongside Cathrine and Freestyle, Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus, and home favourites Isabell and Wendy De Fontaine – with Justin and Cathrine perhaps the stronger picks on this year’s form. If any of the favourites falter, Becky and Jagerbomb – fresh off a personal-best 88.33% freestyle in Texas – have the form to make their own tilt at an individual medal.

Most nations have now confirmed their teams ahead of the FEI’s 27 July deadline for definite entries – follow our Aachen dressage teams page as the rest come in.

British dressage team for the 2026 Aachen World Championships

Fiona Bigwood with 10-year-old mare Donna Bella

Owner: rider

Breeder: rider

Breeding: by Don Juan de Hus, out of a mare by Gribaldi

Lottie Fry with 15-year-old stallion Glamourdale

Owners: Van Olst Horses and rider

Breeder: J Rodenburg

Breeding: by Lord Leatherdale, out of a mare by Negro

Carl Hester with 16-year-old stallion Fame

Owners: Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and rider

Breeder: VOF G and M Gerritsen

Breeding: by Bordeaux, out of a mare by Rhodium

Becky Moody with 12-year-old gelding Jagerbomb

Owners: Jo Cooper and rider

Breeder: rider

Breeding: by Dante Weltino, out of a mare by Jazz

Reserves in alphabetical order

Charlotte Dujardin with 12-year-old gelding Brave Heart

Owners: Elllie McCarthy, Spencer McCarthy and Bridget McCarthy

Breeders: Shirley and Titian Wilaras

Breeding: by Bordeaux, out of a mare by Blue Hors Zack

Susan Pape with 15-year-old mare Harmony’s Giulilanta

Owners: Harmony Sporthorses and rider

Breeders: A Vogelaar and J Knol

Breeding: by Jazz, out of a mare by Flemmingh

Sadie Smith with 11-year-old mare Swanmore Dantina

Owner: rider

Breeder: Ben St John James

Breeding: by Dante Weltino, out of a mare by Charatan W

The entries are announced in collaboration with the British Dressage selectors and World Class Programme principal partner Agria.

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‘It was like a championships’: Britain second in Nations Cup opener as Carl Hester returns to team duty

Oscar Williams — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:44:39 +0000

While the Winter Dressage Championships were in full swing at home, a strong British team finished second in the opening European leg of the FEI Dressage Nations Cup at the inaugural Fontainebleau CDIO5* (16–19 April).

The German squad won, in a competition that went down to the final ride and offered the first meaningful measure of form ahead of the World Championships in Aachen this summer.

The lead changed hands repeatedly between Germany, Britain, and Belgium throughout the grand prix, and all three nations were still in contention going into the anchor rides.

Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus set the bar first, posting a personal best of 83.5% – the individual win of the day, with 10s for their canter pirouette – to secure third for Belgium.

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale followed with a fault-free 80.85%, briefly putting Britain into the lead and leaving Isabell Werth needing 79.15% or better on Queenparks Wendy to deliver for Germany. Isabell found 80.59%, so Germany finished on 230.065 to Britain’s 228.630 and Belgium’s 224.761.

For the British team, Lottie’s second-place individual finish led the way in one of her strongest outings with the now 15-year-old stallion to date.

Carl Hester came fifth with Fiona Bigwood and Mette Dahl’s Fame with 76.15% – his first win since a dominant double at Doha CDI5* in February – and Fiona contributed a 71.63% aboard home-bred mare Donna Bella for 10th. Lewis Carrier’s 67.67% with the veteran Diego V was the drop score.

Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale were second individually as Britain finished second in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup at Fontainebleau. (Image credit: FEI/Evan Oudin)

The grand prix special again went Isabell’s way, but Carl and Fame were second on 77.32% and Fiona and Donna Bella third on 72.28%. Lottie took another runner-up finish in the freestyle with Glamourdale; Justin and Zonik were again unbeatable.

Carl, who had stepped back from Nations Cup duty in recent seasons to free up team spots for younger riders, returned with Sadie Smith and Laura Tomlinson’s up-and-coming horses heading to Hagen CDI4*.

“I always say, look, give those spaces to the kids who want to be on teams,” Carl said. “But they asked me to do it, and it worked out perfectly. The special finished at 11.30am Sunday morning, so I got home in time for dinner!”

The 16-year-old stallion Fame continues to reward the lighter campaign Carl has planned for him this year. “He was amazing in both tests – so good to ride and so up for it,” Carl said. “A really good mix of keenness and relaxation.

“His pirouettes scored really high, his changes scored really high, and I think his outline’s improved again this year. He was just cool. That’s what he was.”

The result in the special was built on a test Carl rated among his best on Fame. “It was mistake-free, full of power. They were very complimentary about him and gave him some very big scores.

“He’s possibly the most incredible horse – I’m running out of nice things to say about him. There’s always something to improve, we know that – but it’s a very good start to the season, and he’s still as fresh as ever.”

He was quick to credit the calibre of the field. “That was the leading group there. The only one really missing is Cathrine [Laudrup-Dufour]. Everyone kept saying it felt like the championships are here now – that’s how strong it was.

“Especially at this time of year, to get them out and have a good strong showing like that is good. You can imagine, if you added Becky [Moody] to the mix, you’d have near enough the top team.”

“She’s an exciting horse, that one”

Fiona’s third-place finish in the special was another bright spot. Her 10-year-old home-bred Donna Bella (Don Juan de Hus x Gribaldi) is the daughter of Atterupgaards Orthilia, who, with Fiona, was a member of the British team that won silver at both the 2015 European Championships in Aachen and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio – a family connection that clearly shows.

“That’s a very exciting mare she’s bred,” Carl said. “What you could really see is how much trust she had in her, because the mare is very like her mother.

“She’s got so much temperament and talent, and she just needs some easy rides to give her confidence. Fiona knows the mother so well, the family so well – she’s so tactful in her way of riding with her, and she just guided her around to do some really lovely tests. She’s an exciting horse, that one.”

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‘I did feel some nerves today’: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale fly to World Cup victory in Amsterdam

Oscar Williams — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:05:55 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale continued their return to top form with victory in the World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam presented by Vriendenloterij, scoring an impressive 89.31%.

Olympic individual silver and European bronze medallist Isabell Werth finished second with Wendy de Fontaine and Becky Moody completed the podium with Jagerbomb.

The result mirrored the grand prix podium from the previous day, when Lottie and Isabell were separated by less than a percentage point, setting the scene for a closely fought deciding freestyle.

Drawn first of the final group, Lottie and Glamourdale set the benchmark with their now familiar flying-themed freestyle. The pair delivered a fluent, mistake-free test, earning eights across the board for the early piaffe and passage and a string of 10s for the canter work.

The score proved a formidable target for those still to come, and was Lottie’s highest freestyle mark since her World Cup win in ’s-Hertogenbosch last March.

Watch Lottie Fry and Glamourdale’s winning freestyle at the World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam in the video below

“I’m usually not nervous before competitions, but today I did feel some nerves after my test, knowing Isabell and Becky were still to ride,” Lottie said. “But a strong field like this only gives me extra motivation. It really makes you raise your game.

“I trust Glamourdale completely, and if the crowd gets loud for the combination before us, he has no problem walking into an arena like this.”

On the 15-year-old stallion’s return to form – underlined by successive grand prix scores of 80% or higher for the first time since 2022 – Lottie added: “We’re really finding the right balance now between all that power and enough relaxation.”

Becky and Jagerbomb followed with their upbeat Beatles freestyle, reverting to the music after a brief foray into Christmas tunes at London International. The complex floorplan allows little let-up, but Jagerbomb’s mistake-free test earned 85.31%.

Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine at the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam. (Image credit: FEI/Leanjo de Koster)

Last to go was Isabell, who made a late decision to bring Wendy de Fontaine instead of DSP Quantaz. The pair opened with high-scoring piaffe-passage work, but a costly error in the two-time changes proved decisive, knocking their score back to 87.58%.

“After Frankfurt and Basel, I felt that Wendy and I still had a few things to fine-tune, so I decided to ride her here,” explained Isabell. “We’ve learned a lot in the last two shows, and I can really feel her gaining more strength and muscle. The canter work was already better today than last time, but we’re not quite there yet.”

Although Lottie took the win, Isabell collected the full 20 World Cup points in Amsterdam, as Lottie is automatically qualified for the final as the defending champion.

Continuing her return to top-level competition, Charlotte Dujardin and Alive And Kicking slipped from fifth in the grand prix (73.04%) to sixth in the freestyle (79.96%), but the inexperienced 12-year-old mare impressed with her polished piaffe work, despite a couple of green mistakes.

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Glamourdale Airlines takes off: ‘It might have been one of the best tests he’s ever done’

Oscar Williams — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 17:42:07 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale lit up the London International Horse Show to win the World Cup qualifier, supported by Horse & Hound, with a commanding 89.17%.

Crowd favourites Becky Moody and Jagerbomb were second on 86.41%, and Norway’s Isabel Freese and Total Hope were third with 81.7%.

Charlotte Dujardin and Alive And Kicking, runners-up in the grand prix, slipped to fifth (79.23%) after mistakes in the piaffe, finishing behind Susan Pape and Harmony’s Giulilanta in fourth (79.81%).

Riding to their new Glamourdale Airlines freestyle, Lottie and Glamourdale delivered a performance that felt every inch the programme’s true arrival.

Although it was first seen at the European Dressage Championships this summer, spooks that night – caused by the volume being ramped up – meant this was the first time the hugely original routine was shown as intended: in front of a home crowd, under the lights, and with the atmosphere freestyle dressage deserves.

Built around a playful aviation theme, the floorplan featured music ranging from Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra to We’re Going to Ibiza by the Vengaboys, alongside airport-style announcements voiced by Lottie herself at the start and finish — a detail that delighted the packed arena.

“It was unreal,” Lottie said after her test. “It all came together at the right time. The music was perfect today.

“That feeling when the music started, when the crowd were giggling at my music, it was hilarious. I loved it in there. We had such a great ride. I think it might have been one of the best tests he’s ever done.”

She added: “That’s how it should have been at the Europeans! But never mind, I’m just glad we could deliver like that today in London.

“The support from the crowd here is amazing, and Glamourdale really rises to that.”

Presence and power

Some stallions fade later in their careers as stud duties begin to compete with top-level sport, but Glamourdale – who is 15 next year – silenced any suggestion of decline, entering the arena brimming with presence and power.

He had underlined that point in the grand prix the night before, which he won decisively, and he reinforced it in the freestyle. The piaffe, an occasional weak spot over the past couple of seasons, was markedly improved – something Lottie said has been a specific focus in training.

“The piaffe was amazing,” she said. “We’ve just been helping him gain his confidence with them, keeping them forward and keeping the rhythm.

“I could just feel in there that he felt much more secure in them – that was such a great feeling.

“I think we both really got that confidence back here. It hasn’t been the easiest year, but I think we finished on the highest of highs.”

Glamourdale will enjoy a Christmas break, but there’s no pause for Lottie, who heads back to the Netherlands tonight to ride four young horses at a stallion show tomorrow (20 December).

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(Image credit: Elli Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography)

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‘There wasn’t a low light today’ – Lottie Fry heads British top three in London dressage grand prix

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‘There wasn’t a low light today’ – Lottie Fry heads British top three in London dressage grand prix

Pippa Roome — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:06:39 +0000

Lottie Fry won the London Horse Show dressage grand prix, supported by Horse & Hound, today (18 December), ending the class more than 4% above her peers in a confident victory.

Last year Lottie and her own and Van Olst Horses’ Glamourdale won the freestyle at this show, having finished third in the grand prix. But today they started off as they mean to go on, with a virtually flawless test that showed off all the 14-year-old black stallion’s power and expression. They scored 80.78%.

“I don’t think there was a low light today,” said Lottie. “Everything just felt absolutely incredible. The trot transition after the canter pirouette could have been a little more precise, but he was amazing.”

Lottie said Glamourdale had a holiday after helping Britain to team silver at the European Championships in the summer.

“Since then we’ve just been really working on the self-carriage, the lightness, because he’s always been very light, but we have to make sure we’re showing it in the arena as well,” she said. “We’ve just done a lot of basic work, not too intense. And it seems to have really paid off, so I’m very happy.”

Tomorrow Lottie will ride her new freestyle for the second time – “it’s a really exciting freestyle, it’s all about flying because that’s what Glammy does in the arena” – and will hope to put behind her a bad experience when she first performed her new routine at the Europeans in Crozet in August.

She explained: “The music was a lot louder than we initially thought it was going to be and it was just too much. Even for me, I was sat there thinking ‘Ow.’ So it was a real shame. But we move on and I’m really excited to ride it tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll have a nice, confident round.”

Lottie Fry headed an all-British top three in today’s London Horse Show dressage grand prix; Charlotte Dujardin was second on her return to this show after a year away (76.54%) and Becky Moody third with Jagerbomb (75.04%).

Norway’s Isabel Freese and the Totilas son Total Hope OLD, who were second in both classes here last year, were fourth today, with two British London debutantes – Germany-based Susan Pape (Harmony’s Guililanta) and Sadie Smith (Swanmore Dantina) – in fifth and sixth.

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Charlotte Dujardin to return to London showdown: star-studded World Cup field revealed

Oscar Williams — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:32:10 +0000

Charlotte Dujardin headlines the entries for the dressage World Cup leg, supported by Horse & Hound, at the 2025 London International Horse Show. She will be bringing her top ride, Alive And Kicking.

Since returning from her year-long suspension on 27 July, Charlotte has gone on an 11-test unbeaten run. She and Alive And Kicking scored CDI3* grand prix and special wins in Le Mans last month, but London will be by far the highest profile show she has contested since her return.

She will face strong home competition from Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, who are back to defend their title. The World Cup holder, world champion and triple Olympic bronze medallist is aiming to add a third London victory to her record after wins in 2022 and 2024.

Becky Moody and Jagerbomb will also be gunning for the title. They were Britain’s strongest performers at this summer’s European Championships in Crozet and won the grand prix here in 2024, slipping down the order in the freestyle.

Their confidence will be high after a strong runner-up finish at the Lyon World Cup leg in October, where they placed second to world number ones Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus.

Becky will also be debuting a new, one-off freestyle created specifically for London, which she has so far managed to keep firmly under wraps.

It is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic dressage events of 2025, even with a direct clash with the CDI5* in Frankfurt. Frankfurt will host the established invitation-only class for the world’s top 10-ranked riders, as well as the reported €300,000 prize pot previously offered in Stockholm, which could not find a sponsor for 2025.

Among those expected to compete in Frankfurt are Justin, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Isabell Werth.

Completing the British entries are two exciting new faces. Germany-based Susan Pape will bring Harmony’s Giulilanta, who has enjoyed a strong season, including a win in the CDI4* grand prix special at Hagen in April with a personal best of 73.04%. Joining them are national champions and rising stars Sadie Smith and Swanmore Dantina, who will be making their World Cup qualifier debut.

There is plenty of international firepower in the mix too. Norway’s Isabel Freese returns with Total Hope OLD, last year’s runners-up, and the Netherlands’ Marieke van der Putten brings the Glamourdale son Kuvasz RS2, a 10-year-old who has impressed throughout 2025.

France’s Morgan Barbançon heads to London straight after a World Cup qualifier win in Motešice with the ever-reliable Sir Donnerhall II OLD, who finished fifth here in 2023. Germany’s Moritz Treffinger is another to keep an eye on. He and his Hanoverian stallion Cadeau Noir claimed the European under-25 freestyle title in July and continue to look like a pair on the rise.

For a full list of entries, see the LIHS website.

“With Olympic medallists, World Cup finalists, and emerging stars of dressage all set to compete at London, the dressage World Cup qualifier supported by Horse & Hound promises to be an unmissable event for equestrian fans and the most exciting way to start the show,” said show director Simon Brooks-Ward.

“The blend of experience, talent and heart on display will ensure two days of unforgettable sport, celebrating the very best of international dressage.”

Tickets for the London International Horse Show are on sale online. To book and for more information about the full show timetable, visit the event website.

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‘Welcome aboard Glamourdale Airlines!’: Lottie Fry debuts bold freestyle at Europeans – but mistakes prove costly

Oscar Williams — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:35:01 +0000

Lottie Fry unveiled her much-anticipated new “Glamourdale Airlines” freestyle at the 2025 European Dressage Championships, scoring 79.58% with Van Olst Horses’ 14-year-old stallion.

Set to a playful flying theme, the floorplan featured snippets of Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra and We’re Going to Ibiza by the Vengaboys, as well as airport-style announcements voiced by Lottie herself at the start and finish.

It is a freestyle brimming with originality and sure to become a crowd favourite. But its debut in Crozet was not without drama. With the speakers positioned directly across from where Glamourdale first halted, and the volume turned up much higher than during sound check, the stallion came out electrified in the early trot work.

“I think he was absolutely amazing today – he was literally on fire,” Lottie said. “The freestyle felt incredible. It’s just a shame about the sound system.

“I definitely didn’t have the music that loud in the sound check, but I didn’t really have much choice other than to go with it. He was popping and prancing today, but I can’t blame him.”

Despite the unexpected blast of sound and shaky start, Lottie kept her cool, recovered well, and Glamourdale was able to show off his trademark brilliance, particularly in the canter work. But the early setback put them out of medal contention.

“He didn’t make any big mistakes. All the canter work was amazing, and he stayed with me the whole way. He was still really concentrating despite the noise, which shows how much he’s matured,” Lottie said.

“When the music first went off, he got a bit of a shock, and each time it changed, he was a little nervous. But once he got into it, he just went with it.

“He loves the crowd, and in the end it really suited him. He still felt fresh today, with plenty of energy left, and that gives me such a positive feeling going forward.”

A freestyle with a twist

The Glamourdale Airlines concept was born almost by accident, when Lottie and her team noticed that the music they liked all revolved around the idea of flying.

“Yes, that is my voice in the freestyle!” she said. “We thought it would be something fun and different — and I really enjoyed riding it.

“When we were looking at music, we realised all the songs we liked had the word ‘flying’ in them. So we thought, how cool would it be to make flying the theme. It hasn’t really been done before, and it’s always nice to bring fresh ideas to freestyle. It’s such fun to ride with that kind of music. He really suits it, and once he got into it, he loved it. It was a great feeling.”

Reflections on the week

Lottie admitted that her European campaign hadn’t been entirely smooth, but she finished with renewed confidence.

“I’m definitely happy after today. The first two days weren’t really ours, and unfortunately, today wasn’t perfect either, but the feeling he gave me today was really promising,” she said. “This week hasn’t been our smoothest, but I can take a lot of positives from how he went in the freestyle. It makes me excited for the future.”

Looking ahead, Glamourdale will have a well-earned break.

“I’d love to do more championships with him,” Lottie said. “He’s still in such great form, and I think he has many years ahead of him. For now, he’ll have a bit of a holiday, and then we’ll see how things go — but I’m really excited to ride this freestyle again.”

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‘I’m still really proud of him’: Lottie Fry reflects on her grand prix special at the Europeans… and teases a new freestyle

Oscar Williams — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:08:09 +0000

Lottie Fry scored 75.29% with Glamourdale to go into the provisional lead in the grand prix special at the 2025 European Dressage Championships.

