British Olympic team contenders will be in action at the first five-star dressage show of the year in Europe, which kicks off tomorrow at Compiègne, France. It will serve as the final outing for some of Britain’s top combinations ahead of Olympic team selection next month.
As well as elite British riders, several Olympic team and medal contenders from other countries will be among those contesting the CDIO5 Nations Cup leg – the first of three in 2021 (the others are at Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in July and Aachen, Germany, in September) – and the CDI3 competition, which runs alongside.
The CDI3 grand prix will take place on Friday, 28 May, with the special and freestyle the following day, while the Nations Cup competition begins with the grand prix on Saturday and concludes with the special and freestyle on Sunday. Britain are the defending champions of the Compiègne Nations Cup leg, having won it in 2019 with Carl Hester, Richard Davison, Lottie Fry and Gareth Hu
The inaugural Wellington CDI3 that gets underway this week is set to be one of the most significant dressage events of the year. As the first dressage international to be held on British soil since October – and the first outdoor UK show since 2019 – the country’s top combinations will be out in force.
While not officially a selection trial, this will be a crucial opportunity for those riders campaigning for a place on the British dressage team at the Tokyo Olympics to prove themselves. For those who have opted not to make a trip across the Channel to compete this year, this show will be especially important.
British Olympic medallist Fiona Bigwood has taken over the ride on Carl Hester’s former top horse Hawtins Delicato. Fiona, who was a member of Britain’s silver medal-winning dressage team at the Rio Olympics, took over riding Delicato in 2020, and now owns the 13-year-old Diamond Hit son, known as “Del”.
“When the Olympics were postponed last March, I offered Fiona the chance to have a sit on Del, and she got on really well with him so I said she could take him on,” Carl told
H&H.
“It’s working really well, because I teach Fiona so I can help her with him, and it means he continues to be kept in the lifestyle he is used to with a similar routine and lots of turnout. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an ideal situation.”
Carl Hester has landed a new career best score, riding En Vogue to 86.48% in the freestyle at the LeMieux National Grand Prix Championships. The pair finished third in the class and third in the overall national championship, behind Charlotte Dujardin on Mount St John Freestyle and Gio.
Carl’s dressage career spans more than 30 years, and his previous best score was 85.02% with Nip Tuck, at the Lyon World Cup qualifier in 2016, where they finished second to Isabell Werth. He came close to breaking his own record with Hawtins Delicato at Olympia 2019, posting 84.47% there, but newer ride En Vogue, who is owned by Charlotte Dujardin, is the horse who has lifted him to new heights.