Drawn last to go, Gareth Hughes scored 73.34% with Martin and Claudine Kroll’s KK Dominant to win the Lemieux Grand Prix at the Lemieux National Dressage Championships. The 12-year-old breeding stallion, Diamond Hit x Rubin Royal, has been with Gareth for three years.
“I met his owners while teaching in Switzerland a good few years ago. We’ve stayed good friends and this horse came over three years ago competing at small tour and working towards inter II/grand prix,” said Gareth.
The horse won four out of seven at the highest level last year, but this year with the Tokyo Olympics and European Dressage Championships, his outings have been limited to Wellington CHI in May and Vale View in June.
“He’s a fantastic horse,” said Gareth. “Obviously this year has been tricky to fit everything in, but he just comes out and tries his hardest. At this stage of his development he’s not a horse that is going to get nines thrown at him, but he can do everything for an eight with no weaknesses and that in itself is a massive strength.”
Judging at H, Peter Storr said: “Gareth rode a lovely test. I gave him a nine for his riding, the horse looked happy and balanced and everything looked easy – a very harmonious test. I did feel sorry for Becky Moody, who was doing a super job on Carinsio and was ahead when he came to the last piaffe on the centre line and completely lost it, it was such a shame.”
Gareth was full of praise for the new venue of the National Dressage Championships.
“Somerford Park Farm is one of the best venues in the country and the layout for the Nationals gave it a real international feel, and it will only get better and better.”
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