Lottie admitted it wasn’t her day in Thursday’s grand prix, scoring 75.87% for sixth after mistakes in the collected canter and pirouettes. Yet she seemed unfazed, confident their best is still to come.

Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau were leading as Lottie came down the centre line, storm clouds gathering overhead — threatening, but never breaking.

Glamourdale began in style, trending in the low 80s through the trot work: calm, powerful and precise. But in the first piaffe from collected walk, he hesitated before leaping forward, earning just 3.9. It proved costly, with the piaffe double-marked and a separate score given for the transition.

They recovered well, though, lifting the marks again with their trademark canter work to finish on 75.29% and into the early lead.

“The canter was amazing and much improved from yesterday in the grand prix,” Lottie said. “The pirouettes were really good, so that was a highlight for me, and the changes, especially the ones on the centre line — they were really, really cool to ride.

“Unfortunately, there were a few miscommunications in the piaffe today. But we fixed the pirouettes already, so now it’s time to fix the piaffe for Sunday. Still, I’m really proud of him.”

A tricky arena at the European Dressage Championships

Several riders noted the challenges of going from the indoor warm-up straight into the open arena, and Lottie agreed: “It’s not the easiest arena — it’s a little bit closed in. Especially with stallions, they’re very sensitive.

“To be warming up in a closed space and then suddenly be exposed to a lot is not ideal. He loves the crowd, so that’s no problem, but it’s about coping with it and getting him to settle.”

Looking ahead to the freestyle, Lottie said the focus would be on sharpening the small details.

“The piaffe has been much improved in the warm-up — it was really good today — so it’s just about getting the communication right in the test, fine-tuning the little things. It’s so close, but a tiny mistake can become a miscommunication.”

There have been hints on her social channels of something special planned for the freestyle, with designer Joost Peters teasing it in a “Glamourdale Airlines” poster.

Lottie confirmed a new routine is on the way but kept details under wraps: “Yes, we’ve got new music, a new floor plan — it’s a little top secret at the moment, but I’m really excited about it.”

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Britain secures team silver at European Dressage Championships as Germany claims 50th gold

Martha Terry — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:29:19 +0000

The British team of Lottie Fry, Carl Hester, Becky Moody and Andrew Gould have won the silver medal at the European Dressage Championships in Crozet, France.

It went down to the last rotation of riders as a final showdown between Germany and Britain, after Carl’s super test on Fame had put Britain right into contention to defend the title they won in Riesenbeck two years ago.

The match-up between Lottie and Germany’s Isabell Werth would decide the team’s fate as the Germans pushed for their 50th European Dressage Championships gold medal.

When Isabell scored 79.224% on Wendy De Fontaine to slot into second on the leaderboard behind Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, a massive result from Lottie – Britain’s anchor – would be required.

As Lottie and Glamourdale’s average at grand prix prior to the European Dressage Championships was 76.59%, this was a big ask on a day when the judges weren’t throwing marks at competitors.

Lottie needed 78.73% to secure the gold medal for Britain and made a bold, confident start on the 2022 world champion Glamourdale. But while their highlights were exceptional, mistakes meant they finished on 75.87%.

This score was still comfortably good enough to secure team silver, staying ahead of Denmark in bronze.

Glamourdale’s half-passes were stunning, and the judges loved their passage. However, Lottie had to make a correction in the passage before the stallion made an uncharacteristic mistake in the collected canter before the two-time changes.

Their party-piece extended canter naturally clawed back some of the lost marks with two 10s awarded, but ultimately, there were too many little blips, notably when he climbed his way through the pirouettes, that precluded a really top score.

“It was really exciting,” Lottie reflected after the prizegiving. “In team competitions, when it comes down to the last few riders, it always is.

“There was a lot of pressure going in, knowing we were in contention for gold. But I didn’t look at the scoreboard before I went in – I was very focused. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day; too many mistakes crept in, which can happen.

“I’m looking forward to the rest of the competition because Glamourdale is settling in and improving day by day. I think we’re going to be fine. And I still think we all did a good job to come away with the silver.”

There are no individual medals in this team contest, but Lottie finished sixth on the leaderboard, just behind team-mate Carl. Tomorrow (Friday, 29 August), individual medals will be awarded in the grand prix special, for which the top 30 from the grand prix go forward.

European Dressage Championships team medals

Gold: Germany on 229.64%
Silver: Britain on 226.79%
Bronze: Denmark on 223.39%

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‘Exciting foursome’ named as Britain aims to defend team title at European Dressage Championships

Becky Murray — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:04:52 +0000

The terrific trio that delivered an Olympic bronze medal last summer have been named on the British team for the European Dressage Championships – as a newcomer gets ready to make his first full senior championship appearance.

Today (31 July) British Equestrian (BEF) and British Dressage (BD) confirmed the four combinations that will be Britain’s definite entries for the European Dressage Championships, taking place in Crozet, France, from 26 to 31 August.

Last summer’s team of Carl Hester, Becky Moody and Lottie Fry have returned following their success in Paris, where Lottie also won an individual bronze – and they are joined by Andrew Gould, who was travelling reserve at Versailles.

The team chef d’equipe Darrell Scaife said “what an exciting foursome to be taking to France”.

“Carl will be riding in his ninth consecutive Europeans, Lottie has been a team regular since 2019, while for Andrew and Becky, it’s their Euros debut. But all four have considerable experience and with Lottie and Becky featuring the world’s top four and a number of personal best performances from the group this spring, we carry great form to the championships,” he said.

“The horses and riders have one of the best support teams behind them – both at home and via the World Class Programme and I’m looking forward to working with each and every one as we prepare for Crozet and look to successfully defend our team title.”

British team for the 2025 European Dressage Championships

Definite entries for the British Equestrian dressage team, in partnership with Agria, in alphabetical order by athlete surname:

Lottie Fry with 14-year-old stallion Glamourdale

Owners: rider and Van Olst Horses

Breeder: J Rodenburg

Breeding: by Lord Leatherdale, out of a mare by Negro

Groom: Richard Hauwaerts

Andrew Gould with 12-year-old stallion Indigro

Owners: Tatiana and Max Skillman

Breeder: J Deenen

Breeding: by Negro, out of a mare by Jazz

Groom: Natalie Campbell

Carl Hester with 15-year-old stallion Fame

Owners: rider, Fiona Bigwood and Mette Dahl

Breeder: VOFG and M Gerritsen

Breeding: by Bordeaux 28, out of a mare by Rhodium

Groom: Lucy Scudamore

Becky Moody with 11-year-old gelding Jagerbomb

Owners: rider and Jo Cooper

Breeder: rider

Breeding: by Dante Weltino, out of a mare by Jazz

Groom: Kim Masson

Selection decisions are subject to the athlete and horse maintaining fitness and performance, and this list may be amended at any point up to midnight on Tuesday 19 August.

“We’re very excited to have the same team of athletes and horses available from the Paris Olympic Games. Andrew makes the step up from reserve and having that experience to draw on will give him great confidence in his first full senior championship team appearance,” said Judy Harvey, BD international director and chief dressage selector.

“All the horses have continued to improve in the year since Paris, and we head to Crozet excited to see what they can deliver. This is a great group of athletes who will be fully supportive of one another to create an atmosphere conducive to producing top performances. We’re set for a great week – bring it on!”

A BEF spokesperson added that the funding the British Equestrian World Class Programme receives from the National Lottery and UK Sport is “pivotal in preparing our teams for senior championships and supporting them on the ground”.

“British Equestrian is also extremely grateful for the support we enjoy from our partners – Agria, Bates Saddles, Dodson & Horrell, NAF, SEIB and Toggi – and team suppliers – Equi-Trek and Lotus Romeo. We’re indebted for the year-round support they provide to the World Class Programme and British teams, which helps us to best prepare for senior championships,” he said.

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Glamourdale – Lottie Fry’s world champion dressage stallion who makes crowds gasp

Oscar Williams — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 07:30:31 +0000

Glamourdale is one of the most decorated dressage horses of all time. The powerhouse black stallion catapulted into global stardom after carrying Lottie Fry to double individual gold at the 2022 World Dressage Championships – his defining breakthrough moment.

Since then, he’s added team gold at the 2023 Europeans, double bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the 2025 World Cup title to his record.

“He’s the biggest showman in the world!” Lottie says. “The second he enters the arena, he grows, he lifts his legs, and when you see him coming in, you can’t not look at him. He’s so beautiful, he has such a presence.”

Glamourdale’s early years

Bred in the Netherlands by Joop Rodenburg and born on 10 May 2011, Glamourdale is sired by Lord Leatherdale and out of Thuja (by Negro).

He was bought as a foal by Gertjan and Anne Van Olst and has since lived at their Den Hout base.

At three years old, Glamourdale topped the 2014 stallion inspection and took reserve champion at the KWPN performance test the same year.

Lottie Fry moved to the Netherlands in 2014, just 18 at the time, to train with the Van Olsts. She first sat on Glamourdale in 2017, when he was six – and the impact was instant.

“I had never sat on anything like that before – he was always so special,” she recalls.

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale finish on the individual podium at the Paris Olympics. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

In 2018, the pair won the coveted seven-year-old title at the World Breeding Championships in Ermelo, the Netherlands, with Lottie becoming the first British rider to win this esteemed title.

In a sign of things to come, Glamourdale gained 10s for his canter, with Lottie reporting that even then, it felt “like you’re flying”.

“We all knew at home that his canter deserves 10s, but we didn’t know if the judges would agree with us,” she said.

Rise to stardom

Glamourdale had a light but flawless small tour season in 2019, going unbeaten internationally and breaking the 80% barrier to win the inter I at Aachen CDI4*.

He sat out 2020, then stepped up to grand prix in April 2021, making his international debut at Hagen CDI4* with a 74.46% under Lottie. That year, he competed selectively, as Lottie prioritised her Olympic and European Championship campaign with her team ride Everdale.

It was in 2022 when Glamourdale exploded onto the top level. He posted a personal best 78.68% in the grand prix special at Lier CDI4*, then 80.98% at Opglabbeek, where judge Isobel Wessels called their test “a privilege to judge.”

“They moved from one movement to the next with such ease and lightness – everyone was spellbound,” Isobel said.

He followed this with a double win at Compiègne CDIO5* and was selected for Britain’s Herning World Championship team.

Herning 2022: Glamourdale breaks through

At Herning, Glamourdale led Britain to team silver with a plus-80% grand prix. He and Lottie then stormed to gold in the special with a personal best of 82.5%, lighting up the arena with their expressive canter work.

Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning in Denmark. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“To get 82.5% at the world champs is what dreams are made of,” said Lottie afterwards. “Glamourdale was incredible. He went in there and just did everything I could ask.”

Two days later, Lottie and Glamourdale struck gold again – this time in the freestyle, breaking the 90% barrier, scoring more than 24 10s, with a bold, crowd-thrilling routine set to a soundtrack of iconic British anthems arranged by Joost Peters.

From Another One Bites the Dust on entry to Millennium and Angels by Robbie Williams in the canter work, Bittersweet Symphony, and a spine-tingling God Save the Queen to close, the performance was both technically brilliant and emotionally charged.

Crossing into the elite “90% club,” Lottie was in disbelief: “I didn’t dare to dream about it, to be honest – it’s something all my idols have done. I never expected it would happen to me.”

Glamourdale: one of the best the world has ever seen

Those medals in Herning changed their lives forever. From that point on, Glamourdale wasn’t just a champion – he was a global phenomenon, and the most talked-about horse in dressage.

Glamourdale made his British debut in December at the London International Horse Show (LIHS), where he and Lottie drew in a wave of new fans and delivered another career high. They rose to the moment with a jaw-dropping 90.99% – the highest score ever recorded at LIHS outside the world records set by Totilas and Valegro.

“The atmosphere in there was incredible,” Lottie said. “From the moment we entered the arena, the audience was amazing. I can’t wait for the next few years.”

More titles and records followed. The pair kicked off 2023 ranked first in the world for the first time. It marked the first time a British dressage rider has headed the FEI world rankings since Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro held the position in 2016.

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win the 2025 World Cup Final in Basel. (Image credit: FEI)

“I texted Anne, but she wasn’t looking at her phone,” recalls Lottie. “I’d sent her a message all in capitals saying ‘ME AND GLAMMY ARE NUMBER ONE’, but she was out at dinner for New Year’s Eve, so I had to text a friend who was there to tell Anne to look at her phone. Of course, then she panicked thinking it was an emergency, but when she saw the message, it was so exciting.”

The battle with Dalera

The 2023 Europeans were framed as a battle between the world’s top two horses: Glamourdale and Olympic champion TSF Dalera BB, ridden by Jessica von Bredow-Werndl.

Dalera set the bar with a personal best of 84.61% in the grand prix. Anchoring the British team, Lottie Fry needed 78.71% to clinch gold, and delivered 81.26%. It wasn’t enough to beat Dalera individually, but it sealed Britain’s first team gold since London 2012 and their first European title since 2011.

A mistake in the one-tempis cost Lottie and Glamourdale a podium finish in the special, but the freestyle was an electrifying showdown between two horses at their peak.

Jessica and Dalera set the bar with a European Championship record-breaking 92.82%. Lottie, undaunted, delivered a brilliant 92.38% – her own personal best – in one of the most thrilling head-to-heads dressage has seen.

Dalera bested Glamourdale once more at the 2024 Paris Olympics, closing out her dominant era with a sweep of gold medals across both championships.

Lottie and Glamourdale took the team and a hard-fought individual bronze, edged out by rising star Wendy De Fontaine under Isabell Werth.

The result led to murmurs that perhaps Glamourdale’s peak had passed – but he silenced the doubters with a dominant comeback, going unbeaten, again, in 10 straight tests and clinching the 2025 World Cup Final.

With major titles across every championship and what many call the best canter tour in history, Glamourdale has secured his place among the all-time greats. And he’s not done yet.

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Lottie Fry crowned world number one while British horses boast top two spots

Lucy Elder — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:30:12 +0000

British dressage Olympian Lottie Fry and her medal-winning ride Glamourdale have regained the top spots in their respective world rankings.

The pair are unbeaten so far in 2025 and their recent run of form includes winning the FEI World Cup Final in Basel, plus victories in Rotterdam, the Dutch Masters and at Jumping Amsterdam.

The world champions previously held the number one spots from January to May 2023.

“I am so incredibly proud to be the new number one on the FEI dressage world ranking,” said Lottie, 29, who rides the 14-year-old stallion for his owners, her employers Van Olst Horses.

“It’s an amazing achievement, and this wouldn’t be possible without the amazing team around me, especially the Van Olsts. After Glamourdale’s hugely successful year so far, he truly deserves this, and I feel so honoured to ride him every single day. He’s just amazing.”

Previous world number one Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour is now in third in the rankings, and Germany’s Isabell Werth has climbed a place to second.

Lottie’s Paris Olympic medal-winning team-mate Becky Moody has retained her number four spot, and Becky’s homebred star Jagerbomb has climbed a place in the horse rankings to second behind Glamourdale. This means Britain has the top two-ranked dressage horses in the world.

Lottie and Glamourdale’s medal haul includes double individual gold and team silver at the 2022 World Championships, team gold and freestyle silver at the 2023 Europeans and Olympic team and individual bronze in Paris.

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What Britain’s Rotterdam performance means for the Euros as Olympic combination Lottie Fry and Glamourdale lead the way

Oscar Williams — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:57:58 +0000

British dressage was on strong form in the 76th edition of the Rotterdam CDIO5* Nations Cup, as Lottie Fry and Glamourdale continued their preparations for this summer’s European Championships, scoring 75.11% to top the individual scores.

It was their first outing since winning April’s Dressage World Cup, and despite mistakes down the centre line in the pirouettes and the last extended trot, Lottie was pleased with the performance.

“It was an amazing test and such an amazing feeling,” she said. “We were really working as one in the arena, and everything I asked, he gave – he was just incredible.

“Unfortunately, there was quite a big misunderstanding, which we didn’t get back from very easily, so two very expensive marks there, but apart from that, I was so happy coming out because of the feeling he gave, and he was so happy to be doing it.

“He was really excited, and you don’t need more than that.”

As the final combination to go for Britain, their score pushed the team’s total to 215.152 – just shy of the Netherlands’ winning score of 215.587 and enough to secure second place in the three-team Nations Cup.

What Rotterdam told us about British Dressage ahead of the Europeans

As Lottie and Glamourdale are all but locked in for the European Championships in Crozet, alongside Carl Hester (Fame) and Becky Moody (Jagerbomb), the British selectors used the Nations Cup as a proving ground for the fourth and final team spot.

Three riders were in the mix: Tom Goode, who scored 68.61% on Richard Jackson’s impressive 10-year-old gelding Furstenrausch PS, Sadie Smith, who made her senior team debut with a composed 69.09% on Swanmore Dantina, and Laura Tomlinson, who impressed with a smooth, confident round on her nine-year-old homebred Full Moon II, scoring 70.96%.

Elsewhere in the selection picture, Andrew Gould and Indigro still lead the pack after scoring 72.2% in the grand prix at Wellington CDI (4–8 June). But the race isn’t over yet – selectors will be watching closely as more combinations are set to be tested at Aachen CHIO in two weeks.

What the results in Rotterdam underline is the strength in depth of British dressage.

The competition served as a second official observation trial for the Dutch, whose team – Marlies van Baalen (Habibi DVB), Hans Peter Minderhoud (Taminiau), Marieke van der Putten (Kuvasz) and Thamar Zweistra (Luxuriouzz) – is likely to be the final line-up for the European Championships in Crozet.

That a British side missing two of its biggest names, and fielding three relatively green horses at this level, finished less than half a mark behind the hosts speaks volumes – not just for this summer’s prospects, but for the future.

It wasn’t long ago that British teams would have dreamed of closing the gap on the Dutch. Now, it’s the Netherlands that looks like outsiders for a medal in Crozet. The real threat to Britain’s hopes comes from familiar rivals: Germany and Denmark – the two teams that finished ahead of them at the Paris Olympics.

But both have vulnerabilities. Germany’s linchpin Dalera has retired, Denmark has lost Daniel Bachmann Andersen’s Vayron to Germany’s Ingrid Klimke, and Nanna Skodborg Merrald’s international future remains uncertain.

It sets the stage for a tight contest, with both nations now reliant on their headline acts – Isabell Werth and Wendy for Germany, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle for Denmark – to deliver if they’re to match Britain’s increasingly reliable core trio.

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Legacy! Unstoppable Lottie Fry and Glamourdale storm to World Cup Final victory in Basel

Oscar Williams — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 22:27:04 +0000

They’ve shone on every major stage: world champions, Olympic bronze medallists, European champions – and now, World Cup winners. With grace, grit, and ice-cool composure, Lottie Fry and Glamourdale have etched their names into the history of every one of dressage’s greatest championships, scoring 88.2% to win the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois FEI Dressage World Cup Final.

After a commanding win in the grand prix qualifier, they carried the weight of expectation into the final – and few venues test a partnership more than Basel’s St Jakobshalle.

