British dressage ended 2022 on a high, with Lottie Fry having taken over the world number one spot on the FEI dressage rankings. It’s just the latest in a long line of accomplishments over the past year for Lottie; we take a look back over the past 12 months and chart her journey to the top of the world.
March 2022
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale set the tone for 2022 with grand prix victories at Lier and Oppglabbeek CDIs, with their plus-80% grand prix special at the latter prompting judge Isobel Wessels to describe the test as “a privilege to judge”.
Lottie also competed at the s’Hertogenbosch World Cup qualifier with her 2019 team horse Dark Legend, finishing fourth with over 82% and helping to secure them a slot at the 2022 World Cup Final.
April 2022
April brought a career-first for Lottie as she made her World Cup Final debut with Dark Legend. Their performance did not go to plan, but Lottie proved once again her coolness and maturity as a rider, receiving much praise for her handling of a tricky situation in the ring.
Britain’s Lottie Fry and Dark Legend in action during the short grand prix at the World Cup Final in Leipzig
Lottie was also busy at April’s Hagen CDI4*, considered a highly important show in the spring calendar. This was her Tokyo Olympic ride Everdale’s first international outing since his team silver and individual top 5 finish at the 2021 European Championships, also at Hagen. The Lord Leatherdale stallion was on great form, finishing sixth in very hot company, with Lottie saying “he gave me one of the best rides ever” there.
May 2022
Lottie and Glamourdale reached new heights once more at the Compiegne CDIO5*, with a then-personal best grand prix score of 79.44% for what Lottie said was “his best test so far”. They also topped the grand prix special the following day, although there was disappointment for the Brits in the Nations Cup competition, as the team was eliminated.
Compiegne CDIO5* also yielded the best international grand prix results so far for Inclusive, Lottie’s up-and-coming grand prix ride. The Everdale son, who was 10 at the time, finished third in the CDI3* grand prix freestyle with over 78%.
June/July 2022
With Glamourdale by now pegged as Lottie’s number one choice for the upcoming World Dressage Championships, it was her other rides who kept her busy during June and July, with Glammy being prepped quietly at home for his trip to Herning. Dark Legend returned to the fray with an eighth place finish at Rotterdam CDIO5*.
Meanwhile in July, Lottie and Everdale led the British Nations Cup team to a sixth place finish at Aachen CDIO5*, also achieving super results individually in extremely hot company.
August 2022
August 2022 will forever stay in Lottie’s mind as a month in which her life changed forever. After a plus-80% grand prix to secure team silver for Britain at the World Dressage Championships, she and Glamourdale pulled off a fabulous grand prix special and an even more brilliant freestyle to secure two individual gold medals and be crowned world champions.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale take gold in the special at the 2022 World Championships.
“He gave me the most incredible test I’ve ever felt. The sky is the limit for Glamourdale – he’s one in a million and to be able to ride him here at the World Championships is a dream come true,” said Lottie after her grand prix special gold.
September 2022
Lottie’s whirlwind year continued with more golden glory. This time it was aboard Kjento, the exceptional young Negro son with whom Lottie won the sought-after seven-year-old title at the World Breeding Championships in Ermelo – an accolade she and Glamourdale won four years earlier.
She and Everdale also shone bright in Ermelo, dominating the CDI3* classes with over 84% in the freestyle.
Lottie Fry and Kjento win the seven-year-old title at the Dressage World Breeding Championships 2022
October 2022
A well-deserved breather for Lottie’s top trio and a chance for her to focus on more upcoming stars of the future. The 11-year-old Diego stallion Don Joe and the 12-year-old Negro gelding Lars Van De Hoenderheide were both well placed at grand prix level at Leeuwarden CDI3*, and these are just two of the many exciting horses Lottie is bringing on.
December 2022
Finishing the year on a high – Lottie and Glamourdale wow the crowds at the London International Horse Show as they perform their gold medal-winning freestyle. This time, their standard is even higher and Lottie receives an all-time personal best of 90.99%.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale in action at the London International Horse Show 2022
She wasn’t quite done yet though – just as 2023 dawns, Lottie and Everdale throw their hat in the ring for a place at the 2023 World Cup Final, with a third place finish at the Mechelen World Cup qualifier.
Just two days later, Lottie Fry emerged as the new world number one, with Glamourdale also topping the horse rankings, ahead of Everdale in ninth. What could 2023 hold for Britain’s brightest?
You may also be interested in…
Laura Fry: the late Olympic rider whose daughter became world champion
‘He won’t want to hold my hand’: Lottie Fry on prepping Glamourdale for Herning and the food she eats before she competes
Re-watch Lottie Fry and Glamourdale’s breathtaking World Championship freestyle
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