Richard Davison: ‘Valegro is not a machine’ [VIDEO]

H&H dressage editor Alice Collins caught up with top dressage rider, trainer and H&H columnist Richard Davison after the Reem Acra FEI World Cup grand prix, supported by Horse & Hound, at the 2013 London International Horse Show at Olympia last night to discuss the top performances.

Richard said: “It was a fantastic test. As you know Charlotte really wanted to beat the world record. Valegro is an incredible horse, but he is actually not a machine and we have to remind ourselves this.

“For me the most perfect test that I’ve seen any horse do was a few months ago at the European Championships and that was from Valegro. This test wasn’t quite as good. But it’s still quite incredible — look at his record, everywhere he goes he wins.

“Today they did have a bit of a problem going from the passage to the canter, but Charlotte said she messed that up herself, but the rest of it was amazing.”

Richard’s thoughts on second placed Edward Gal’s Glock’s Undercover: “This is obviously completely different type of horse [to Valegro], it’s a more of an up and down type of mover. There was some talk at the Europeans that this horse needs to cover more ground and go more forwards, but I did think this was a bit more forward today and I think Edward was happy.”

Richard also shared his thoughts on Michael Eilberg and Half Moon Delphi’s test in fifth: “It was a very smart test and it shows the potential of that horse, because there is room for more improvement. The transition out of the piaffe could have been a bit cleaner coming out. I think we could expect scores around 75.76% from this combination.”

Tonight’s grand prix freestyle will be broadcast on BBC red button and streamed online via FEI TV (subscription service). You can also follow online for free through our H&H Live interactive written commentary service. H&H dressage editor Alice Collins will be analysing the highs and lows of every test as the action takes place and you can join in the fun by posting comments and questions. Register now for a reminder.

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