Flanked by vertiginous grandstands and banks of bright flowers, the arena atmosphere had ruffled Glamourdale in the opening test, Lottie admitted.

But truth be told, they never looked like wavering, finishing comfortably ahead of Isabell Werth on DSP Quantaz in second (84.37%) and Isabel Freese on Total Hope OLD in third (81.85%).

“Every competition on Glamourdale is special, but the World Cup has always been a big dream, so to win it is very special – it’s not something that happens very often,” Lottie told Horse & Hound.

“We were confident going in, and we both felt very determined and ready for it today, so when I entered the arena, it was an amazing feeling – he grows when he goes in there.

“I had an amazing ride. He was with me each step, and it’s the most amazing feeling when it all comes together. It’s such a team effort from everyone at Van Olst, it wouldn’t be possible without every single one of them because when it all comes together, it’s as much their win as mine – I’m just very grateful to be in this position.”

Lottie Fry riding Glamourdale during the freestyle at the FEI World Cup Finals 2025. (Image credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark)

On her preparations for the test, and whether she lets outside noise affect her, Lottie added: “In the buildup we’re full concentration on Glammy, and making sure all his needs are catered for, and we do everything to make sure he’s in the best shape possible – and he’s still loving it, and that’s the most important thing for me.”

How the early riders fared

Hungary’s Anikó Komjáthy-Losonczy and Dior S (Spielberg x Florestan) got the action underway, and what a charming start it was. The 17-year-old gelding didn’t bat an eyelid at the atmosphere, looking as relaxed as if he were out for a quiet hack. He may not have matched the expression of some of his rivals, but if there’d been a prize for the horse spectators would most like to take home, he’d surely have been a contender.

America’s Genay Vaughn and the talented Gino (Bretton Woods x Haarlem) were next to go, aiming to recover from a tough first test where Gino got his tongue over the bit and scored 62.98%. And recover they did. There was still the odd moment of tension, but Genay rode boldly, allowing Gino to open up in the piaffe and passage.

Their crowd-pleasing medley – featuring Earth, Wind & Fire’s Fantasy and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – earned 73.65%. A touch below their personal best, but an impressive score for their World Cup Final debut, especially coming from America’s smaller west coast circuit.

Eventual ninth-place finishers Pauline Basquin and Sertorius de Rima Z Ifce led the way going into the break, scoring 77.06% despite errors in the one-time changes. There was a notable spread in the judging, with Pauline’s marks ranging from a low of 73.93% to a high of 79.05%.

Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz ride a line of changes during the FEI World Cup Finals 2025. (Image credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark)

That variance was particularly noticeable during Adrienne Lyle’s test with Helix, who followed after the break. Adrienne has great faith in the 13-year-old gelding, but he is known to be sensitive, and the lively atmosphere in Basel unsettled him. He showed tension, surging in both the extended trot and two-time changes, and never quite found his rhythm.

It became an exercise in damage limitation for Adrienne, who lost the length of neck and when the scores flashed up on the big screen, the crowd – vocal throughout the night – reacted with dissenting whistles to a 74.18% from the judge at H, American Michael Osinski. Their final score of 71.26% placed them second-to-last in the rankings – the audience scoring had them at 65.11%.

The battle at the top

Defending champion Patrik Kittel and Forever Young HRH were next in, and in contrast, they were a picture of harmony. A small mistake in the first piaffe briefly interrupted their flow, but they recovered smoothly in the subsequent attempts to finish fifth overall on 80.12%.

Patrik is known for his great music choices, and debuting a new routine tonight, he cleverly wove in David Guetta, Avicii and Alphaville’s aptly named Forever Young. Clearly delighted as he left the arena, he punched the air in celebration, and the crowd responded with enthusiasm.

Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD were the first big threats to Lottie and Glamourdale to go, scoring 81.85% to take the provisional lead.

“I’m over the moon with him – he exceeded my expectations,” she said. “We had a little bit of a difficult start yesterday, so I was a bit nervous, but in a healthy way. Today, though, he was 100% with me, and I was able to enjoy my ride. I got the feeling he got better and better as he went on.”

Isabel Freese riding Total Hope Old to third, behind Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz) and Lottie Fry (Glamourdale) at the FEI World Cup Finals 2025. (Image credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark)

Lottie was next to go, and Glamourdale straight from the off looked more confident than yesterday, with his early piaffe and passage work getting off without a hitch.

No one else can match the spectacular, raw physicality of his canter work, and in a setting like this, it affords him the opportunity to make a mistake or two and not be punished for it. By the time a slight mistake crept in during the final piaffe pirouette, the win was already assured.

Sandra Sysojeva (Maxima Bella), Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz) and suprise-package Corentin Pottier (Gotilas du Feuillard) followed, but each would have needed to considerably outscore their recent personal bests to challenge Lottie and Glamourdale.

Isabell went closest, scoring 84.35%, demonstrating her excellent musicality, with Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart playing as she turned into her pirouettes – scoring 10s across the board for her interpretations of the music.

“I’m very happy – Quantaz improved a lot from yesterday, when I had to be a bit careful,” Isabell said. “Today, I was still holding him a bit at first, but he settled, and he was much more open, and I was very happy with the whole piaffe-passage tour and the canter work – even the walk was quite good!

“I’ll hopefully now have a nice evening at the bar, and then we’ll prepare for the outdoor season.”

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‘I really had to give him confidence today’: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale seize victory in opening round of World Cup Final

Oscar Williams — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:27:01 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale won the opening round of the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois FEI Dressage World Cup Final, scoring 77.15% to win the grand prix.

The pair arrived in Basel as firm favourites, with DSP Quantaz (Isabell Werth), Total Hope OLD (Isabel Freese), Maxima Bella (Sandra Sysojeva), and Flambeau (Larissa Pauluis) the only other current top-10 ranked horses joining the line-up, and they entered the arena full of purpose.

There was a brief moment of concern when Glamourdale stumbled at K after the second medium trot, which seemed to leave him slightly unsettled heading into the piaffe. But the timing of the walk worked in their favour, allowing him to regroup.

With a brief shake of the head to reset, he settled back into his rhythm and despite being a little underpowered in the piaffe, he soared through the canter work, drawing gasps from the crowd with his extended canter – which is always excellent but seemed to have a little extra feeling today, picking up four nines and a 10 from Ulrike Nivelle at B.

“He was definitely a little more impressed with this arena than he was with previous World Cup arenas,” said Lottie. “I don’t think he quite took a liking to the high seating and the amazing wall of flowers – he even whinnied to the crowd when he went in. So I really had to give him some confidence today, but he trusted me, and I’m so proud of him.

“We still had some amazing moments, I’m very happy with the changes and a lot of the trot work, and it’s always such an amazing feeling to sit on Glamourdale in these huge atmospheres; he’s mid breeding season as well, which I think shows what an amazing character he has.”

Isabell Werth riding DSP Quantaz to second in the FEI Dressage World Cup Final grand prix. (Image credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark)

On her expectations for the freestyle, Lottie added: “I just think about enjoying it to be honest, and giving Glammy every opportunity to be as amazing as he can be, and usually when we aim for that, we also do well, so hopefully it all goes to plan.”

Rivals keep the pressure on

All 17 horses passed the vet inspection and made it down the centre line, though there was a nervous wait for Corentin Pottier’s Gotilas du Feuillard, who had to be reinspected and re-shod this morning (4 April) after a knock in his final training session. Brazilian combination Renderson Silva De Oliveira and his Lusitano stallion Fogoso Campline were late withdrawals.

Although it is hard to call anything in dressage low stakes these days, the opening round of the FEI Dressage World Cup Final had a more relaxed feel.

As just 60% was needed to qualify for the freestyle, which decides the title, most riders played it safe. Few pushed the boundaries, and many opted for safer lines over precision to the markers, keeping their powder dry for the all-important final round which gets underway tomorrow (5 April) at 4.30pm UK time.

Of the chasing pack, less than 0.6% separated the rest of the top five. Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz – who were second in the last two World Cup Finals and were winners at this venue in the qualifier in January – were second at 74.85%.

“I’m pleased with Quantaz because he’s not been as easy the last couple of days and a bit unconcentrated, so I was happy to be without any big mistakes,” said Isabell, who is making her 26th World Cup Final appearance. “I knew if everything went well I could get second place, and it worked.”

On whether she still feels nerves despite her experience, she added, with a smile: “No, but I was also not nervous when I came here for the first time either.”

Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD complete the top three. (Image credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark)

Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD were a little under their exceptional form – which enabled them to pip Lottie and Glamourdale to second in the grand prix at the London International Horse Show – scoring 74.41% to place third.

“I thought I could maybe be top five, realistically, so we’re very happy,” she said. “Our start was not that good today; he was a little bit nervous, but he relaxed into it.”

Surprise performances in Basel

There has been plenty of conversation around judging and scoring trends – most recently reignited at this week’s FEI Sports Forum (31 March to 1 April) – and for most combinations, scores came in noticeably below their recent averages over the last five grand prix tests.

If Glamourdale can lay claim to the best canter tour in the world, Maxima Bella – already Poland’s most successful dressage horse at just nine years old – could easily stake her claim as the leading piaffe-passage specialist.

It is so good she opted to return to passage from canter on the corner before her one-time changes. But for that mistake, she might well have climbed even higher up the leaderboard, and the pair were the only combination to score higher than an eight in their collective mark for general impression. Expect them to be serious contenders in the freestyle.

Corentin’s performance was the surprise of the day, finishing a full 2.3% above his and Gotilas’ five-test average. Their test was a masterclass in consistency; Gotilas scored no lower than a seven in each movement bar the rein back. Corentin, visibly elated, punched the air and saluted the crowd as he exited the arena – the tension of their dramatic lead-up clearly lifted.

Reigning champion Patrik Kittel began his title defence with Forever Young FRH – rather than last year’s winner Touchdown – and delivered a polished performance to place sixth on 73.13%. He was also one of just six riders whose audience score exceeded the official marks.

Patrik has embraced the atmosphere in Basel, taking time to chat with fans and those working behind the scenes. His test reflected that positive energy: composed and harmonious, and the elegant 13-year-old mare showed fluency throughout.

She may not boast the flamboyance of some rivals, but Patrik presented her in an open, elastic frame, riding with a notably loose curb rein and – barring a slight blip in the two-time changes – keeping errors to a minimum. They may feel slightly short-changed by the score.

‘I don’t get emotional, but I cried today’: Lottie Fry wins Dutch World Cup leg – and Becky Moody scores personal best

Pippa Roome — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 17:00:52 +0000

Britain’s Lottie Fry and Becky Moody dominated the Dutch Masters dressage freestyle today, with the Paris team-mates repeating their placings from yesterday’s grand prix and taking the top two spots in the final World Cup leg of the Western European League.

Winner Lottie and the 14-year-old black stallion Glamourdale, owned by his rider and Van Olst Horses, scored 89.705% for their virtually foot-perfect performance, which was expressive and technically tighter than yesterday’s test, when they made some small mistakes. The pair are now qualified for the World Cup Final in Basel next month.

The world champions rode to their familiar soundtrack, which includes God Save The King for their entry and final centreline and Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust and the crowd were clapping along in their closing trot section.

“I had an amazing ride – it was such an incredible feeling,” said Lottie. “I remember entering the arena, but from that moment I don’t remember very much. I was so determined before went in that today going to be the day and if I feel like that, I know Glamourdale will rise to the occasion because he’s such a showman.

“Afterwards I actually cried a few tears. I don’t get emotional often, but he was so amazing today, when I did my salute and heard the crowd it really got to me.

“It’s always in our minds to combine perfect harmony with so much power and it felt like today we started to create that.”

Personal best for Moody and Bomb

Runner-up Becky Moody and her own and Jo Cooper’s Jagerbomb achieved a personal best score of 87.545% for their Dutch Masters dressage freestyle test, topping the 86.5% they scored in the Amsterdam World Cup leg in January. It was a mistake-free performance which showcased the 11-year-old’s superb outline and ability in the technical movements and the pair’s harmony.

Becky Moody and Jagerbomb score a new personal best in ’s-Hertogenbosch in March 2025. (Image credit: FEI/Leanjo de Koster)

Becky and “Bomb” have now settled into the new music and floorplan they debuted at the London World Cup qualifier. The routine starts with John Lennon’s Imagine and is packed with Beatles favourites from Twist and Shout to With a Little Help from My Friends and Help!

“We have only done that freestyle three times – the first time was not so good, but it has got better and better as we’ve ridden it more,” said Becky.

“It’s an incredible experience to come into an atmosphere like that and feel like the horse stays with you and on side. And it’s exciting to have got that mark and know there is quite a lot more to come – we ran out of steam in the last piaffe and there were little glitches I know can be better.”

Speaking about her journey with the home-bred Bomb, Becky said: “I am just so proud of him, he’s a truly exceptional horse. It’s his heart that is the most talented part of him. He gives absolutely everything and his heart and mind have enabled me to develop him as an athlete, because he was not the most naturally talented as a young horse. He tries so hard and gives everything. I’m incredibly lucky to have him.

“We have learnt everything together, but it’s all the horses I had before him that have enabled me to produce him as I have.”

Becky is not qualified for the World Cup Final, but could be high enough up the rankings to be offered a place if others do not take up their spots.

Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and the nine-year-old stallion Zonik Plus, who he bought in Portugal as a two-year-old, took third on 84.160%. Final rider Isabell Werth of Germany was fourth on DSP Quantaz, scoring 82.415%, and tops the Western European League World Cup standings.

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Lottie Fry and Becky Moody top Dutch Masters dressage grand prix: ‘Some of the best work he’s done’

Pippa Roome — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:23:31 +0000

British riders Lottie Fry and Becky Moody scored a one-two in today’s Dutch Masters dressage grand prix, presented by RS2 Dressage. The Paris Olympic team-mates both scored over 75% in this qualifier for tomorrow’s World Cup freestyle.

Lottie scored 75.978% with her own and Van Olst Horses’ powerful black stallion Glamourdale, her partner in taking the individual World Championship title in 2022 and individual and team bronze in Paris.

“I was very pleased with it. It really felt light, easy, effortless, happy horse, happy rider. That’s all I want to show – all the time and especially now – and I feel like we really succeeded with that today,” said Lottie, as other competitors congratulated her on her ride.

“A few mistakes crept in, but nothing to be upset about. They were very silly, little things, to be honest, little transitions, things I normally wouldn’t even think about. I think I was just enjoying the ride so much and he was feeling so great that I was maybe not fully concentrated on every transition. But the main thing was how amazing he felt and it was some of the best work he’s ever done.

“He gets better and better, and it’s not always about producing a faultless test. It’s about the little goals now, increasing the harmony and showing what an amazing partnership we are, and being able to present it in a very easy way.”

This Dutch Masters show in ’s-Hertogenbosch is only Lottie’s third World Cup dressage leg this season, after Amsterdam and London, and it’s one the Netherlands-based British rider attends nearly every year as it is only half an hour from the Van Olst yard.

“For me, it is one of the best World Cup shows, because there’s so much space and the public is so supportive. We just always have a great time here,” she said.

“We haven’t pushed for the World Cup final and if it happens tomorrow that we qualify, then it happens, and that’s amazing. And if not, it’s not a huge goal for us, so we concentrate on the Europeans and just keep on going like we are.”

Becky Moody: “It’s slap me really hard!”

Runner-up Becky Moody scored 75.587% for her virtually faultless test, in which her own and Jo Cooper’s Jagerbomb appeared soft and relaxed, a testament to his rider’s skill as she said he was actually buzzing in the arena.

The pair just lost marks for a leap forwards before the halt on the final centreline and for entering the arena late, without which they could have scored a new personal best and won the class.

“I was super, super pleased with him. It’s just slap me really hard for being an absolute idiot and being late in,” said Becky.

“The centre line was just a simple miscommunication. He was getting a little behind me and I said, ‘Come on, keep in front of me.’ And he went, ‘Okay, canter.’

“When he’s hot, my halts and my walk are a little fragile. But things like piaffe are really lovely and easy because he’s in front of me. I’d rather have him like that, even though it makes my life a little bit trickier in some situations, because he’s just so up for it. He’s just so excited about showing off what he can do that standing still seems really overrated to him.”

Belgian rider Justin Verboomen finished third on Zonik Plus with 74.652%, with Isabell Werth fourth for Germany on DSP Quantaz on 73.761%.

Both Lottie and Becky will ride in the Dutch Masters dressage World Cup freestyle tomorrow at 2pm local time (1pm British time).

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The greatest grandfather, a fearless teenager and 100mph ponies: what happened at this year’s London Horse Show?

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:44 +0000

Now that the final curtain has fallen on this year’s London International Horse Show (18-22 December), let’s reflect on just some of the magic moments from this year’s five-day equine extravaganza.

From a fearless teenager clearing nearly 7ft to a stunning Fell stallion enjoying the spotlight and the legendary John Whitaker competing alongside his granddaughter in the international arena, we’ve loved every minute.

Here are just some of our highlights from this year’s London Horse Show 2024 and you can read further coverage, including exclusive interviews and insight, in our bumper report in this week’s Horse & Hound, in the shops from Saturday 28 December.

The world’s greatest grandfather

Young Evie Whitaker may have described her grandfather John Whitaker as “a bit slow” but in one of the most magical performances of the week at the London Horse Show, the pair teamed up to compete in Wednesday’s GS Equestrian Pony Club Mini Major Relay. “You can forget the Olympics and world championships, this is serious pressure,” reflected John of riding alongside his granddaughter.

This is how they fared against the flying pair of Matt Sampson and Lilly McBride in the high-octane Mini Major Relay

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win the 2024 freestyle at London International Horse Show. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The comeback of all comebacks at the London Horse Show

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale truly sparkled on the London International stage once again as they won back their 2022 title to top the FEI Dressage World Cup freestyle, presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound.

“I don’t think there’s any horse in the world with that much presence and that much ‘look at me’,” said Lottie.

Find out how Lottie bounced back from her surprise third-place finish in the previous day’s grand prix to nail her triumphant freestyle performance

Rachel Proudley riding Easy Boy de Laubry Z to win the LeMieux puissance at the London Horse Show. (Image credit: LIHS / Peter Nixon)

The fearless teenager everyone is talking about

Hitting the headlines for her outstanding horsemanship, bravery and wisdom far beyond her 19 years was LeMieux puissance victor Rachel Proudley and her brilliant partner Easy Boy de Laubry Z.

A 2.12m (6ft 11in) wall to clear? No problem!

Read why trail-hunting proved the perfect warm-up for puissance success

Power cuts and a horse called Chicken George

Our favourite horse in London was the brilliantly named Chicken George, who proved anything but a chicken when a power cut hit the London ExCeL midway through his jumping round with Italian showjumper Francesco Turturiello.

This is how they reacted when the arena was momentarily plunged into darkness

A mare of many talents makes London Horse Show history

The stunning 22-year-old mare Aplhaugs Lilja, known at home as “Rhino”, became the first Fjord to win at the London Horse Show.

