Austrian based Brit Julia Coppard outclassed the field at the 2009 Fot CDI, Hungary 25-27 Sept in the Intermediate I Kur on a massive 73.20% – a full 6% higher than second place. Riding nine year old Final Destination, Coppard also took the Prix St George on 68.73% and placed second in the Intermediate I on 66.78%.
39 year old Julia has been based in Austria for 11 years now and has been riding Final Destination, a 16.2 chestnut gelding owned by Thomas Wimpissinger, for the past two years. Their recent success is proving to everyone they will be a pair worth watching when they go Grand Prix hopefully in the next year.
An understandably pleased Julia was quick to comment on how the show progressed. “He was really great to ride and only got better each day. In the PSG he was good but we did have a few small mistakes. The Inter I wasn’t perfect either but in the Inter I to Music he was absolutely wonderful. It was a new routine and the first time he’d heard the music,” laughed Julia. “I’d been listening to it on my iPod but it was brand new to him.”
Looking towards the future Julia is confident about what the next year holds. “Final Destination is almost ready to go to Grand Prix but I just want him to gain a bit more confidence in Small Tour over the next few months and then we’ll go from there.”
Related Link
Scores 2009 CDI Fot