Lottie Fry has delivered a masterclass to take the lead on 80.84% in the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships results – springing Britain to the top of the leaderboard.
Lottie and the striking 11-year-old stallion Glamourdale, owned by Van Olst Horses, had the crowd – and the judges – mesmerised from the moment they entered, earning nines for their first halt.
The pair’s test – which earned them a personal best at this level – was decorated with top marks, scoring six 10s for their canter work and earning gasps from the crowd. The first extended trot scored a handful of nines, and three judges awarded 10s for their superb two-time changes. The pirouettes lost a little balance, but they once again delivered in the extended trot, and went on to nail the final line. The crowd got behind them clapping as they made their final passage and piaffe and Lottie could be seen smiling – before their final halt, which scored more 10s.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in, I’m a little bit numb and speechless. I still need to take a look at that scoreboard and check that it’s mine!,” said Lottie.
“From the second we left the warm-up he heard the crowd and he was just ready for it. He was just taking me and his test felt incredible. There was small moments in the pirouettes which hopefully i can fix for tomorrow [for the grand prix special] for even more marks, but apart from that he was just on fire and loving it.”
Lottie said she and Glamourdale “were in a bubble” as they navigated the test, and when the audience clapping came the Lord Leatherdale son “rose to it”.
“When they started [clapping] it I wasn’t expecting it and then it came, and he came up a little on the poll and he was like ‘Oh wow, there’s people here!’. He loved it. I think I started smiling at that point,” she said.
Lottie Fy and Glamourdale scored a personal best in the grand prix at the World Dressage Championships
Lottie praised Glamourdale’s relaxed attitude to the bustling championships.
“He’s been such a pro. This is the furthest he’s ever travelled, the longest he’s been away in competition. It’s a lot of firsts for him. He’s still only 11, and a stallion, which makes everything more difficult but he’s taken it all in his stride,” she said.
“I think he realises why he’s here, he’s going to be very happy tonight.”
She added she received support from Charlotte Dujardin and Gareth Hughes ahead of her test.
“It’s a great team feeling and lots of support. It couldn’t have been better,” she said, adding the pressure “drives her to be better”.
“I need to do Glamourdale justice because everyone knows he’s amazing, so I have to show that I can let him be amazing. There is a lot of pressure riding him but it’s great. It’s a great team and partnership, and hopefully he loves me as much as I love him.”
The World Dressage Championships is Glamourdale’s first major championship, and he showed promise from an early age winning the seven-year-old title at the World Breeding Championships in 2019.
Britain now stands at the top of the leaderboard with the final riders still to come for the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Richard Davison and Bubblingh’s 68.85% will be the British drop score. Charlotte Dujardin delivered 77.41% on Imhotep, and Gareth Hughes delivered 75.98% on Classic Briolinca.
You might also be interested in:
‘The score hasn’t dampened my enjoyment’: Richard Davison on his World Dressage Championships grand prix
‘She’s proved she’s a world-class horse’: Gareth Hughes keeps Britain’s medal hopes alive in the World Dressage Championships grand prix
‘I absolutely love that horse’: Charlotte Dujardin’s superstar delivers in World Dressage Championships grand prix
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