Britain’s Carl Hester has leapt up an enormous 107 places in the FEI world dressage rankings, which are updated on the 1st of every month.
Carl and his current top ride, the 10-year-old Diamond Hit son Hawtins Delicato, have risen from 130th to 23rd after their performance at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, where they helped Britain win team bronze and also finished ninth in the grand prix special.
Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle have also jumped up the rankings following their individual bronze in Tryon. Charlotte and the nine-year-old mare have moved from 10th to sixth in the latest rankings, the highest position Charlotte has held since before Valegro was retired in 2016.
It’s all change at the very top of the rankings, with Germany’s Isabell Werth knocked off the top spot for the first time since November 2016, when she and Weihegold OLD took over from fellow German rider Kristina Bröring-Sprehe.
The USA’s Laura Graves has moved up to the number one position with her WEG team and individual silver medallist Verdades, overtaking Isabell by a single point. Laura and the 16-year-old gelding are the first USA partnership to be ranked world number one.
Isabell does hold the next three places, however; she is ranked second with Weihegold OLD, third with Emilio and fourth with her WEG double gold medallist Bella Rose, another who has made an impressive jump, up 47 places from 51st.
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The top 10 is completed by Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour and Atterupgaards Cassidy (fifth); Germany’s Dorothee Schneider and Sammy Davis Jr (seventh), and Helen Langehanenberg with Damsey FRH (eighth); the Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Glock’s Zonik NOP (ninth) and Sweden’s Patrik Kittel with Deja (10th).
Brits also feature heavily in the top 10 on the FEI para dressage rankings, with WEG gold medallist Sophie Wells maintaining her world number one status, both in grade V and in the combined rankings which cover all five grades.
After scooping team and individual silver at WEG, Natasha Baker has made an impressive leap from 68th to fifth, and tops the grade III rankings, while Lee Pearson sits seventh overall and second in grade II.
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