This is her amazing journey to be crowned 2024 SSADL in-hand supreme champion

The stunning Aplhaugs Lilja wins at London Horse Show. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Grand prix hero makes winning return aged 21

Talking of veterans, we were delighted to see William Funnell’s former grand prix hero Billy Angelo back to his winning ways at the London International. Harry Skelton managed to completely out-horse his rivals by entering the ring for the Markel Jockeys Jumping in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund on the super 21-year-old gelding, but as it was all for a great cause, nobody really minded. Oh, except, perhaps, for the ever-competitive Nico de Boinville: “It’s a bit like me riding Sprinter Sacre in a 0-100 handicap race [for low-level horses]!” he quipped.

Find out which leading jockeys found their showjumping forte (and which didn’t…)

Harry Skelton and Billy Angelo lead the winning team in the Markel Jockeys Jumping in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund at the London International Horse Show. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

The fastest jump-off round we’ve ever seen

Incredible by name, incredible by nature – Daniel Coyle’s winning jump-off round on the Frankel-esque grey gelding was simply astonishing.

Find out how an unusual warm-up helped them win

Darragh Kenny is the King of London Horse Show

All hail the King of London International Horse Show, Darragh Kenny, who was crowned the show’s leading rider after his spectacular winning double, including topping Sunday’s Longines FEI World Cup with the brilliant Eddy Blue.

Read how Darragh became the first Irish rider in 17 years to claim the feature class

Gemma Stevens riding Envoy Merelsnest Z winners of The Cavago Six Bar at The London International Horse Show at ExCel in London in the UK between the 18 - 22 nd December 2024 (Image credit: LIHS / Peter Nixon)

Olympic eventer goes sky-high

We cannot repeat what Olympic eventer Gemma Stevens said after she and Envoy Merelsnest Z – AKA Dime Bar – cleared a whopping 1.95m to not only win Saturday’s Cavago six bar, but to beat showjumping legend John Whitaker in the process.

Let’s just say she was gobsmacked

Meet a tremendous Fell stallion who ‘loves an atmosphere’

The London Horse Show’s greatest showman was without doubt Fell stallion Birkettbank Master John, who dazzled with owner-rider Victoria Taylor to win the 2024 BSPS ridden M&M supreme championship.

Read their remarkable story to this winning moment

And finally…

We all know the London International Horse Show means it’s Christmas and we’re truly in the festive spirit after this glittering five-day extravaganza. But London’s other magical ingredient is 100mph ponies and their brilliant little riders and none went faster than Annabel Widdowson and the 23-year-old megastar pony Bunbury Conquest.

This was Annabel’s epic reaction after she took the Agria 128cm championships by a staggering margin

Annabel Widdowson riding Bunbury Conquest winners of The Agria 128cms Championship. (Image credit: LIHS / Peter Nixon)

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Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win London Horse Show dressage freestyle: ‘A feeling I won’t forget for a long time’

Pippa Roome — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 23:15:49 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale won back their 2022 title when they topped the London Horse Show dressage freestyle results this evening.

Britain’s world champions and Paris Olympic double bronze medallists scored 86.645% to finish more than 3% clear of their nearest rivals in the FEI Dressage World Cup freestyle, presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound. It was a triumphant comeback after a surprise third-place finish in the grand prix yesterday for Lottie and the black stallion, who belongs to his rider and Van Olst horses.

Lottie said she didn’t feel she had a point to prove after the grand prix, elaborating: “I watched my grand prix back 100 times and until the misunderstanding in the pirouettes, I was literally like, ‘How can it be better?’ So I really went in there today excited because he’s on top form. There were some little blips, which we practised in the warm-up. He’s so cool, he’s such a professor when he goes in there and when he hears the crowd he grows. I don’t think there’s any horse in the world with that much presence and that much ‘look at me’. He’s really something special.”

The rider had multiple pirouettes to negotiate in her floor plan today after her glitches in that movement yesterday.

“I have six in there and before, I was thinking, ‘Is that a good idea?’ But he nailed them and after the last one, I let out a little breath, but it was also like it didn’t feel like he was going to let me down – he never lets me down. So it was just a very good feeling.”

Lottie performed fairly early in the second half of the class so had a long wait before her win was confirmed.

She explained: “It’s a little relief when you win – you’re already very happy. There’s nothing more you can do. So winning is just the extra icing on the cake when you already know that he’s done his best and when he was feeling like he was feeling, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Lottie added that Glamourdale had a break after Paris, chilling out and breeding, before building back up to London.

She said: “We really took the pressure off and he just feels so much stronger. He’s really bulked out. He was very fresh. But you know what? I don’t mind. I love it. The fact that he’s that happy to be in there and that excited, it’s only a plus for me, even if it causes tiny mistakes here and there. For me, that’s what it’s what all about, that he’s loving it.

“I guess now it’s not about achieving, but it’s just about enjoying it with him. We both absolutely love it and competing him is one of my favourite things to do in life. When he’s enjoying it like that, I just feel like we have so much more to give, and he’s improved so much already since Paris. This was just a happy end of the year, and for me, a feeling that I’m not going to forget for a long time.”

London Horse Show dressage freestyle results: first-timers on form

Isabel Freese repeated her second place from yesterday’s grand prix for Norway when she finished with 83.27% on the Totilas son Total Hope OLD, owned by Oivind Bache, Lone Boegh-Henriksen and Paul Schockemöhle.

Isabel, a London first-timer, had eight weeks out of the saddle after Paris for planned surgery to replace a disc in her neck.

She said: “I know my horse very well and I trust him and he’s been in good shape. My groom took beautiful care of him when I was out and I think it was good for both of us having the break. It’s the perfect end of the year.”

Isabel Freese riding Total Hope OLD into second in the freestyle at London 2024. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere, another London debutante, improved on sixth yesterday with third tonight on Jan Pieter Dalsem’s Hartsuijker.

“Today, I was very happy with my horse,” she said. “He really felt great. He had a little bit of tension in the warm-up because of all the noises that were around, but when he came in the arena, he actually relaxed and he felt so safe and so easy. It was just an easy ride and I could chill out a little bit.”

Becky Moody, yesterday’s winner for Great Britain, suffered disappointment when it wasn’t her night tonight and she finished fourth with her home-bred Paris Olympic team bronze medallist Jagerbomb, who she co-owns with Jo Cooper.

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Lottie Fry and Glamourdale top 86% in London freestyle: ‘He was on fire and I can’t thank the crowd enough’

Pippa Roome — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 21:31:00 +0000

Lottie Fry has taken the lead in the London Horse Show dressage freestyle to music, scoring 86.645% with her own and Van Olst Horses’ Glamourdale.

Britain’s world champions and double Paris bronze medallists started with Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust, with a punchy cry of “Let’s go” out of their first halt. Their test finished with a piaffe pirouette on the final centre line to God Save The King and an excellent final halt. Lottie gave a fist pump, a big smile and a wave to the crowd, clearly pleased with her ride in the FEI Dressage World Cup presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound.

“The feeling I had tonight was incredible, he was on fire,” said Lottie, who is based in the Netherlands with her owners and trainers the Van Olsts so doesn’t often ride in front of a home crowd. “I’m so grateful to be able to do that in London in front of this crowd. I can’t thank you enough for your support this year, running up to Paris and there. It makes me a little emotional to be able to come back to England and be able to ride in front of you.

“This was really the perfect end to the year for me. ‘Glammy’ was absolutely incredible in that it was really a feeling I’ve never experienced in my whole life before. He was just on fire and to do it in front of the home crowd in London is just very, very special.

“Yesterday Glammy really showed me how much he has improved since Paris and it was also one of the best tests I’ve ever felt. But unfortunately, we had a little misunderstanding, which was very costly, and tonight he was just on it – there were a few small exciting moments, but I think that just made it even more exciting for all of us.”

Much of Lottie Fry and Glamourdale’s London Horse Show dressage freestyle test was excellent – suspension and power was on offer, great positioning of the movements and the black stallion has so many gears and strong adjustability. But it wasn’t flawless as the pair had a muddle at the start of the two-time flying changes and an error in the one-times, which Lottie repeated towards the end of their performance.

Nonetheless, it was a strong comeback after the pair were surprisingly beaten yesterday by their Paris team-mates Becky Moody and her home-bred Jagerbomb. Becky will ride in just a few minutes to see if she can overhaul Lottie once again, though she would need to achieve a personal best by 2% to do so. Isabel Freese of Norway and Total Help OLD also beat Lottie and Glamourdale yesterday with second place and will be the final pair in the ExCeL arena this evening, so the tension will be high right until the end of the class.

The halfway leader, Dinja van Liere with Hartsuijker sits second now on 80.225% with British national champions Lewis Robertson-Carrier and Diego second best of the home side in fifth on 76.31%.

End of class update: Lottie won the class, with Isabel second, Dinja third and Becky fourth.

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‘A truly outstanding line-up’ British Olympic medallists headline London dressage entries

Eleanor Jones — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 20:12:43 +0000

Two of Britain’s 2024 Olympic medal-winning combinations spearhead the dressage entries for this year’s London International Horse Show (18-22 December).

Becky Moody with Jagerbomb and Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, who were on the team that won bronze in Paris, are among the Brits entered for the World Cup legs on the first two days of the show. Also entered are Paris alternates Lewis Carrier with Diego V, and London 2012 team gold and individual bronze medallist Laura Tomlinson, with Soegaards Bon Royal, as well as Richard White with Heroi Do Seixo.

Ireland’s Olympic combination Abi Lyle and Giraldo and Austrian rider Diana Porsche with Dahoud 3, also feature in the international line-up of entries.

“The line-up for the FEI Dressage World Cup presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound at London International Horse Show is truly outstanding,” show director Simon Brooks-Ward told H&H.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a high calibre of international riders, including world-class competitors like Britain’s Lottie Fry and Becky Moody, alongside stars from the Netherlands, Spain and beyond. The presence of British talent, riding on the back of their success in Paris, ensures that the dressage competition will be a highlight of the show this year.”

Tickets for the London International Horse Show are on sale online. To book, and for more information about the full show timetable, visit the event website.

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‘Not every day is a perfect day – patience and positivity are very important’: Lottie Fry shares her training mantras

Kate Johnson — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:28:26 +0000

“I’m very lucky,” says Lottie Fry. She moved to the Netherlands in 2014 to train with the van Olsts and has lived there ever since. Anne van Olst is a five-time Olympian and Lottie’s trainer and mentor, and the operation focuses on stallions at stud, dressage, training, youngstock and buying and selling horses. Lottie’s good fortune is in the horses she rides.

She explains that Anne’s husband, Gertjan van Olst, “is breeding horses all the time, and always trying to improve”. There are currently 27 much-garlanded stallions on the Van Olst site including household names such as Everdale and Glamourdale.

Lottie adds: “One of the top attributes that Gertjan’s looking for is good character. It’s very important, right from the beginning, especially for stallions, because they need to balance the breeding and the sport – and it’s very difficult unless they have good character.”

Lottie Fry rides Nalegro in the Dressage Unwrapped demo at the 2022 London International, while her trainer Anne van Olst (left) and commentator Lee McKenzie look on. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

What exactly is “good character”? It means “they love their job”, Lottie explains. “I love it when you get on a horse and they want to please and want to do the job for you. It makes my job easier! They’re very easy to train, and the breeding offspring we have are so talented as young horses.”

“It’s very important to take every horse as an individual, they’re all slightly different, there will never be two the same, so we keep an open mind and train them each as they need to be trained. Some take longer, we go at their speed,” adds Lottie.

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale with the van Olsts during a training session at the 2022 World Dressage Championships. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

That good character has to include a certain stage-craft to perform well in dressage, they need to “have that showmanship; the stallion side makes it very exciting”.

No shortcuts to building a partnership

It’s essential to be attentive to their characters from the beginning, Lottie says: “Once you start to work, you see how the horses react on the ground around you, how they are in the stable, if they’re nervous or confident and you build them up to create a partnership. The better they know you and you know them, the more likely it’s going to go well.”

There’s no shortcut to building rapport, Lottie points out: “It comes with time, it’s the same as humans, some trust a lot easier than others, but when you gain the trust, they’ll do anything for you.”

Lottie Fry at home with Glamourdale at the van Olsts’ stables. (Image credit: Liz Neville Photography)

Case in point is Glamourdale, Lottie’s Olympic team and individual bronze medallist. The bond is tangible and she says: “I’ve been riding him since he was six. In the beginning, I was very young as well and we grew together. I always trusted him from the start and he me as well. \\

“I remember thinking the first time I sat on him, I don’t think I’ve ever ridden anything this amazing, it was an incredible feeling. When you’re really positive about horses they get very positive about their work and enjoy it.”

“When you canter it’s like flying,” Lottie Fry on Glamourdale

What was that feeling? “He’s so powerful when you canter it’s like flying, but he’s also elastic and supple at the same time, and it’s rare to be so powerful and elegant; he’s the perfect dressage horse,” says Lottie.

Glamourdale showing off his trademark extended canter under Lottie Fry on their way to securing individual Olympic bronze at Paris 2024. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Training takes place four times a week, sessions are well planned and “every day is a little different – we never work on the same things, so I take what I need to work on, and focus on that more specifically. We don’t do everything every day – I’d never do the whole grand prix in one session,” explains Lottie.

At home, Glamourdale is engaged with everyone. “If you come into the stable and say, ‘hi’, he immediately replies! He’s super chatty and he loves getting treats. He’s the king, so why shouldn’t he? If someone else gets a treat, he has to have one as well, even if they’ve just worked, he has to have one as well, just for being Glammy!”.

Lottie Fry praises Everdale after completing their test at the Tokyo Olympics. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The horses all enjoy their freedoms, but, to put it mildly: “It’s not easy with breeding stallions. Anything that moves unsupervised they think might be for breeding. We have special individual paddocks for stallions, with proper fences; the geldings and mares are out in the fields.”

It’s not a training principle as such, but Lottie and the team never lose sight of the fact that the horses are their own entities, and “not every day is a perfect day, as with us. When you work with animals, patience and positivity are very important.”

Lottie Fry – the basics are key

If sessions aren’t progressing, Lottie goes back to basics, and says that they spend 90% of the time working on basics: walk, trot, canter, straight lines, transitions. “They’re all needed in the movement eventually, and if the basics are good, it’s so much easier”.

Holidays are incorporated into the schedule, particularly after a major competition – when we talk, Glammy is having an easy few weeks after the Paris Olympics, “stretching, hacking, chilling” and will be slowly built back for the winter season and breeding again.

Glamourdale takes in his surroundings during arena familiarisation at the 2022 London International Horse Show. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The key to keeping these star athletes happy in training is making the work enjoyable, which means variety. This includes hacking, a water treadmill, and grass turnout. There’s also regular physio, light therapy and “a lot of attention”.

“They feel good about themselves,” Lottie says.

After a few weeks off, “Glammy wants to work. He’s quite fresh and he definitely misses the work. It’s a really nice thing, he gets excited to start training,” Lottie says, adding, “He’s a very happy pony.”

Describing a 16.3hh breeding stallion as a “happy pony” shows the profound level of affection in which this horse is held.

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale on their way to winning gold in the special at the 2022 World Championships. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘I brushed my teeth and Glamourdale listened to his music’ – how double Olympic bronze medallist Lottie Fry prepared for glory in Paris

Kate Johnson — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 17:30:17 +0000

Lottie Fry can’t remember where she was when she received the call that she’d been selected with Glamourdale for the British dressage team at the Paris Olympics. Best guess? “I was riding… I must have been riding”. It’s a fair assumption; Lottie rides at least 12 horses a day, six or seven days a week.

After telling her owners, Anne and Gertjan van Olst, she found “a little bottle of champagne in the fridge, so I thought, I’ll just open this at midday! It was the first exciting moment of hopefully many to come”.

Lottie’s Olympic debut on Everdale in 2021, alongside Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and Gareth Hughes, netted a team bronze in Tokyo, under the shadow of a pandemic. Different challenges this time meant that travelling reserve Becky Moody replaced Charlotte Dujardin with just a few days in hand.

Not ideal, but the mark of greatness is rising to the occasion, and Lottie says: “We had such a good support team, handling everything for us and making sure we could concentrate on why we were there. It brought the team closer together and made us want this more. The team atmosphere was very special and supportive; we wanted to get that medal. We had to put it behind us to do what we were there to do.”

Spoken like a true sportswoman – for whom the mental focus is easily as important and impressive as the physical. A total team score of 232.492% in the grand prix special secured team bronze, and 88.971% for Lottie’s freestyle earned her an individual medal of the same colour. Both results clearly illustrate Lottie’s remark when she concludes with some understatement: “I think we brought the positive back”.

Lottie Fry: “Even more motivated and determined”

The scale and beauty of Versailles only redoubled her commitment to be “even more motivated and determined”. She says now, speaking less than a month later: “There will never be a setting as beautiful as that. It may be a once in a lifetime experience to ride there, it takes your breath away, seeing the arena, the height of the stand, the view of the palace. Whatever you expected could never be that.”

Lottie had considered changing Glamourdale’s music for Paris, explaining: “He first rode it at Herning, at the World Championship, where he won. It was very difficult and we came to the conclusion that it couldn’t be any better because any time we changed it, just small pieces, it wasn’t as good. We wanted to put a French theme into it, to relate it to Paris, and we did that in a few of the pirouettes, which was beautiful. But he already had the best music in the world – why try to change it?”

Lottie’s focus in the run-up to the Games was not particularly the grand prix, though important for qualifying, as she explains: “We’ve done hundreds of grands prix and Glammy knows his job, he loves to go into the arena and doesn’t give me too much to worry about. The main focus was going into the special for the team and freestyle for the individual.”

How does an Olympic medallist prepare for these great moments? For Lottie, she explains: “I like to have some quiet time. I go through the test in my head many times, I ride it through, I listen to some music as well. I always brush my teeth – then it means I’m fresh and ready! When I’m outside the stable waiting to get on I always walk the test as if I’m holding the reins.” And then, a moment with her horse. “Before the freestyle, Glammy always hears his music, just before I get on. I play it to him and stand with him and he always listens to it so he knows what’s coming up.”

The “biggest showman”, Glamourdale

Charisma is key for successful dressage horses and Glamourdale is “the biggest showman in the world!” Lottie says, with obvious pride and delight. “He loves it, loves attention, and wants everyone to look at him. The second he enters the arena he grows, he lifts his legs, and when you see him coming in you can’t not look at him. He’s so beautiful, he has such a presence.”

It makes sense that Glammy loved his lap of honour as much as Lottie did after winning individual freestyle bronze, taking in the atmosphere alongside Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth, the two German riders who took gold and silver respectively. With the roar of the crowds, after the “sheer excitement, it’s a very happy, special feeling being there with the team and the other teams, or as an individual, on the podium, all feeling similar thoughts”.

Looking back on her time in Paris, is there anything she’d do differently? “No, I don’t think so and it’s something I would never even think about,” she says, showing that steel-clad mental focus again. “It was amazing, even if it didn’t go as well as it did, you still know you’ve done your best on the day and you can’t change it now. It’s very important to be grateful for the experience, I enjoyed every second of it and Glammy did as well.”

