British riders Lottie Fry and Becky Moody scored a one-two in today’s Dutch Masters dressage grand prix, presented by RS2 Dressage. The Paris Olympic team-mates both scored over 75% in this qualifier for tomorrow’s World Cup freestyle.
Lottie scored 75.978% with her own and Van Olst Horses’ powerful black stallion Glamourdale, her partner in taking the individual World Championship title in 2022 and individual and team bronze in Paris.
“I was very pleased with it. It really felt light, easy, effortless, happy horse, happy rider. That’s all I want to show – all the time and especially now – and I feel like we really succeeded with that today,” said Lottie, as other competitors congratulated her on her ride.
“A few mistakes crept in, but nothing to be upset about. They were very silly, little things, to be honest, little transitions, things I normally wouldn’t even think about. I think I was just enjoying the ride so much and he was feeling so great that I was maybe not fully concentrated on every transition. But the main thing was how amazing he felt and it was some of the best work he’s ever done.
“He gets better and better, and it’s not always about producing a faultless test. It’s about the little goals now, increasing the harmony and showing what an amazing partnership we are, and being able to present it in a very easy way.”
This Dutch Masters show in ’s-Hertogenbosch is only Lottie’s third World Cup dressage leg this season, after Amsterdam and London, and it’s one the Netherlands-based British rider attends nearly every year as it is only half an hour from the Van Olst yard.
“For me, it is one of the best World Cup shows, because there’s so much space and the public is so supportive. We just always have a great time here,” she said.
“We haven’t pushed for the World Cup final and if it happens tomorrow that we qualify, then it happens, and that’s amazing. And if not, it’s not a huge goal for us, so we concentrate on the Europeans and just keep on going like we are.”
Becky Moody: “It’s slap me really hard!”
Runner-up Becky Moody scored 75.587% for her virtually faultless test, in which her own and Jo Cooper’s Jagerbomb appeared soft and relaxed, a testament to his rider’s skill as she said he was actually buzzing in the arena.
The pair just lost marks for a leap forwards before the halt on the final centreline and for entering the arena late, without which they could have scored a new personal best and won the class.
“I was super, super pleased with him. It’s just slap me really hard for being an absolute idiot and being late in,” said Becky.
“The centre line was just a simple miscommunication. He was getting a little behind me and I said, ‘Come on, keep in front of me.’ And he went, ‘Okay, canter.’
“When he’s hot, my halts and my walk are a little fragile. But things like piaffe are really lovely and easy because he’s in front of me. I’d rather have him like that, even though it makes my life a little bit trickier in some situations, because he’s just so up for it. He’s just so excited about showing off what he can do that standing still seems really overrated to him.”
Belgian rider Justin Verboomen finished third on Zonik Plus with 74.652%, with Isabell Werth fourth for Germany on DSP Quantaz on 73.761%.
Both Lottie and Becky will ride in the Dutch Masters dressage World Cup freestyle tomorrow at 2pm local time (1pm British time).
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