Windsor dressage: Carl Hester wins freestyle, but Fiona Bigwood’s horse is talk of the town
Carl Hester won the Windsor grand prix freestyle under spotlights tonight (15 May) with his own and Jane de la Mare’s Nip Tuck.
They were just shy of their 80% target, posting 79.45% in front of the appreciative sell-out crowd.
Carl rode to a ‘God save the Queen’ medley, apt as the Queen had been at the show that day.
“I hope she was watching,” said Carl with a grin. “We didn’t quite hit that 80% as he didn’t walk quite as well tonight; the music made him a bit hotter.”
He will next head to Austria for Fritzens CDI (26-28 June).
The second-placed horse, Fiona Bigwood’s Atterrupgaards Orthilia, will also make the trip to the picturesque Alpine venue.
The Gribaldi mare – who attracted high praise from all quarters – scored 76.5%.
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“I’m so pleased,” said Fiona, who was riding with one eye covered to help prevent double vision caused by a fall last year.
“There were more people here tonight than for grand prix night and they clapped just before we went in, so I wasn’t sure how she’d react.”
She rode to her former grand prix horse Mr G’s freestyle.
Fiona’s husband Anders Dahl filled third place with Wie Atlantico, a 16-year-old who has been competing at grand prix for eight years.
Anders, who rides for Denmark, was pleased with the Wie Weltmeyer’s performance, which earned 71.9%.
His compatriot Sune Hansen – who is also now based in Britain – was fourth on the attractive chestnut Charmeur with 71.55%.
The best of the Brits in the chasing pack were Hayley Watson-Greaves and the 11-year-old Rubin Royal gelding Rubins Nite, who cemented their recent good form at the sport’s top level.
Last night’s fourth-placed rider Alice Oppenheimer slipped to fourth, once again falling frustratingly short of the 70% mark. But given that Alice had been suffering from tonsilitis all week, her results were very creditable.
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