Fiona Bigwood's British dressage team horse Mr G de Lully will be competed by Danish Grand Prix rider Anders Dahl this 2006 show season. Bigwood and her partner Dahl are expecting a baby and for safe keeping it Bigwood is not riding during her pregnancy.
"We are delighted about the pregnancy, but not riding for nine months is so hard," Bigwood told Eurodressage. "I can't believe how slowly time goes by without the riding." Bigwood met her partner Anders Dahl while working with Danish trainer Hasse Hoffmann. Anders has previously been competing Bigwood's Affrika, but he has now taken on the ride over all of her horses.
Bigwood's top horse Mr G de Lully (by Gauguin de Lully), with whom Fiona made an impressive international break through at the 2005 European Dressage Championships, will be competed by Dahl this 2006 show season. Dahl's goal is to qualify for the Danish team and compete at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen.
"Rudolf Zeilinger is helping Anders at the moment and the combination works very
well together so I am hoping that it will be a good year," Bigwood confessed.
Dahl and Mr G de Lully will first compete at a few national shows in Germany before tackling their planned international debut at Stadl Paura, Austria. " I have warned Anders that as soon as I have had this baby I will be back in the saddle and claiming all my horses back. I think there maybe a fight on my hands, as he also loves riding Mr G," Bigwood joked.
Dahl riding Mr G is great news for Danish Dessage, but sad for the British dressage team who has lost a key player for their WEG team this year.
Text and photos by Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - no reproduction allowed without permission
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