Alice Oppenheimer has given the ride on her number one Grand Prix horse Headmore Delegate to British young rider Rebecca Edwards, who is aiming for a spot on the British team for the 2017 European Young Riders Championships in Roosendaal (NED) this summer.
Headmore Delegate is a 14-year old home bred British Hanoverian gelding by Dimaggio out of Allerliebst (by Akut x Steglitz).
Oppenheimer and Delegate have been competing at international Grand Prix level since 2013. Last year the pair had their best season so far with successful starts in Doha (66.820% in the Grand Prix and 72.431% in the Special), Hagen (67.640% in the GP and 71.040% in the consolation GP) and at Compiegne (69.180% and 66.294%).
For 2017 Oppenheimer decided to release some pressure off Delegate by moving him down one level back to the small tour.
"Having campaigned him last year for the Rio games I felt that trying to produce consistently full power tests wasn't necessarily in his best interests," Oppenheimer told Eurodressage. "He has been an incredible horse for me and has taken me some amazing places and given me unbelievable experiences so I wanted to do what was right for him. Having been born here I felt he just needed a change of scenery to help him enjoy his job again."
The Oppenheimers gave the ride to the talented young rider Rebecca Edwards for the 2017 show season, while Oppenheimer will focus on her younger horses, including the 8-year old home bred small tour horse Headmore Dirubinio (by Dimaggio x Rubinstein x Donnerhall).
"Mum and I have always admired Becky's riding and she is based not too far from us. When she came to ride him they seemed to just 'click' and their partnership is really starting to blossom. She has him for this year and then the plan is to review it. It also gives me more time to concentrate on my very exciting string of younger up and coming horses."
Aboard the 16-year old PRE bred Ufano (by Ideciso x Forcado) the 20-year old Edwards has been a member of the British Young Riders team at the 2015 and 2016 European Young Riders Championships. Aside from Ufano, Edwards is also campaigning the 13-year old British Hanoverian gelding Don Archie (by Dimaggio).
Edwards and Headmore Delegate have already caught the eye of the British selectors and are long-listed for British Young Rider team selection.
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Headmore Delegate
British Long List for 2017 European Junior and Young Riders Championships
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