Dufour Leads Danish Effort in Nations Cup at 2016 CDIO Odense

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2016 CDIO Odense

Sweden got off to a flying start in the FEI Nations Cup Dressage at Odense Horse Festival, beating the host nation Denmark with a narrow margin. Seven teams competed in the FEI Nations Cup Dressage at the 2016 Odense Horse Festival in Odense, Denmark, on Saturday 14 May 2016. The opening Grand Prix was won by the former two-time European young rider champion Cathrine Dufour, now 24, on her Danish Warmblood Atterupgaards Cassidy.

Dufour, now 24, scored 73,4% for the victory and outclassed numerous seasoned competitors and team championship riders. Cathrine is on the Danish longlist for Rio, but is very reserved in expressing any hope for team selection in order not to jinx her luck. She concentrates on each show taking it step by step and doing her utmost not to make any mistakes during her tests she explained. Today was almost flawless only with a little mistake in the transition from passage to canter.

Denmark captured second place in the Grand Prix as World Cup finalist Agnete Kirk Thinggaard rode her 13-year old gelding Jojo AZ in an energetic test with only a small mistake coming out of the second pirouette. They scored 72,96%.

However the Swedish riders was very consistent with three riders scoring between 71 % and 72 %. Therese Nilshagen/Dante Weltino (72,96%), Rose Mathisen/Zuidenwind (71,92%) and Juliette Ramel/Buriel KH (71,86%) secured the provisional lead in the Nations' Cup after the Grand Prix.

The Odense Nations' Cup is decided by combining the results of all three big tour classes. Two riders form each team will participate in the Grand Prix Special Sunday afternoon and one rider is to count for the team competition in the freestyle held on Monday.

Ranking after FEI Nations Cup Grand Prix:

Sweden 216,72 points
Denmark 215,86 points
Germany 205,12 points
Australia 202,54 points
USA 201,94 points
Great Brittan 197,22 points
Finland 195,08 points