Charlotte Dujardin has shot into second place in the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships results after Imhotep rose to the occasion on his championship debut in Herning.
Charlotte expertly guided the nine-year-old Everdale son – owned by Carl Hester and Coral Ingham – round the big arena and the pair were rewarded a 77.41% score.
Imhotep, known fondly as Pete, received some super marks in only his fourth ever grand prix. The combination delivered super clean transitions into the first passage and piaffe, with Pete demonstrating much exuberance. Although a little blip occurred as Pete initially struck off into canter onto the wrong leg, Charlotte kept him focused to deliver clean two-time changes. The canter pirouettes were kept neat and tiny, collecting eights from the judges and Pete looked relaxed as he really lit up the arena during the final extended trot.
Charlotte said she was “absolutely thrilled” with Pete, who only made his international debut in May.
“He’s come here, he’s done three grands prix before arriving – he’s a very inexperienced horse. I had no idea how he was going to be in there,” she said.
“I’ve done shows at home and one show abroad at Compiegne which had no real spectators as such, so for him to go in there and have the crowd and the buzz, I was just so proud of him. I had the one little blip, but it was just a miscommunication more than anything.”
While Pete looked focused and relaxed in the big arena, Charlotte admitted he was “a little bit scared”.
“I kept having to give him confidence,” she said. “You could see it with the sneezing, it was a lot for him in there on his own.
“In the last few days he’s been in there with other horses, then all of a sudden that horse left and he was like, ‘Hang on a second I’m going with you!” and I said ‘No no, you’re going this way.’ He kept going and that’s the main thing. I thought I’ve got to give him a nice round.”
Charlotte, who has ridden Pete since he was a seven-year-old, added the gelding makes her smile from “ear to ear” every day.
“I absolutely love that horse. He has so much power, so much expression. He wants to work every day, he just wants to please you. He never runs out of energy which I absolutely love. I know by day three he’ll still be going!” she said.
“He’ll get better and better and more and more confident. I trust him and he trusts me. In a year or two when he can manage all that power he’s going to be spectacular. I think he’s just an incredible horse and I’m so excited for the future.”
Charlotte’s score bolsters Britain’s chances, with the team currently in the lead on 153.39 in the World Dressage Championships results, although their main medal rivals still have their third riders to go. Yesterday Richard Davison and Bubblingh scored 68.85%, and Gareth Hughes followed this up with 75.98% on Classic Briolinca. The grand prix continues this afternoon with the last British combination, Lottie Fry on Glamourdale, due to take to the arena at 6.51pm local time (5.51pm BST).
You might also be interested in:
‘He was difficult in the early days’: Carl Hester on Charlotte Dujardin’s Imhotep, and what it’s like not to be riding in Herning
Highs and heartbreak: all you need to know from day one of the World Dressage Championships
‘She’s proved she’s a world-class horse’: Gareth Hughes keeps Britain’s medal hopes alive in the World Dressage Championships grand prix
‘The score hasn’t dampened my enjoyment’: Richard Davison on his World Dressage Championships grand prix
Blow for Ireland as team rider eliminated in World Dressage Championships grand prix *Updated*
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