Charlotte Dujardin has proved she is back to her winning form after securing an array of wins during this week’s Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Riding Sonnar Murray Brown’s, Erlentanz, Dujardin celebrated her second win of the competition finishing with a score of 81.9% in the Al Shira’aa Grand Prix Freestyle to Music CDI4*, the horse’s first over 80% mark. Dujardin’s ride comes while the horse’s owner, Sonnar, recovers from a broken leg.
Dujardin’s first win came the day before, again riding Erlentanz in the CDI4* Al Shira’aa Grand Prix, finishing on a respectable 78.087%
Said Charlotte:
That’s my second freestyle with Erlentanz so it’s all really, really new. I wanted to test out a few things today; I wanted to go for a bit more, get more in my extensions, get him a bit braver in that arena.”
The popular home rider produced a superb test, showing clockwork passage, ground covering extensions and expressive flying changes. She received a perfect 10 for both her one-time changes and the double pirouette to the right. The only mistake in the test came when Erlentanz dropped into trot coming into the canter pirouette left. But Charlotte is the consummate professional and knows this music inside out, so was able to improvise and repeat the movement later in the test to claw back marks.
I came in and half-halted but — and it was totally my fault — I think I was too close to the board at the top end and as I went to turn, he just backed off me and trotted,” explained Charlotte. “I did manage to do it again and kept thinking the whole way through, ‘Where am I going to put it back in, where am I going to put it in?’ I decided to do it at the end of the one-times, landed on the left and managed to fit it in, so that was a relief — at least I got it back. I’ve only ridden him for about three months so it’s just a question of getting to know him, finding the buttons and knowing how much I can push, and when I can’t.”
Carl Hester and Nip Tuck also took part in the Grand Prix, however, they withdrew before the following day’s freestyle after Hester reporting the horse to be “slightly lame”.
Richard Davison and Bubblingh improved a place from the previous day, slotting into second with 78.31%. Last to go, Ireland’s Heike Holstein, finished third with 74.915% riding her home-bred mare Sambuca (by Samarant).
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