While in Paris, Lottie had only a flying visit to the Olympic village. “I had a photo with Joe Fraser, one of the gymnasts – I said to him, I watched you on the TV last night!” she recalls. It was only meeting other athletes that made Lottie appreciate that “just getting to the Olympics is incredible and everyone is inspirational”. She drove home to the van Olstzs in the Netherlands straight after the individual prize-giving and press rounds, getting back by about 10.30pm.

The girls on the yard were ready with Prosecco, cakes and British flags. “Glammy had all the carrots laid out in his name”, says Lottie. The next morning, Lottie says: “I was straight back to riding all the other horses, it was a full-on day. Glammy’s had a nice holiday, doing fun things, relaxing. And quite a few fans have visited him – he’s very happy.” For Lottie though, no holiday. A day off? Perhaps a lie in? No. “That’s just horse people for you,” she says, happily.

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‘We make a lot of sacrifices’: Lottie Fry on what it takes to achieve such success before turning 30, plus what’s next

Kate Johnson — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 07:30:07 +0000

Lottie Fry has already won – take a deep breath – individual gold in the 2018 Under-25 European Dressage Championship, individual gold at the World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses in 2018 (with a then seven-year-old Glamourdale) and 2021, team silver at the 2021 Europeans, as well as team gold and individual silver at the 2023 Europeans, team silver plus individual gold in both the special and freestyle (with a personal best of 90.995% on Glamourdale) at the 2022 World Championship, plus team bronze at the Tokyo Olympics (with Everdale), and team and individual bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Glamourdale. She is yet to celebrate her 30th birthday.

Lottie Fry and Everdale impress at London International Horse Show in 2023. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

All this, and yet, when asked how the Olympic medals in particular have changed her life, she replies with a surprised laugh, “I’ve never really thought about it!”. She wears her spectacular success very lightly.

With a bit of gentle prodding, she admits that it’s important to realise the achievement, and behind that, the work that goes in to make it all look so easy. Effortless rarely is. The debrief after any competition “goes on for a long time and is still going on now”, she says, “it’s a constant conversation, how we can improve, what can we do better in future”.

She relies heavily on Anne van Olst, her trainer and owner who “sees me ride every single day at competition and is always looking. We’re always working together to get the best, we discuss how it feels, how it looks. We plan each training session, so we know what will happen every day.”

Lottie was working one week a month, aged 16, in exchange for lessons with Carl Hester and it was Carl who connected Lottie with Anne van Olst, a successful Danish dressage rider, five-time Olympian and Danish national champion, and now Lottie’s coach and mentor. Lottie moved to the Netherlands in 2014 as a teenager and she starts her working day at 5am.

As a teenager Lottie Fry trained with now teammate Carl Hester, who put her in touch with mentor, trainer and owner Anne van Olst in the Netherlands. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

She says, “horses aren’t a job or a career, it’s a lifestyle and we really put 24 hours a day, seven days a week into the horses. We make a lot of sacrifices to be where we are. It’s pretty amazing to have something to show for all the work. My partnership with Glammy isn’t something that happens very often – it’s very special.”

When we speak, Lottie’s preparing for the World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses, with two six-year-olds, and next year she will have “a few more” rides ready to start competing at grand prix for experience, and she expects to have Everdale and Glamourdale ready to prepare for next season.

As for rising stars, she cites Kjento, sired by Negro (sire of Valegro, dam-sire of Glamourdale) with whom Lottie won the World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses as both a six-year-old (scoring 96%) and seven-year-old, and Nespresso (also by Negro), with whom Lottie has already competed internationally, including a win in the grand prix freestyle at Lier in March. “All of that will keep me busy!”, she says.

Lottie Fry and Kjento win the seven-year-old title at the Dressage World Breeding Championships 2022. (Image credit: Hippo Foto)

Riders she’s impressed with include Andrew Gould, who became the new alternate for Paris when Becky Moody stepped into Charlotte Dujardin’s place in the team at short notice. “It was incredible to have him there, he’s got an amazing horse, Indigro, and it’s not an easy place to be [as reserve]. He was so supportive and a really good teammate and fun. Also we saw with alternates Yas Ingham and Joe Stockdale, it’s a really difficult position and all three were pretty amazing”.

Andrew Gould, Paris Olympic reserve with Indigro, filled his unenviable role extraordinarily, offering support to his teammates throughout the competition. (Image credit: Kevin Sparrow Photography)

Dressage, along with all equestrian sport, has come under the glare of an unwelcome spotlight, with familiar questions about welfare, social licence, and whether there is even a place at all for horses in sport, all making national headlines. Looking at the future of dressage, for Lottie this is inextricably linked with convincing the sceptics about the exceptional care the horses receive.

She says, “I really hope we can get it across to the public how much we love and adore the horses. They couldn’t want for anything, they are treated to the best every single day. People don’t see it because it’s behind the scenes, so they don’t see how all our horses are looked after, and how happy they are to do their job. I know from experience they love to go into the arenas, they love to compete and perform, it’s a part of who they are, and it’s something I hope everyone will see.”

Lottie Fry adores her Olympic partner Glamourdale, and wants more people to see how much he enjoys his job. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Lottie can trace her equestrian lineage back to Sixpence, her first pony (“white, tiny, cheeky”), the first in an infinite line of ponies and horses. “I have to thank every single one that has contributed to my career, and my life as a rider,” she says.

Lottie has returned home from Paris 2024 with two bronzes, and a souvenir mascot to add to the collection – she has one from Tokyo – and her eyes firmly on the future. “I’m very motivated,” she says. Her success is her rocket fuel. “It really drives you to know that it’s possible, and it makes you hungry for more.”

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win individual bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics – success is what motivates her. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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Bronze for Lottie Fry and Glamourdale as Olympic dressage freestyle goes down to the wire

Oscar Williams — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 11:56:40 +0000

It came down to the wire again at the Paris 2024 Games, with Lottie Fry and Glamourdale finishing third in the Olympic dressage freestyle on 88.97% to claim the individual bronze medal for Britain in another dramatic finale.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB won gold on 90.09% and Isabell Werth and Wendy won silver on 89.61%.

After yesterday’s special Lottie mentioned that she felt Glamourdale still had more to give, and he certainly delivered a series of highlights in the freestyle. His canter extensions were as stunning as ever, and his changes were expressive.

“That was an amazing feeling,” said Lottie. “As soon as the music starts Glamourdale really dances to it, it’s his favourite song and when it starts playing he just loves every second.”

But the margins at the top were incredibly tight, and after a couple of slight mistakes in Lottie and Glamourdale’s test, it looked like they might finish agonisingly short of the podium.

“He delivered his best work, but we had a few tiny mistakes creep in, which was a shame,” said Lottie directly after her test, before she knew she was destined for bronze and was feeling a little downcast. “Yesterday was a very long day for him, with the prize giving, then a doping test, and then the vet check this morning – it’s been a long weekend for the horses, but I couldn’t be more proud of him.

“Just to be at the Olympics is a massive achievement and a massive dream.”

Lottie and Glamourdale were sitting in third before individual medal favourites and last-to-go Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle entered the arena.

Despite spectacular piaffe pirouettes into canter pirouettes and several other highlights, they too had mistakes and dramatically finished on 88.09% to place fifth on the final leaderboard.

That meant Lottie and Glamourdale secured the bronze medal, adding to Team GB’s remarkable record of securing a medal in each equestrian event so far.

Lottie Fry (right) on the podium in Paris, alongside Isabell Werth (left) and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (centre). (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“I’m speechless,” said Lottie in the mixed zone after the prizegiving. “I’m so proud of Glamourdale, and I 100% knew he was capable of it but to be able to pull it off in there today and get the bronze was just incredible.

“The support from the crowd was amazing, and the prizegiving was insane – that feeling going around with Jessica and Isabell, two idols and huge inspirations in our sport was incredible.”

Lottie added that she didn’t watch any of the tests that followed her.

“I knew they were all very good, so I didn’t want to disappoint myself, and I was just happy with my ride,” she explained.

“We were on our way back to the stables and I just by coincidence thought we better check the scores before we started packing up and then suddenly a lot of screaming was going on when we realised we had bronze!

“I was so exciting, and Glamourdale really deserves this.”

It’s now 32 years since Lottie’s late mother, Laura Fry, rode at the Barcelona Olympics alongside Lottie’s current teammate Carl Hester, and that was in Lottie’s thoughts after the test.

“The fact that I’m on teams with Carl now is very, very special,” she said. “I think she’s with me all the time and riding the test with me – I hope she’s proud.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, HOYS and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Paris Olympic dressage freestyle times: when will the Brits and other favourites tussle for individual medals?

Martha Terry — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 06:48:38 +0000

The Paris Olympic dressage times for Sunday’s (4 August) grand prix freestyle have now been released. From an original 60, this final will feature 18 competitors, who qualified from the grand prix earlier in the week. All three Brits made the cut to bid for individual medals.

The competition opens at 10am local time (9am British time), with Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Touchdown, who won the World Cup Final in Riyadh in April.

The final rider is the Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, who is due in with Freestyle at 1.20pm local time (12.20pm British time).

If you would like to watch your favourite riders compete in the dressage at the Paris Olympic Games, find out how you can follow on TV from anywhere in the world with our comprehensive guide.

What are the Olympic grand prix freestyle dressage times for the British riders?

Carl Hester and Fame at 11.35am local time (10.35am British time)
Becky Moody on Jagerbomb at 11.55am local time (10.55am British time)
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale at 12.50 local time (11.50am British time)

Who else should you watch?

There are three groups of six riders.

Germany’s Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD at 11.15am local time (10.15am British time)
The Netherlands’ Emmelie Scholtens on Indian Rock at 11.45am local time (10.45am British time)
Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen on Vayron at 12.05pm local time (11.05am British time)
Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald on Zepter at 12.30pm local time (11.30am British time)
Germany’s Isabell Werth on Wendy at 12.40pm local time (11.40am British time)
The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere on Hermes at 1pm local time (12pm British time)
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB at 1.10pm local time (12.10pm British time)
Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Freestyle at 1.20pm local time (12.20pm British time)

What are the breaks during the sessions?

There are two short breaks during this 3hr 20min session. The first is after Therese Nilhagen (Dante Weltino OLD) finishes her test around 11am local time (10am British time), resuming at 11.15am local time (10.15am British time).

The second break is after Daniel Bachmann Andersen finishes around 12.15pm local time (11.15am British time), resuming at 12.30pm local time (British time).

Olympic grand prix freestyle times: complete list

The full times are listed below.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

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Bravo Britain! Lottie Fry secures brilliant Olympic dressage team bronze to make history for Team GB

Oscar Williams — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 13:41:32 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale have secured a brilliant bronze medal for the British team in the Paris 2024 Olympic dressage team competition, scoring 79.48% – making it the first Games since London 2012 that Team GB have won Olympic team medals in all three equestrian disciplines.

Earlier in the day Becky Moody and Jagerbomb put in a remarkable performance as the team’s pathfinders to score a new personal best of 76.49%.

Teammate Carl Hester described watching her performance as “really emotional” and her score was enough to put Britain into a marginal lead over Denmark and Germany at the time.

But, next to go, Carl (Fame) knew he’d have to do something spectacular to keep the lead, coming up against heavyweights Isabell Werth (Wendy) and Nanna Skodborg Merrald (Zepter).

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out and the combination had a mistake in the second extended trot. But Carl recovered so well to keep the team on track for the podium, scoring 76.52%.

That meant Lottie would’ve had to do something even more spectacular and outscore Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (TSF Dalera BB) and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Freestyle) by almost 3% to win gold.

Against all the odds, it looked like it could be on early in the test, with the pair trending on massive scores. But slight mistakes in the piaffe brought that score back down.

“I had an amazing ride today, so many improvements from the grand prix,” said Lottie. “There’s still a few little things we can improve for tomorrow which is exciting but it was an amazing feeling to ride in that arena, it looked pretty sold out – we’ve both really enjoyed it.

“I feel there’s still quite a bit left in the tank but he’s made me proud.”

After all that’s happened in the last week, and the enormous pressure the British team were working under, this is a remarkable achievement – one which Carl hopes will bring Britain’s dressage community together following the withdrawal and subsequent suspension of Charlotte Dujardin.

“It’s been a week of very, very different emotions, but this is a fantastic way to top it off,” he said. “I think a lot of people felt that if Charlotte wasn’t on the team then we wouldn’t be successful, so it was very important for the team to show that we could do that.”

Carl was full of praise for Becky in the packed-out mixed zone following the prizegiving.

“To breed your own horse and train it to the Olympics, these stories don’t come around too often,” he said. “And when you talk about pressure, Becky took the pressure off myself and Lottie by getting that score – it put all of us in a position to relax a little bit.”

With this a Team GB record-equalling seventh Games for Carl, his future, and what comes next, was also a hot topic of discussion.

He didn’t go as far as ruling out being on future championship teams but admitted he was content with what he’s achieved up to this point.

“I feel like I’ve done enough,” he reflected. “Luckily for me it doesn’t mean an end because I love coaching and watching these guys.

“I think that’s just age – you don’t care as much about winning but I care about the sport and the team, so whichever way I go after here, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to be involved.”

Britain’s three team riders will take to the Versailles stage once again tomorrow morning, as the best 18 riders in the world go head-to-head for the three prestigious individual podium places.

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Paris Olympic dressage grand prix special times: when are the Brits and other team medal contenders in action?

Martha Terry — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 08:45:57 +0000

The Paris Olympic dressage times for Saturday’s (3 August) grand prix special have now been released, following the conclusion of the grand prix qualifier.

Ten of the 20 original nations have qualified for the special at Paris 2024, which decides the team medals. It kicks off at 10am local time (9am British time) with Jayden Brown on Quincy B, for Australia, the final team to make the cut.

The grand prix special all takes place on one day. The final rider is the defending Olympic champion Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who is due in with TSF Dalera BB at 3.25pm local time (2.25pm British time).

There are three rotations of 10 seeded riders, with one from each nation. As Britain qualified third, they are third last in each group. The grand prix winners, Germany, go last.

If you would like to watch your favourite riders compete in the dressage at the Paris Olympic Games, find out how you can follow on TV from anywhere in the world with our comprehensive guide.

What are the Olympic grand prix special dressage times for the British riders?

Becky Moody on Jagerbomb at 11.10am local time (10.11pm British time)
Carl Hester and Fame at 1.05pm local time (12.05pm British time)
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale at 3.05pm local time (2.05pm British time)

Who else should you watch?

Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann-Andersen on Vayron at 11.20am local time (10.20am British time)
Germany’s Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD at 11.30am local time (10.30am British time)
Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg-Merrald at 1.15pm local time (12.15pm British time)
Germany’s Isabell Werth on Wendy at 1.25pm local time (12.25pm British time)
Sweden’s Patrik Kittel on Touchdown at 2.25pm local time (1.25pm British time)
Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Freestyle at 3.15pm local time (2.15pm British time)
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB at 3.25pm local time (2.25pm British time)

What are the breaks during the sessions?

There are two 25min breaks, after the first two groups of 10 riders.

The first break is after Frederic Wandres completes, and resumes with Australia’s William Matthew (Mysterious Star) at 11.55am local time (10.55 British time).

The second break is after Isabell Werth completes, and resumes with Australia’s Simone Pearce (Destano) at 1.55pm local time (12.55pm British time).

Olympic grand prix special dressage times: complete list

The full times are listed below.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, HOYS and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘I couldn’t ask for much more’: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale kick off day two of the Olympic dressage grand prix in style

Oscar Williams — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:59:37 +0000

First into the arena on the second day of competition, reigning world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro) put in an authoritative performance to score 78.91% in the Paris 2024 Olympic dressage grand prix.

Like her teammates Becky Moody and Carl Hester the day before, Lottie didn’t take any unnecessary risks, so didn’t quite hit the plus-80% scores she got in Aachen last month.

But her score here will be more than enough to secure her a spot in Sunday’s freestyle and the team a spot in Saturday’s grand prix special – which will determine the team medals.

“I had an amazing test,” said Lottie. “First to go on the second day is not always the best position but I think in this weather it was to our advantage.

“The test was what we needed to do today, I’m very happy with it, it was a good round and other than a little moment in the rein back I couldn’t ask for much more, to be honest.

“I think our whole team over the last few days has really performed amazingly and has put us in a good position for the weekend.”

Glamourdale looked assured and in his element throughout, with his canter work a highlight as usual. His extended canter scored four 10s, with his two-tempi changes also scoring a 10.

“He had a great time in there,” said Lottie. “I think the moment at the end was very special with him very relaxed on a long rein, enjoying the cheering and the flags waving – that was an amazing feeling.”

Lottie added that she made sure to take in the palace and the surroundings before her test, but once the bell rang it was “full concentration”.

What will be a massive confidence boost for Lottie and a concern for her medal rivals is that it’s easy to see where Glamourdale will pick up more marks, such as in the transitions between the piaffe and passage work and in the pirouettes.

The rein back, which was among their lowest-scoring movements today, is also not included in the grand prix special.

“Hopefully we’re saving a bit for the weekend; the special and the freestyle are really his most exciting tests,” she said.

“I know we have a lot left in the tank and I didn’t want to peak too soon, we’ve done what we needed to do today and I feel we can really bring more expression and energy in the special and the freestyle.”

Lottie also gave an insight into what’s been happening behind the scenes to help the horses with the heat.

“We’re definitely doing less intense work with the horses, giving them more walk breaks to make sure they’re not too warm,” she said. “They’re regularly taking their temperatures to make sure the horses are still feeling cool enough and afterwards we have these special misting fans which they go into for cooling down.

“We monitor them 24/7 and make sure that they have everything they could possibly need – they’re our pride and joy.”

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Paris Olympic grand prix dressage times: when do the Brits and other medal contenders start?

Martha Terry — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:48:50 +0000

The Paris Olympic dressage times for the grand prix have now been released.

The dressage competition at the Paris Olympics kicks off with this qualifier that takes place over two days, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 July. It starts at 11am local time (10am British time) on Tuesday with Austria’s Stefan Lehfellner on Roberto Carlos MT.

Britain’s Lottie Fry, the reigning world champion will be first into the arena on Wednesday, at 10am local time (9am British time). The final rider is the defending Olympic champion Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who is due in with TSF Dalera BB at 3.20pm local time (2.20pm British time) on Wednesday, meaning these two favourites are bookending the second day of competition.

Britain is drawn seventh of the 15 nations, with Austria starting first. Within each rotation, when horses start depends on recent rankings, so a top championship horse that competes rarely may well be drawn earlier than horses that compete more frequently. All the horses and riders will compete in this grand prix.

Some of the timings are on 30sec past the minute, so we have given you the minute on the dot rather than the half-minute to avoid confusion.

If you would like to watch your favourite riders compete in the dressage at the Paris Olympic Games, find out how you can follow on TV from anywhere in the world with our comprehensive guide.

What are the Olympic grand prix dressage times for the British riders?

Carl Hester and Fame on Tuesday at 12.25pm local time (11.25am British time)
Becky Moody on Jagerbomb on Tuesday at 4.11pm local time (3.11pm British time)
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale on Wednesday at 10am local time (9am British time)

Who else should you watch?

Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald on Zepter on Tuesday at 11.09am local time (10.09am British time)
The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere on Hermes on Tuesday at 11.19am local time (10.19am British time)
Ireland’s Abi Lyle on Giraldo on Tuesday at 1.38pm local time (12.38pm British time)
Sweden’s Patrik Kittel on Touchdown on Tuesday at 4.20pm local time (3.20pm British time)
Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Freestyle on Wednesday at 10.38am local time (9.38am British time)
Germany’s Isabell Werth on Wendy on Wednesday at 11.25am local time (10.25am British time)
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB on Wednesday at 3.20pm local time (2.20pm British time)

What are the breaks during the sessions?

Riders are drawn in six groups of 10 with a 30–35min break between each group. There are three groups on each day.

Day one, Tuesday, starts at 11am local time (10am British time) and the last horse goes at 4.20pm local time (3.20pm British time).

Times are an hour earlier on day two, Wednesday, which starts at 10am local time (9am British time) and the last horse goes at 3.20pm local time (2.20pm British time).

Olympic grand prix dressage times: complete list

The full times are listed below.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Royal International Horse Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

The most decorated British dressage team ever assembled – what you need to know for Paris

Oscar Williams — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 15:30:15 +0000

The long-anticipated announcement has arrived and we now know for certain the British riders for the Olympic dressage in Paris.

The selected horse and riders are Carl Hester (Fame), Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) and Lottie Fry (Glamourdale), with Becky Moody (Jagerbomb) as the reserve. Let’s get to know them a little better…

Previous Olympics: Despite being among the best dressage horses in the world, none of the horses travelling to Paris have ever competed at an Olympics. But that’s not the case for the riders. Carl will be competing at his seventh Olympics – becoming only the second Brit ever to do so. Charlotte – competing at her fourth Olympics – could become the most decorated British female Olympian of all time should she claim a medal of any colour in Paris. For Lottie, this will be her second Olympics, having competed in Tokyo with Glamourdale’s stablemate and Imhotep’s sire Everdale.
Stable names: Imhotep is Pete, Glamourdale is Glammy, Jagerbomb is Bomb, and Fame – well he’s just Fame! All four are Dutch warmbloods, Imhotep and Jagerbomb are geldings, while Fame and Glamourdale are stallions.

Carl Hester and Fame finish their grand prix test at the 2023 European Dressage Championships. (Image credit: Benjamin Clark)

Horse medals: Glamourdale, Imhotep and Fame were all part of the gold medal-winning team at last year’s European Championships in Riesenbeck. Galmourdale is also the reigning double world champion, having won the grand prix special (82.5%) and the freestyle (90.65%) at the 2022 World Championships in Herning – in doing so they became Britain’s first individual gold medallist at any championship since Valegro won gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Glamourdale also won individual silver in the freestyle at last summer’s European Championships, while Imhotep won individual bronze in both the special and the freestyle.

A delighted Becky Moody leaving the arena on Jagerbomb during the FEI Dressage World Cup freestyle at the 2023 London International Horse Show. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Rider medals: As a trio, Charlotte, Lottie and Carl Hester are the most decorated British dressage athletes ever. Charlotte boasts an impressive record with six Olympic medals, including three golds and a silver with Valegro, and a double bronze with Gio. Additionally, she has secured six World Championship medals, 12 European Championship medals and has twice won the Dressage World Cup. Carl Hester is not far behind with three Olympic medals: team gold in London with Uthopia, team silver in Rio with Nip Tuck, and team bronze in Tokyo with En Vogue. He also has three World Championship medals and eight European medals. Lottie Fry, the youngest of the three, was part of the bronze-medal-winning team in Tokyo on Everdale who she also won team silver with at the 2021 European Championships. With Glamourdale, she has added three World Championship medals and two European medals to her name.

Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep after their grand prix at the European Dressage Championships. (Image credit: Benjamin Clark)

Youngest and oldest horses: Jagerbomb is the youngest at 10 and Fame is the oldest at 14. Glamourdale is 13 while Imhotep is 11.
Youngest and oldest riders: Lottie is – remarkably – still only 28, Charlotte is 39, Becky 44, while Carl Hester will be Team GB’s oldest athlete at 57.
What the riders say: Becky: “Jagerbomb has such an incredible brain and a heart that just wants to do it… there’s still so much to come from him.” Charlotte: “Imhotep has taken on so much as a young horse… he’s incredible and he’s getting better and better.” Carl: “Occasionally in your life, you get a horse who you feel just fits you, and Fame fits… his enthusiasm makes him a dream horse.” Lottie: “I’ve never sat on anything like Glamourdale before, he’s always been so special… he’s a showman and wants everyone’s eyes on him.”

It’s a stellar team and we can’t wait to cheer them on in Paris. Look out for more coverage online in the build-up to the Games, plus our full magazine preview (18 July) and form guide (25 July), which will cover all three Olympic equestrian disciplines.

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Imhotep – Charlotte Dujardin’s ‘sensitive’ but ‘brilliant’ partner who lives out all year round

Glamourdale – Lottie Fry’s world champion dressage stallion who makes crowds gasp

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Fame – the dream horse who gave Carl Hester back his love of competing and a career-best score

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Jagerbomb – Becky Moody’s home-bred ‘total legend’ who stole the spotlight on the world stage

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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The best pre-Olympic preparation: double win for British world champions

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:51:05 +0000

Lottie Fry and Glamourdale secured the best possible boost to their own and Britain’s Olympic hopes as they won the Aachen CDI4* grand prix and grand prix special, both on over 80%.

The double world champions had only competed once since they won team gold and individual silver at last September’s Europeans – in Aachen in May, when they won the three-star grand prix and special. They returned on top form, scoring 80.98% in the grand prix and 80.1% in the special, with Isabell Werth on DSP Quantaz in second on 75.54, and 75%.

All the judges in the grand prix placed the world champions first, and four gave them a nine for overall impression – but a delighted Lottie said there could be more to come.

“We wanted to see where we stand,” she said. “There is still room for improvement, but we are on the right track with regards to Paris and now we know where we can fine-tune a few aspects.”

In the special, Lottie and the 13-year-old son of Lord Leatherdale gave a jaw-dropping performance, achieving their score despite a slight loss of balance in the right canter pirouette that resulted in a 6.3 score; their first 10 came for the half-pass to their right, followed by their famous and fabulous extended canter, which earned them four 10s and a nine.

“To be honest, that was one of the best feelings that he has ever given me in a test,” said Lottie. “I was so pleased with my pirouette to the left that I somehow forgot to ride the rest of the centre line. So it was my own fault. But in the rest of the test he was so focused on me, had so much go, and we had so much fun in there. That was the best feeling I could have wished for before Paris.”

British Olympic dressage team for Paris 2024 revealed: who’s made the cut?

Oscar Williams — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:34:53 +0000

The British Olympic dressage team for Paris 2024 has been announced, with Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin, Lottie Fry and Becky Moody all selected.

This is breaking news and at this stage, it hasn’t been confirmed which three riders will be competing and who will be the reserve.

Carl is set to compete in his seventh Games and will be riding the 14-year-old stallion Fame, the horse who partnered Carl to the highest score of his entire career to date – 85.46% in the freestyle at the 2023 European Dressage Championships.

Charlotte will be riding Imhotep – her first ride since Valegro to break the 90% barrier in international competition – and will become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian should she claim a medal of any colour in Paris.

Lottie will be competing at her second Olympics, this time on the reigning world champion, Glamourdale. While Becky Moody will be travelling to her first-ever Olympics with her crowd-favourite Jagerbomb.

“I’m delighted that we are fielding the strongest dressage team that we have ever sent to an Olympic Games,” said Judy Harvey, British Dressage’s International Director.

“The strength, depth and experience of all four combinations gives us plenty to be hopeful for. Congratulations to all the riders who have campaigned brilliantly with the goal of producing peak performances in Paris.

“We’re looking forward to cheering on the riders and their support teams, and I hope you will all join me in showing your support from home and from Paris.”

British Olympic dressage team for Paris 2024

Carl Hester with 14-year-old Fame

Owners: rider, Fiona Bigwood and Mette Dahl

Breeder: VOFG and M Gerritsen

Breeding: by Bordeaux 28, out of a mare by Rhodium

Groom: Lucy Scudamore

Charlotte Dujardin with 11-year-old Imhotep

Owners: Carl Hester and Coral Ingham

Breeder: T Huizing

Breeding: by Everdale, out of a mare by Vivaldi

Groom: Francesca Gorni

Lottie Fry with 13-year-old Glamourdale

Owners: rider and Van Olst Horses

Breeder: J Rodenburg

Breeding: by Lord Leatherdale, out of a mare by Negro

Groom: Richard Hauwaerts

Becky Moody with 10-year-old Jagerbomb

Owners: rider and Jo Cooper

Breeder: rider

Breeding: by Dante Weltino, out of a mare by Jazz

Groom: Kim Masson

James Bond helps Swede to World Cup Final win at the ninth attempt; favourite eliminated

Martha Terry — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:21:56 +0000

Patrik Kittel won the dressage World Cup Final freestyle at the ninth time of asking, riding Touchdown. This competition went to the wire, as the top three were the last to go – and were covered by just over 0.25% in the final reckoning. But Patrik’s brilliant James Bond routine stole the show, with Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald second aboard Blue Hors Don Olymbrio, and Isabell Werth third on DSP Quantaz.

Patrik, 47, remembered being a spectator when his compatriot Louise Natthorst – who trains him now – won the World Cup Final 24 years ago.

“I was just a groom and took two days off to watch the final, and couldn’t believe how cool the World Cup was – and now I’ve actually won it myself,” said Patrik. “It makes me cry! I’ve done so many World Cup Finals, so I say it’s better late than never. I’ll never forget this moment.”

But there was drama as the contest neared its conclusion when the hot favourite Lottie Fry was eliminated under the blood rule. The grand prix winner Lottie was first into the ring from the final quartet – drawn from the top four in Wednesday’s grand prix – but the steward stopped her up before she entered the ring, had a quick word, and Everdale left the ring on a long-rein walk.

How the dressage World Cup Final freestyle played out

The packed stands were treated to three very different tests in this climax. Nanna tried out her new sombre, dramatic music for her liver chestnut stallion with white socks. Don Olymbrio is arguably her second string after Blue Hors Zepter, and the 16-year-old by Jazz is agile and rhythmic without being super flashy. At times he looked a trifle tight but he was pinpoint accurate, and proved how relaxed he was as he wandered out on a loose rein seemingly lapping up the applause. They blasted into the lead, which had been held for a long time by Mattias Rath (Destacado FRH, 77.85%), on 81.42%.

“I really enjoyed my new music today,” said Nanna, who was finishing runner-up for the second time at the World Cup Finals. “Maybe it’s a little bit brave to bring it to the World Cup Final, and I will have to adjust it here and there to make it fit even better, but it made me smile inside and that’s really important that you love to ride to your music.”

Next in was Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz, who held the highest personal best in the field of 88.4%, which he logged en route to team silver at the European Championships in Riesenbeck last autumn. After finishing only fourth with mistakes in the two-time changes in the grand prix, Isabell was on a mission at this her 25th World Cup Final – and her ninth different horse.

Her upbeat, happy music to a Bonnie Tyler soundtrack suited the bouncy Quantaz, especially his excellent piaffes which scored eights and nines. Another highlight, with a comedy touch, was her pirouettes to Turn Around from Total Eclipse of the Heart. She went for high difficulty lines and they came off. Three judges put her in first place, but their total of 81.4 meant the Dane held the advantage by just 0.02%.

“I love to compete and it was a great atmosphere and a very close battle,” said Isabell. “It was a fun competition. When I came in Quantaz was quite excited by the atmosphere after Nanna’s great test, and he could have gone tense, but he stayed really with me. It was great sport, and to have three on the podium this close makes our sport exciting; it felt like anything could happen.”

Isabell added: “I feel so sorry for Lottie, because we all know we are on a thin line, anything can happen to anyone.”

Drawn as the very last rider in to the ring, Patrik had been excited to show off what he described as his “melancholic James Bond” freestyle and he milked the moment. The soundtrack was a perfect fit for Touchdown, his 12-year-old Quaterback Swedish Warmblood, and his transitions were spot-on with the music breaks. The horse showed so much lift, suppleness and harmony with his rider. The tempis were ever so slightly swingy behind, but overall the partnership produced a light and dancing picture, with beautiful piaffe to passage to match James Bond’s dying moments in A Time to Die. Patrik threw his arms round the neck at the end, before punching the air and waving at the crowd.

“I love my music, now I have ridden it a few times and know exactly how it goes,” he said. “I love the slow, cool entrance and then off to extended trot. The degree of difficulty is very good for the sport, because we have to ride everything according to the programme and not take short cuts. It has done the sport a favour.”

Despite this being Patrik’s ninth World Cup Final appearance he had never previously even been on the podium. He had broken that duck in the grand prix, finishing runner-up, and was visibly ecstatic with this performance to take victory by 0.24%.

Off the podium at the dressage World Cup Final freestyle

Germany’s Matthias Rath took the lead midway through the competition on 77.85%. The world number 11 rode to bombastic theatrical music, which complemented this compact warrior type, Destacado FRH. He showed great energy and cadence in his half-passes, and the judges loved his ground-covering extended walk and canter. However, a slight miscommunication at the end of the two-time tempis, when he slipped in a one-time – which he then repeated in the joker line – dragged his score down a touch. He finished just off the podium in fourth.

“My horse performed much better than in the grand prix,” said Matthias, who finished sixth there. “I had a little mistake in two times but otherwise I was really happy. Sometimes everyone around forgets he’s just 11, he’s in his third grand prix season which was so early, and he’s still young.

“He’s big with big movement so we have to give him time and I’m sure there is much more to come.”

Matthias’ countryman, 24-year-old Raphael Netz, marked his card as one to watch in fifth position. Based with two-time World Cup Final winner Jessica von Bredow-Werndl – although setting up his own yard this month – Raphael scored 76.48% with his bold expressive test. He chose music from How to Train Your Dragon, inspired because he thinks his “small but mighty” horse Great Escape Camelot resembles the dragon from the film.

Belgium’s Flore de Winn was another to catch the eye, riding the youngest horse in the competition into sixth place on 76.13%. Her ride, 10-year-old Flynn FRH, is a striking black stallion who went in a lovely relaxed frame, yet showing all his power and athleticism. They made a mistake in the first line of one-time tempis, but clawed the marks back through the joker line. Flore didn’t go for a maximum difficulty level on this young horse, but his potential is huge.

“He did a great job, he was himself and he stayed with me, which is the most important thing,” said Flore. “The crowd was impressive compared to two days ago and we were both a bit amazed by that, but he tried his best as he always does. He’s my best buddy.”

The FEI vet director Göran Åkerström confirmed afterwards that the blood spotted on Everdale’s gum was minimal.

“It is the kind of injury that will heal extremely fast, it was not much blood at all,” he said. “There should not be any concerns over the horse or the oral cavity because of it. It was extremely unlucky.”

‘Extremely unlucky’ says vet after Lottie Fry eliminated at dressage World Cup Final

Martha Terry — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:06:08 +0000

The hot favourite Lottie Fry was eliminated from the dressage World Cup Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after her stallion Everdale was judged to have blood in the mouth prior to starting her test.

The grand prix winner Lottie was first into the ring from the final quartet in the deciding freestyle, but the judge at C, Hans-Christian Matthiesen, stopped her before she’d trotted round outside the boards once, had a quick word, and Everdale left the ring on a long-rein walk.

“That’s one of the very difficult parts of our job when we sit there as a judge at C, and I am devastated when it happens, but it’s a thin line and can happen in a split second,” said Hans-Christian. “Although it’s a hard decision to make, I was well backed up because our rules are very clear when it comes to that, so I could make the decision quickly.”

The FEI vet director Göran Åkerström added: “The mouth of Charlotte’s horse has been examined and it is a minor bleeding from the mucosa, the gum above the incisors. It is the kind of injury that will heal extremely fast, it was not much blood at all. There should not be any concerns over the horse or the oral cavity because of it. It was extremely unlucky.”

British Dressage shared the following statement on behalf of Everdale’s owners, the Van Olsts and Lottie.

“We are of course upset with the elimination, but the horse’s welfare always comes first and foremost so completely respect the decision.

“Everdale was checked over by the FEI vet team straight away and they couldn’t find any sign of a cut or abrasion in the mouth and our own vet has also given him a thorough check with no obvious cause. The most important thing is he’s fine and there is no injury.

“We were really happy with the warm up where he was relaxed, we took his bandages off and gave him a final check before heading in to the arena and can only think he maybe just caught his front lip as we went around the arena.

“It’s a disappointing way to end our FEI World Cup campaign, but we have a happy horse to take home for another day.”

The dressage World Cup Final 2024 was won by Patrik Kittel riding Touchdown, ahead of Nanna Skodborg Merrald on Blue Hors Don Olymbrio, with Isabell Werth third on DSP Quantaz.

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‘He’s so happy when I say “good job”’: Lottie Fry takes control of World Cup Final

Martha Terry — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:53:52 +0000

Britain’s sole representative in the dressage World Cup Finals won the grand prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The reigning world champion Lottie Fry, riding her second string Everdale, headed the field by more than 2%, scoring 75.38%. Sweden’s Patrik Kittel was runner-up with his European Championship ride Touchdown on 73.29%. Lottie goes down in history as the first international dressage winner to be crowned in this country.

Bar a slight blip where Everdale took his eye off the ball before the rein-back, Lottie’s test was impressively consistent. And once she was into the canter work, with the stallion’s expressive changes scoring eights and nines, she was well on her way to sealing the win.

“The VIP section on two levels caught his eye, he’s not used to that lovely design,” said Lottie, who has been riding the 15-year-old in “very soft” rubber bits for the past two months. “But his canter work was some of the best I’ve ever felt. His changes were as good as they’ve ever been and had so much power.

“He loves to work; he loves to please and to make me happy. And when I tell him, ‘you’ve done a good job’, he’s so happy about it.”

Regarding the landmark dressage win, Lottie added: “I didn’t realise I was the first winner, but that’s really exciting. Especially as we are in a sport where men and women compete on equal terms.”

Lottie added that although her world champion Glamourdale is being targeted at Paris, Everdale is “a very nice back-up”.

“They’re getting pretty competitive as they’re stabled opposite each other at home,” Lottie smiled. “And Glammy is not happy to be left behind!”

Best result yet at dressage World Cup Finals

Patrik Kittel has been to six World Cup Finals, and this is his best result yet. Touchdown looked wonderfully light on his feet, and performed another accurate and consistent test. Patrik looked thrilled as he left the arena, rewarding Touchdown and waving at the crowd.

“I was a little bit surprised to be second because I knew the queen [Isabell Werth] was still to come,” he said. “Isabell’s mistakes were unusual, but of course I’m happy for me. The tension has been building up, you fly horses here, we arrived last Thursday and it’s a long wait, so all you can do is go in with your horse and hope the horse is with you – that’s the most enjoyable moment.”

