On 19 April 2015, Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro scored 94.196% to successfully defend their World Cup title in Las Vegas. Today (15 April), is the day that the dressage World Cup final should have been getting underway before the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane instead...
Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro performed a flawless grand prix freestyle this afternoon in Las Vegas to take the Reem Acra FEI World Cup dressage title for the second year in a row.
Carl Hester, Roly Luard and Ann Bar’s 13-year-old Valegro scored 94.196%, just short of their own world record of 94.3%. They finished nearly 10% ahead of the opposition.
“I’m living the dream,” said Charlotte. “Coming here and doing what I do in front of 12,000 people is an incredible feeling. I never knew how Valegro was going to cope with the clapping, but he loved the American crowd — every time they clapped, it was like he was saying ‘Woohoo, I did something good.’
“I don’t look at the expectations as pressure — if I did I’d get nervous and worry about things. I just go in to do my best and that’s all I can do.”
The Netherlands’ Edward Gal finished second with Glock’s Undercover NOP, as in Thursday’s grand prix. He finished on a mark of 84.696%.
Asked about being the senior rider on the podium, he joked: “I feel 25 and after a few operations I can look 25. It’s not nice she keeps in front of me — I’m older, she should treat me with more respect.”
On a serious note, he added: “Charlotte does an amazing job and when the best person wins it’s good for the sport — and when I’m second that’s also good. And I know how it feels, so that’s good too.”
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl managed to upset the grand prix placings by pushing into third with 80.393% on Unee BB.
“For me today was a rollercoaster of emotions — I came in and he was a bit scared of the light on the trophy. We started with a mistake [in the two-time changes] so I thought, ‘Now I have to go for it.’”
Jessica slipped ahead of Steffen Peters (80.357%) — third in the grand prix — although this became irrelevant when the American rider was eliminated after blood was found from a spur on Legolas’ side.
This left up-and-coming rider Laura Graves on Verdades as the best of the home side in fourth with 79.125% on Verdades.
We continue to publish Horse & Hound magazine weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as keeping horseandhound.co.uk up to date with all the breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions (six issues for £6) and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.
