Charlotte Dujardin hailed her young small tour ride Times Kismet as an Olympic prospect after winning the CDI4* prix st georges at CHIO Aachen on the mare’s Continental debut.
The eight-year-old by Ampère x Lord Leatherdale showed impressive composure to nail her fourth ever start at PSG and score 77.58% in a busy stadium thick with atmosphere. They finished over 3% clear of runner-up Frederic Wandres and Quizmaster FRH, who is three years the mare’s senior.
“What a show to bring her to for her first international, the biggest show in the world,” said Charlotte. “She’s never seen anything like this, but from the moment she got here she settled in. I was just so happy with my ride today. There are still green bits, the changes are still wobbly. But what I love is that she’s still green but she doesn’t make mistakes and tries her best.”
Kismet’s performance was delightfully polished and elegant. She looked established at this level yet with the exciting reality that there is so much more to come. The trot work is already phenomenal, while the pirouettes were outstanding in this field. Charlotte left the Deutsche Bank Arena beaming, waving to the cheering crowd.
Charlotte Dujardin: ‘I look like I’m doing nothing!’
“She’s like oil to sit on, she’s so smooth and elastic, with that engine going all the time,” said Charlotte. “She’s beautiful, leggy, gymnastic – like a ballerina – perfect for this sport. It makes my job so easy. I just sit there, and look like I’m doing nothing.”
The smoothness certainly did give that impression – as only the very best tests and most accomplished riders can do. Charlotte put this down to her partnership with the mare, whom she has ridden since a four-year-old for owner-breeder Peter Belshaw, and Carl Hester.
“I’ve brought her up through the levels and I feel like I have that bond and partnership with her. We hold each other’s hand and that’s a magical feeling – moments like this are what I do this for. That I can put her in that sort of atmosphere and she feels secure. She trusts me so much, she’s like, ‘OK, Mum’.”
As for the future, the fact that Kismet’s temperament appears to match her talent is hugely exciting. At home, the mare is quirky – she demands to be ridden first, and has a preference for hacking on the road rather than in open fields. But she’s a consummate professional in competition.
“She can be weird at home, but she just loves it here, all the attention; this is what she lives for. I’ve always known she’s an Olympic horse, she’s so talented. She shows everything for grand prix and she’s only eight years old.”
Charlotte and Kismet are now on a winning streak of some 33 completed classes, which now includes their last three international tests. The only time they have been beaten was their very first novice together, some three and half years ago, when they were runner-up to another of Charlotte’s rides.
Lottie Fry was the only other Brit competing in this PSG class. She was riding Jennifer Leijser’s Glamourdale son Kashmir, also an eight-year-old. He produced a consistent test to score 69.97%, for a top-10 finish.
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