Nanna Skodborg Merrald was another riding her second string. She was third into the arena on Blue Hors Olymbrio, and set the standard with 72.9%. This imposing liver chestnut with a big blaze and four socks could well be in Danish team reckoning for the Olympics, given that we have yet to see Nanna’s European individual silver medallist, Blue Hors Zepter, compete this season.

Surprise blip for multi-garlanded rider

Isabell Werth’s ride DSP Quantaz was among the favourites on past form, having the highest personal best of plus-78% of the assembled field, and they started with a bang. But his lead faltered with the walk and rein-back section, before what looked like a complete miscommunication in the two-time flying changes, scoring 1.7, caused their score to plummet.

Isabell did claw back some of the deficit with some nice one-time changes, but the test was intermittent from then on. They scored a sub-par 72.23% to finish fourth.

The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra and Hexagon’s Ice Weiss was eliminated from the grand prix under the blood rule.

The grand prix is a qualifier for the freestyle, which decides the dressage World Cup Final result and takes place on Friday, 19 April at 3.15 UK time. All bar one of the combinations who completed the grand prix, the Moldovan Alisa Grinka and Abercrombie, will go through to the freestyle.

Glamourdale tops public vote to land prestigious accolade – again

Lucy Elder — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:17:50 +0000

Multiple gold medallist Glamourdale has been named KWPN dressage horse of the year for a second time, following a public vote.

The 13-year-old stallion by Lord Leatherdale, owned by Van Olst Horses and ridden by Britain’s Lottie Fry, also won the 2020 title.

Lottie and Glamourdale scored freestyle silver and helped win team gold – Britain’s first senior dressage championship team title since London 2012 – at the 2023 Europeans in Riesenbeck. Their 2023 season also featured victories in the World Cup leg at The Dutch Masters, Fontainebleau CDI5* and Kronenberg CDI3*.

They are also reigning world champions, following their seismic breakthrough at Herning in 2022.

The Van Olsts thanked everyone “so much” for voting.

Jasmijn and Isabel van der Velden, granddaughters of Glamourdale’s breeder Joop Rodenburg, recently spoke to Dutch national paper, De Telegraaf.

“My grandfather had a good sense of what a horse should possess. He was able to convey the qualities of a stallion and a mare to a foal. I remember him telling me what to look for, while mucking out the stables, something we did together. I still benefit from that advice to this day,” Jasmijn told De Telegraaf.

Glamourdale will be honoured in a celebration during the KWPN Stallion Show in Den Bosh (31 January to 3 February).

The KWPN showjumping horse of the year title went to Highway TN NOP, by Eldorado Van De Zeshoek, who lifted the crown from last year’s winner, his stablemate Grandorado TN NOP.

Highway TN NOP, owned by Team Nijhof, has scored multiple major grands prix wins and top places with rider Willem Greve.

Their achievements included five-star grand prix glory at Mechelen at the end of 2022 and CHIO Rotterdam the following summer. They were second in the Falsterbo, Valkenswaard and Maastricht grands prix, and finished 10th at the Europeans, on the stallion’s senior championship debut.

The stallion will make an appearance on the Thursday of the show.

‘Sadness’ and ‘excitement’ as Lottie Fry’s up-and-coming ride sold to USA

Becky Murray — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 18:46:13 +0000

US Olympic dressage medallist Adrienne Lyle has boosted her Paris 2024 hopes with two new additions to her stable.

The van Olsts’ and Lottie Fry’s 13-year-old gelding Lars Van De Hoenderheide, and the Hannells’ 12-year-old gelding Helix, have been sold – as first reported by Eurodressage.com – to Adrienne’s owner Heidi Humphries, with the Olympic transfer deadline approaching (15 January). Horses must be registered at least in part-ownership of the same nation as their riders by this date to be eligible to compete at the Olympics.

“I am incredibly honoured to have such an opportunity with two super talented horses,” Adrienne told H&H.

“There are not enough words to express my gratitude to Heidi for her support on this journey. I am excited to get them here and get to know them. Now it’s time to keep my head down, get to work and try to do the best we can with this amazing opportunity.”

Helix, who is by Apache, and out of a Jazz mare, was campaigned by Swedish rider Marina Mattson for Hannell Dressage, having made his international grand prix debut in February last year. Marina and Helix were part of the Swedish Nations Cup team at Falsterbo in July, where the team finished second.

“Lars”, who is by Negro and out of a Layout mare, arrived at Van Olst Horses as a 10-year-old. He made his international grand prix debut with Lottie in October 2022, and has continued to grow in confidence. Last May they scored a +81% personal best in the Compiegne CDI3* freestyle, and were second in the CDI4* grand prix and the grand prix special at Aachen CHIO in the summer. At their final outing together in December, they won the Kronenberg CDI3* freestyle on 78.48%.

Lottie told H&H that Adrienne visited the Netherlands to try Lars and the sale went ahead.

“Lars is kind of a good fit with everyone, he’s so easy to ride and he’s such an amazing character, I think anyone who would have tried him would have fallen in love with him,” she said.

Lottie said Lars has continued to “get better and better”, consistently scoring +75%.

“He’s just the most amazing horse because he loves being a show-off. At home he’s the biggest personality, he’s always playing in his stable and wants all the attention. He’s very, very cool,” she said, adding that the sale of Lars was “especially sad”.

“Anne [van Olst] trained him before I started riding him so she has a really good bond with him too, so everyone is really sad to see him go. His face brightens up the stable and he just has such a great expression. It’s exciting for Aderienne, and I think it will be a very nice home.”

Lottie said she has had a busy few weeks, having contested the World Cup legs at the London International Horse Show (13-14 December), followed by Mechelen (28-29 December), with 15-year-old Everdale. The pair were second in the grand prix and freestyle in London, and they won both classes at Mechelen.

“It’s nice that Everdale has taken the spotlight back a little bit. He’s now getting a bit older and really coming into his prime I think, he’s getting better every show. He’s really improving and it’s been really fun to be able to do some of the World Cup shows on him,” she said, adding that Glamourdale is doing “really good” and continues to be in demand with his breeding duties.

“He’s taking it easy at the moment and we’re slowly building him up looking towards Paris. We’re taking it as it comes and we’re looking first to the outdoor season and maybe some stallion shows.”

‘To ride here is emotional’: Lottie Fry and Everdale dazzle in London International freestyle

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:19:20 +0000

World champion Lottie Fry put in a stellar performance with Everdale to finish second in the London International Horse Show freestyle dressage results this evening (14 December).

Lottie and Everdale, a 14-year-old stallion Lottie co-owns with Van Olst Horses, scored 85.04%, just over 4% adrift of winners Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep, who is by Everdale, in tonight’s FEI dressage World Cup freestyle, presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound.

“It was so much fun to ride and it worked really well – I loved it, Everdale loved it and it seemed like the crowd loved it,” Lottie said of her performance, a new freestyle, which included tracks such as Lady Marmalade by Pattie Labelle, What About Us, Walk Me Home and Just Give Me A Reason by Pink.

“Tom Hunt created the music for me and he did such a great job. Honestly, it’s such a special feeling. Riding in an atmosphere like that isn’t something we get to experience very often, so to be able to come here to London is in fact really emotional and to hear the crowd getting behind you is so special.”

Speaking of the British one-two-three, with Becky Moody and Jagerbomb finishing third, Lottie said: “To have Becky coming out and doing so well is really exciting for British dressage and it’s always incredible to be second behind Charlotte.”

Lottie and Everdale’s freestyle scores ranged between 75.35% and 83.5% for technicality and 89% and 94.4% for artistic impression.

Tonight’s London International freestyle dressage results follows up Lottie and Everdale’s second place on 77.43% in the grand prix FEI World Cup qualifier yesterday.

Dressage freestyle times released for London International Horse Show

Oscar Williams — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:51:38 +0000

The London International Horse Show 2023 dressage freestyle times for the FEI World Cup qualifier, presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound, have been released ahead of this evening’s performances (Thursday, 14 December).

All eyes will be on the grand prix winner Charlotte Dujardin and her 10-year-old gelding Imhotep. Having scored 81.76% yesterday, they will be looking to cement their position at the top of the leaderboard when they take to the floor at 9.20pm.

World champion Lottie Fry and Everdale will be the last combination to go, riding to a new freestyle at 9.50pm.

London Horse Show 2023 freestyle times: British riders

Lewis Carrier and Diego V: 8.50pm
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep: 9.20pm
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb: 9.30pm
Lottie Fry and Everdale: 9:50pm

Other top contenders and favourites’ times

Abigail Lyle and Giraldo (IRL): 8.05pm
Kathleen Kröncke and Uniteds Maerchen (GER): 8.15pm
Morgan Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall II OLD (FRA): 9.10pm
Denise Nekeman and Boston STH (NED): 9.40pm

Full times

Check out the full start list

The grand prix freestyle is the deciding score for this leg of the Western European League World Cup qualifiers, so all the riders who have qualified will be starting with a blank slate.

It is the feature class of the evening, but it will be preceded in the international arena by the large-dog agility and jumping grand prix, the under-25 British showjumping championships, the Defender Shetland Pony Grand National and the King’s Troop and the Lusitano Pride of Portugal displays.

In the New Horizon Plastics London Arena – new for this year – Gareth Hughes and Richard Davison will also be running a dressage masterclass that will feature world eventing champion Yasmin Ingham.

Dressage grand prix times released for London International Horse Show 2023

Oscar Williams — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 09:57:25 +0000

The London International Horse Show 2023 dressage grand prix times for the FEI World Cup qualifier, presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd and supported by Horse & Hound, have been released ahead of this afternoon’s action (Wednesday, 13 December).

The 15 competitors are split into two judging blocks, with eight in the first and seven in the second. The class is seeded so the higher-ranked horses, who are likely to score better, are mostly in the second half of the draw, which starts at 3.27pm after a short break. However, the high-scoring Everdale and Lottie Fry are among the first group of competitors as the combination have competed together only sparingly this year.

London Horse Show 2023 dressage times: British riders

Lewis Carrier and Diego V: 2.36pm
Lottie Fry and Everdale: 2.45pm
Emile Faurie and Bellevue: 3.27pm
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb: 3.45pm
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep: 4.21pm

Other top contenders and favourites’ times

Abigail Lyle and Giraldo (IRL): 2.18pm
Morgan Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall II OLD (FRA): 3.54pm
Alexandre Ayache and Jolene (FRA): 4.03pm
Denise Nekeman and Boston STH (NED): 4.12pm

Full times

Check out the full start list

The dressage grand prix is the main class of Wednesday afternoon’s performance at the London International Horse Show at ExCeL. It will be available to watch live via FEI TV and on the FEI Dressage facebook page. H&H will also be reporting on the action.

All combinations who score more than 65% will move forward to the grand prix freestyle tomorrow (14 December), which determines the final placings for this leg of Western European League World Cup qualifiers.

The freestyle will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer and the red button from 7.15pm. More details on how to watch the action from London.

European team gold medallists Charlotte and Lottie, who have both won in London before, will be in strong contention again this year. But expect them to be pushed all the way by the strong contingent from France as well as Becky and the impressive nine-year-old Jagerbomb who will be making his World Cup debut.

Charlotte Dujardin and Lottie Fry set to delight dressage fans in London

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:48:01 +0000

Britain’s golden girls headline a stellar list of London International Horse Show dressage entries.

Charlotte Dujardin and Lottie Fry, who were both on the team that won European gold this summer, are among those due to compete in the five-star dressage classes on the first two days of the show, which runs from 13 to a8 December at the ExCeL.

Lottie, who took both titles on offer, the World Cup leg and the freestyle, last year, will bring her Olympic team bronze medal-winning ride Everdale.

“The London International Horse Show is one of my favourite shows of the year,” she said.

“Being able to compete at this level in front of my home fans is very special, and there is always an amazing atmosphere. The 2022 show was incredible for me and I hope to be able to do the same again.”

Lottie and Charlotte, who is to ride her European team gold medal-winning ride Imhotep, will be joined in the British camp at London by 2023 Europeans reserves Becky Moody and Jagerbomb, Lewis Carrier on Diego V and Emile Faurie with Bellevue.

Show director Simon Brooks-Ward told H&H: “We are delighted to announce such a wonderful line up for our FEI Dressage World Cup competition, with such a solid contingent of British riders. The show is incredibly proud to attract some of the strongest riders in the sport, providing fans with a true dressage spectacle year on year, and we wish them the best of luck in the upcoming competition.”

The international challenge to the home combinations on the London International Horse Show dressage entries list includes France’s Morgan Barbançon and her championship ride Sir Donnerhall II, and Alexandre Ayache with Jolene. British-based Kathleen Kröncke and Uniteds Maerchen will represent Germany, Abigail Lyle will ride Giraldo for Ireland and Caroline Chew will represent Singapore on Blue Hors Zatchmo.

Anna Ross: Lottie Fry was my Europeans freestyle winner

Anna Ross — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:29:22 +0000

British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross on Europeans fervour and how team efforts bring stars together

What a competition the European Dressage Championships have been: the highest standard I’ve ever witnessed. After Britain bagged the team gold medal, there were only four people feeling under pressure for the grand prix special and freestyle… the rest of us could just sit back and enjoy their rides.

It’s always more exciting when the outcome doesn’t seem inevitable and although the favourite prevailed, there was a battle royale for the gold medals. The Brits were outstanding – I’m going to put it out there and say Lottie Fry was my freestyle winner.

Seeing all the British blue T-shirts led me to reflect on how many people actually make up a British team. It’s easy to think it’s just four riders, but in reality the team is the front line with an army behind. The army is not just those on the battlefield – or the field of play, as it’s known in sport – but is made up of owners, grooms, vets, farriers, saddle fitters, breeders, parents, partners, supporters and many others who help bring the riders and horses together.

When British team chef d’equipe Caroline Griffiths told me a few years ago that the team members would need to score more than 80% to be in medal positions, there was a mountain to climb despite previous successes. We’ve had superstar combinations and strong teams behind them but the sport has evolved, and now it’s necessary to have three superstars with a solid back-up. It was no easy task to bring it all to a perfect storm on the day – but in Riesenbeck it happened.

Strength in depth is key to do this, and it’s not only us who have it. Germany effortlessly replaced Sönke Rothenburger’s injured ride with another 74% horse and rider in Matthias Rath and Thiago GS. Meanwhile, our British reserve horses (Jagerbomb and Indigro) are only nine and 10 years old respectively and are improving fast, along with a promising chasing group.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter make an exciting superstar combination for Denmark, while their former top team member Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour brings her next horses up the levels. As the lead rider for Blue Hors, Nanna will have plenty of horsepower behind Zepter.

The bronze-medal winning Danish team also had two young horses in Jovian (Andreas Helgstrand) and Vayron (Daniel Bachmann Andersen) who will be aimed at the Olympics, and I’m sure Denmark can keep quality horses coming through.

Long-term legacy

The legacy of these medals is the inspiration to all our other riders, both young and old, to do better, to aim higher and to continue the standard set. The rest of our British army needs to keep marching to ensure that our teams have horses for the future. And the riders, unless they are self-funded, will need to possess the business management and social skills to collaborate with those who can provide for them.

We can produce both very good horses and very good riders in this country; the task is to make sure that they meet and their teams are supported. A good example of this is 24-year-old Anna Jesty. While her international under-25 grand prix win in Belgium will be understandably overshadowed, being the same weekend as the Europeans, it was another British-bred horse, another Union flag raised for our country and another top talent preparing for the future with young horses behind.

Getting behind Abi Lyle

Spare a thought for the Irish riders, who did not have Lady Luck on their side last week. It makes it even more tragic that their hard-fought Olympic team spot earned in 2019 was effectively wasted when the then team management decided not to send a team to Tokyo. We are all rallying behind Abi Lyle, who is based here in the UK, as she makes her bid for Paris as an individual.

This has been a golden year to be a British Dressage member, made even more exciting with an Olympics just around the corner. With medal-winning performances from our junior, young rider, para and senior teams, the national championships this weekend are going to have a real party atmosphere.

● Who was your winner of the individual medals at the Europeans? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 14 September, 2023

‘The ride of my life’: Britain’s golden girls set European Championships freestyle alight

Polly Bryan — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:17:01 +0000

They may not have quite managed to pip Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl to gold in the European Dressage Championships freestyle, but Britain’s Lottie Fry and Charlotte Dujardin each produced sensational rides to share the podium with silver and bronze medals respectively.

In what she described as an “unreal” day of sport, Lottie had been set an enormous challenge by Jessica and TSF Dalera BB, whose 92.82% was a personal best and a new European Championships record. But Lottie is the reigning world champion for a reason, and she showed that this afternoon, responding with her own personal best – 92.38%.

Her rousing “Best of British” routine, created by Joost Peters, is always a crowd pleaser and it certainly proved so today. Glamourdale adores the freestyle, as does Lottie, and they were on tip-top form, bouncing through high-quality passage and showing better piaffes than in their previous two tests, for eights and nines.

But it’s in the canter work where the 10s come for this pair, and come they did. Lottie says she is so used to the gasps and cries from the crowd when she unleashes Glammy’s monumental extended canter that she no longer hears them. But they were there alright. Their extended canter received straight 10s across the board from all seven judges.

Many might say it was the tempi changes that were the highlight of Glammy’s test today, and they were without the mistake that had ever-so-slightly blighted their world championship test last summer. Gorgeously fluent, hugely expressive and with such ground cover that Lottie can hardly squeeze them into a diagonal line, they also garnered 10s today.

And in a nod to this partnership’s overall quality and talent, they received at least one 10 for every single one of the collectives – the only pair in the class to do so. There were straight 10s awarded for the music and interpretation, and Lottie says that the music, featuring Queen, Robbie Williams, Genesis, The Verve and The Beatles is “incredible to ride to”.

“He was just loving that so much, and I felt like we were really back on track today; it went so, so well,” she enthused afterwards.

“I loved every single second of riding it. When the music starts, Glammy knows what to do and I feel as though I can just sit there and enjoy it. I had the ride of my life. Glammy also loves the crowd clapping him – it reminds him that there are lots of people watching him, and he finds it so cool.

“The sport today was unreal and I’m so honoured to up there with the best.”

European Dressage Championships freestyle: ‘I can’t believe how well we’ve done’

Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep at the European Dressage Championships 2023. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

As last to go, Charlotte Dujardin had to find another massive personal best for herself to make it back onto the podium and claim her second individual medal of the European Dressage Championships. But like Lottie, Charlotte has a knack for pulling out the stops when it really matters.

This was the first time she and Imhotep (Pete) had ever ridden their brand new freestyle routine. In fact, she revealed that she and Tom Hunt had only finished working on it a few days earlier.

“I just hoped I started and finished at the right time,” laughed a jubilant Charlotte after she came out of the ring. “How we went in there and did that I don’t actually know.”

Their new programme was to music from Madagascar – Charlotte has long said that Pete reminds her of Alex the lion from the films – and it suited the springy chestnut gelding down to the ground.

“It’s bouncy, joyful, happy and everything that Pete is,” agreed Charlotte. “It captures him and his personality and it was so much fun to be out there riding it today.”

It really is remarkable how polished and precise Charlotte and Pete are in the ring, when you consider that the Everdale son is just 10. He really has no weaknesses – he scored at least one nine or above for every movement in the freestyle, bar the walk and the extended canter. Now his strength and balance is starting to catch up with his power, his exceptional ability for just about everything is really starting to show. Their piaffe-pirouettes in particular were wonderful, with fabulous lift and suspension.

“There are many experienced horses here who have been doing it for years, and last year at nine Pete went to the worlds very green, and I can’t really believe how well we’ve done here,” added Charlotte. “For British dressage, going forward to next year, you can’t ask for more.”

Their score was 91.4%, and for that mark only to be good enough for bronze just shows the eye-popping standard of this European Dressage Championships freestyle.

It is also the first time Charlotte has broken the 90% barrier in international competition since riding Valegro. It almost certainly won’t be the last.

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‘The handbrake is still on’: why Imhotep’s European bronze is precursor to even greater things

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It’s a glorious GOLD for Britain at the European Dressage Championships

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Horse & Hound has a team of reporters covering all the European dressage action. To keep reading on our website after five articles, readers will need to buy a subscription. Visit horseandhound.co.uk/join to buy a Horse & Hound website unlimited subscription or, for great value, visit magazinesdirect.com for a combined magazine and website subscription. If you are already a magazine subscriber, the cost to upgrade your subscription to include full website access is minimal – call 0330 333 1113 to find out more.

‘This never becomes normal’: extraordinary Europeans freestyle smashes records as two Brits ascend the podium

Polly Bryan — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 16:08:20 +0000

If ever a European Dressage Championships freestyle was to stick in the mind for many years to come, it’s this one. On the sixth consecutive day of sizzling sunshine at the beautiful Riesenbeck venue in Germany, what played out in the flower-clad arena was without doubt something for the history books.

Every single one of the medallists scored a personal best, and every one of them surpassed the previous European Championship record, set by Valegro back in 2013 (though his all-time freestyle world record remains intact). Today it was Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl back on the top of the podium, this time with Britain’s Lottie Fry in silver and Charlotte Dujardin in bronze. And what every single one of these remarkable women produced in the arena today was nothing short of extraordinary.

Watch Jessica reflect on her test in the video below

The run-up to these championships was characterised by debates over whether world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale could defeat the European and Olympic champions, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB – or whether Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep would possibly beat the both of them.

And when it came down to it, the competition went as close to the wire as everybody hoped it might.

Jessica was first of the medallists into the Riesenbeck arena, where the crowds sat in relatively close proximity to the arena and produced an electric atmosphere. Jessica has been producing magic for years now with this incredible 16-year-old mare, but today was something else. Their scoresheet was flooded with 10s, for piaffe, passage, the transitions between, the right pirouette and the halts. Their French-themed music raised goosebumps, and although they did have a blip in the one-time tempis, they performed them flawlessly on their joker line to pull the mark for that movement back up.

“The audience were so amazing, it was like I was being carried through the test. I’m sorry to them for the mistake in the ones, but luckily I had my joker line,” said Jessica.

“The best word to describe my whole week here is grateful. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful dancing partner in Dalera, and to have her owner here and my family, my kids and all my team at home,” she added. “It’s very special, and this never becomes normal.”

Their score of 92.82% was their best ever – and this from a pair who had already exceeded 90% 10 times already before today. Could Lottie and Glamourdale even hope to match it?

European Dressage Championships freestyle goes to the wire

Having missed out on a podium place in the special, Lottie and Glamourdale were back on sparkling form today. Lottie rode with her face set in quiet determination, knowing she had to produce her own personal best to be in with a shot of gold – and with Charlotte Dujardin yet to come, possibly even a medal.

Like Dalera, Glamourdale also had a blip, striking off wrong into canter after their walk tour – proving that even the very best can make the most elementary of errors from time to time. But the rest of his work was simply stunning and spectators waited with bated breath to see whether his score could exceed that of Jessica and Dalera.

It was very, very close. Less than 0.5% separated these two powerhouses of modern dressage, but in the end, it was Lottie who would have to settle for silver.

Both of them faced another tense wait, though, as Charlotte Dujardin took to the arena with a brand new freestyle aboard the 10-year-old Imhotep, who has been nothing less than a personal best machine this week, churning them out one after the other.

He did it once more here, producing a highly accurate, expressive test with extraordinary amounts of lift and suspension throughout. That their massive mark of 91.4% – itself higher than Charlotte’s own Europeans record, and higher than the gold-winning scores at both the 2019 and 2021 Europeans – was not enough to take the lead here underscores the exceptional standard shown in Riesenbeck today. But it was enough to edge special silver medal-winner Nanna Skodborg Merrald off the podium, and take the bronze.

Nanna and Blue Horse Zepter claimed silver in the special – their first individual medal – and they performed a new routine in the European Dressage Championships freestyle for a new personal best of 89.55%.

Zepter is the son of Blue Hors Zack – Nanna’s 2022 World Championships team gold medallist. He is a massive horse, but so attentive to Nanna’s aids, while maintaining great activity, balance and expression, and they make a beautiful partnership. Some small rhythm issues in the piaffe and a mistake in their one-time changes were what kept them off the podium today.

Earlier in the afternoon, Isabell Werth proved why she is the ultimate show-woman as she rode an exceptionally difficult freestyle on DSP Quantaz for 88.4%, a touch above their previous best. Her Bonnie Tyler programme scored over 95%, with 10s for the music and interpretation. The highlight was a piaffe pirouette that transitioned seamlessly into a canter pirouette, and then later the same move in reverse. The German home crowd were in raptures.

Meanwhile, Therese Nilshagen was another to trounce her previous personal best, scoring a huge 86.13% with her long-time championship partner, Dante Weltino OLD. The pair have been a feature of every Swedish team since 2017, and the 16-year-old Danone son is still hitting new peaks, not just for themselves but for their country – their score here was a new Swedish record.

“I’m really proud of my horse; he’s 16 years old but in the shape of his life, so it was so nice to show it in the ring today,” said Therese. “My music is a good mix of power and emotions, and it fits us very well. We can show a very good picture together with the riding and the performance.”

Carl Hester enjoyed a wonderful conclusion to what has been a dream week for him and his ride of just eight months, Fame. In their first-ever freestyle together, they achieved the highest mark of Carl’s entire career, 85.46%, to sit seventh on the final leaderboard.

Defending champion grabs individual gold at Europeans – with a Brit on the podium too

Polly Bryan — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:51:55 +0000

Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl has successfully defended her title of European champion, taking the gold medal in the grand prix special at the European Dressage Championships.

Jessica left the rest of this incredibly high-quality field trailing in her wake as she scored another personal best of 85.59% with the 16-year-old TSF Dalera BB.

Behind her in silver was Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald with Blue Hors Zepter on the best special score of her career – 82.79%. The bronze went to Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep, also posting a personal best of 82.58%.

Battle of the champions

It came as a surprise to many to see reigning world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale off the podium; as first to go from the last cluster of riders, they finished fourth with a brilliant score of 81.76%.

Lottie and Glamourdale produced a customary display of power and might, with the Lord Leatherdale stallion appearing much more focused than in his grand prix. Their biggest strengths are the two-time changes, extended canter and half-passes, and they earned big marks in these areas. But a mistake in the one-time changes was unfortunate, and lowered their score a little.

“He felt really good, and much more concentrated than yesterday,” said Lottie. “Everything felt good. We had a blip behind in the one-tempi changes but apart from that, I couldn’t fault him. He was much more with me, and feeling much better today but that wasn’t reflected in the marks.”

Lottie was followed by Jessica and Dalera, and these two simply glowed in front of a home crowd, leaving few in doubt that she would go straight to the top of the leaderboard.

Dalera is a true equine dancer, gliding through her work and producing exemplary piaffe-passage work. She was rewarded with a slew of 10s, especially on the last centre line, and Jessica looked ecstatic as she waved to the crowd after her salute. She was right to be – the score was a personal best again, a massive 85.59%.

“This is difficult to describe, it’s very special,” said an almost speechless Jessica. “Dalera felt so powerful and focused today – it was a pleasure to ride her.

“She wants to please, she wants to show herself, and show what we can do, and she is listening to me 100% from the first second to the last. Last night, I rode [mentally] though the grand prix special 10 times for myself, because when I have everything together, she has everything together.”

Jessica has faced a lot of pressure this year, the hype growing around her duel with Lottie and Glamourdale. As it turned out, it was two other combinations that proved her biggest competition on this particular day.

“It’s good to be pushed. I have been working with all these expectations for months, and I’m so happy to meet them but I try not to think about it, because the only thing I can influence is Dalera and me,” said the gold medallist.

“If it’s not Glamourdale it’s others. There are always more horses coming up, and it’s good for sport. If there was nobody, I wouldn’t improve, so it’s good to be pushed and to continue improving. We have improved the walk, the piaffe, the canter, the changes, so many things, and I still want to improve it more. It’s the art of dressage to have everything together on point, but also with a happy athlete who wants to present herself because she has enough strength.”

European Dressage Championships grand prix special: down to the wire

Charlotte Dujardin was next out of the starting blocks, with fans eager to see whether she and Imhotep (Pete) could recreate the magic they produced yesterday in the grand prix. They soon had their answer. A near-immaculate test saw them post 82.58%, another personal best.

“I’m so proud of Pete today,” said Charlotte. “He’s 10 years old and today he’s given me everything. He’s still young and inexperienced, against a lot of more experienced horses. Next year is going to be very exciting.”

It was now up to the final rider, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald, to do what she could to push her way onto the podium. She and the imposing chestnut Blue Hors Zepter had some uncharacteristic errors in their grand prix, and Nanna said the sensitive gelding tends to remember his mistakes when he returns to the ring. But today, they were on fire.

It’s with Zepter that Nanna has risen to become the Danish number one and as of this month, number two in the world. Today, she showed why, riding the test of her life. Zepter was on her every aid, combining power with lightness, spring and expression to score a massive 82.79%.

“I could feel the nerves, definitely, but really had to focus on what I had to do,” said Nanna. “He is so sensitive, and after making big mistakes yesterday it was important to me to really go for it in exercises where I really could, but to keep him calm in others.”

Nanna Skodborg Merrald, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Charlotte Dujardin on the individual podium at the European Dressage Championships. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Meanwhile, there was magic happening just off the podium, as well.

Having ridden a wonderful grand prix to help Britain to team gold, Britain’s Carl Hester proceeded to demolish his previous grand prix special personal best with Fame, guiding this very talented horse to just over 80% and fifth place.

Once again, his test was such a pleasure to watch, with Fame looking even more confident and in a better frame than in his grand prix.

“He felt easy, I’ve never had him so relaxed,” said Carl. “It was almost a new feeling for me as normally I’m always managing him as he gets a bit tense, but it’s as though he has grown up at this show, accepted all my aids really nicely. I had a lovely ride and couldn’t be happier.”

‘On fire – but slightly distracted’: battle royal between three superstars as Lottie Fry conjures moments of pure brilliance

Martha Terry — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 16:22:12 +0000

Britain’s final rider Lottie Fry ensured a dramatic conclusion to the European Dressage Championships team competition at Riesenbeck, Germany. This championships has been billed as the showdown between the reigning world champion, Lottie’s ride Glamourdale, and the Tokyo Olympic champion TSF Dalera BB, ridden by Jessica von Bredow-Werndl.

In fact, it is so much more than that, with Charlotte Dujardin’s rising superstar Imhotep giving the two older champions a serious run for their money. Glamourdale did indeed produce a personal best grand prix score, 81.26%, and the fact that it wasn’t met as much elation as the straight result might deserve is some measure of this horse’s brilliance. For there were moments early on during their test when it looked like they would claim the scalp of the mighty Dalera, and blast towards an incredible 85%.

Third team rider Charlotte had already taken the lead, from compatriot Carl Hester (Fame) with Imhotep’s personal best grand prix score of 82.42%. When Dalera topped that two horses later, with her own personal best of 84.61%, Lottie needed to produce 78.71% for Britain to secure gold – well within her own top scores – and she did it with room to spare. It was Britain’s first team gold since London 2012, and their first European team gold since Rotterdam 2011.

How Lottie Fry’s test at the European Dressage Championships played out

Glamourdale entered the ring looking majestic, and immediately set the scoreboard alight as 87% flashed across, with a 10 for the entry from the judge at K, Kurt Christensen. Glamourdale’s early trotwork continued in similar vein, trending above Dalera. Now a 12-year-old, the Lord Leatherdale stallion has so much lift, so much presence, and the judges rewarded him with a string of dazzling scores.

“He went in to a lot of applause, which was a little distracting,” said Lottie. “But he came in on fire, and was really exciting to ride. I think he had a few stallion-show vibes!”

After starting with such sparkling intensity, Glamourdale just faltered a little in the rein-back and his marks dropped to 6.5 from the judge at C (Maria Colliander), engaging Jessica and Lottie in the battle royal every dressage fan was hoping for.

“I think he was hearing something in the VIP tent which caught his attention, which was a shame as the rein-back is usually a good movement for him,” Lottie said.

“He did so many amazing things in the test – some things which he has never done so well – but there were just a few little distractions. I could feel him looking slightly with his eyes outside, which is not usual for him.”

The battle raged on between the two champions like a pulsating race to the winner’s post, with Glamourdale regaining the lead with his party piece, the extended canter, which earned him six 10s. There were four perfect 10s for the collected canter, too, and another couple for the one-time tempis.

The pair were still trending on 82% as they came down the final centre line, which would have squeezed them in between Dalera and Imhotep, when his final piaffe ran out of oomph to score a couple of uncharacteristic fours. He finished third, behind the winner Dalera, and Imhotep in second.

“A few small distractions, small noises caught his attention, but I am still excited to get a personal best, and I think I gave him a good ride,” said Lottie. “A lot of the work has improved so much to do that and do so many amazing things. And it was very hot, he was very hot – but when you’re in there you don’t think about anything else, not even how much you’re sweating!”

‘Tomorrow he will be more settled; I’m excited’

The top moments were sublime, and to finish on such a score, in third behind two outstanding horses, with two errors, shows just how much more there is to come from this pair.

“I’m really excited about the rest of the week,” said Lottie Fry of the European Dressage Championships special and freestyle, still to come. “Especially having been in there once. Tomorrow he will be more settled; he’s more secure in the special and he likes that test.”

This is the first time Dalera and Glamourdale have met in competition since the very start of the latter’s grand prix career, and Lottie relishes more battles ahead.

“I think it’s great sport to have these two horses, and Imhotep,” she said. “It’s not that we are really wanting the other to do badly, it’s more about what you can do well, concentrate on your own horse. It’s also so exciting that they are such different types of horses.”

The first big battle did not disappoint – it was even more enthralling than fans could possibly have anticipated.

It’s a glorious GOLD for Britain at the European Dressage Championships

Polly Bryan — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:17:15 +0000

Britain have won team gold at the European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany, their first team gold medal at a championship since the London 2012 Olympics.

With Gareth Hughes (Classic Briolinca), Carl Hester (Fame) and Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) all laying down super scores for the team, it fell to reigning world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale to seal the deal as the last members of the British team to ride the grand prix. She duly delivered the goods with a personal best score of 81.26%.

“To win team gold is so, so special as the four of us have been on so many teams together now, so to finally get the gold with these teammates is a really special feeling,” said Lottie, who rode alongside Carl, Charlotte and Gareth at the 2019 and 2021 Europeans, as well as at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I knew Glamourdale was capable of helping us win gold, but we need four of us on the team and four amazing horses.”

British chef d’equipe Caroline Griffiths echoed Lottie’s comments: “This team have been building towards this; when you see the riding and the tests they all produce, it’s phenomenal.”

Having led the European Dressage Championships team standings overnight, gold was Britain’s to lose at this point. Home side Germany had been hot on their heels throughout the competition, and their final rider was none other than the reigning Olympic and European champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with TSF Dalera BB.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB in the grand prix at the European Dressage Championships 2023. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Jessica and Dalera produced a magical performance, full of grace and harmony, and dispelling any doubts regarding the 16-year-old mare’s age by laying down a grand prix personal best of 84.61%. It piled the pressure onto Britain’s Lottie Fry, who needed 78.71% for Britain to grab the gold.

But if there is any combination in the world who thrive on pressure, it’s Lottie and Glamourdale. Lottie said afterwards that the 12-year-old stallion was “feeling on fire today”, and they rode a bold, powerful test, with huge highlights among the canter work in particular, and showing improvement in many areas compared to last year. Distractions from outside the ring appeared to slightly divert Glammy’s attention once or twice, however, and they had a blip in their final piaffe on the centre line, leaving British supporters biting their fingernails as they awaited the score.

When it arrived, it wasn’t as high as Jessica’s – nor Charlotte Dujardin’s superlative round with Imhotep earlier in the day. But, at 81.26%, it was another personal best in this test for Lottie and Glammy, and crucially, it was enough to clinch the gold for Britain on 242.22.

Britain have only missed a championship medal on two occasions since they rose to golden glory at the London Olympics, 11 years ago. But the gold had eluded them. Now, however, they’re back on top.

European Dressage Championships: team standings

The last time Germany relinquished the European championship title was in 2015 and, quite remarkably, have only failed to win European gold on four previous occasions since 1965. This year, though, the quartet of Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz), Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (TSF Dalera BB), Frederic Wandres (Bluetooth OLD) and Matthias Rath (Thiago GS) must settle for silver, on a total score of 239.674.

Claiming the bronze medal were last year’s world gold medallists, Denmark. The Danish side of Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Vayron), Andreas Helgstrand (Jovian), Nanna Skodborg Merrald (Blue Hors Zepter) and Carina Cassøe Krüth (Heiline’s Danciera) fielded a combination of experienced combinations and younger, less established horses, and all look exciting for the future.

Just missing a medal in fourth were Sweden, helped up the leaderboard by anchorman Patrik Kittel’s plus-75% test with Touchdown late in the day, while the Netherlands finished fifth.

Below the podium, another battle was unfolding, as teams fought for the coveted remaining Olympic qualification spots. By this afternoon it had become a four-way contest between Austria, Portugal, Spain and Belgium, but a slightly disappointing ride from Portugal’s final rider, Maria Caetano, sealed the deal, and Austria, Spain and Belgium take qualification for Paris 2024.

Simple, sporty; red jackets and an emerald dash – the dressage Euros trot-up in pictures

Martha Terry — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:36:26 +0000

The competition at the European Dressage Championships at Riesenbeck, Germany, is about to commence in earnest. But we’ve already had the first slice of the action, in the form of the European Dressage Championships trot-up, to whet the appetite for the excitement ahead.

It’s not quite as flamboyant as a Badminton or Burghley – team members have to adhere to their own dress code rather than go wild in turquoise suits. But you know you want a glimpse of all the British pairs and to see which teams had the smartest outfits…

The Brits

Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin, Gareth Hughes and Lottie Fry make up the British quartet. The Brits were dressed simply, in navy down jackets or gilets, navy chinos and brown suede boots. All wore helmets and gloves to present the British horses, too.