It might have been only the third grand prix together for Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle but it was another winning one. The pair gained their third victory in the Al Shira’aa Grand Prix at the 2018 CDI Windsor on Thursday 10 May 2018 with Charlotte heading off trainer, mentor and British team mate Carl Hester with Hawtins Delicato.
The dressage leg at the Royal Windsor Horse Show is a small, mainly British self-catering international dressage competition with no less than 10 of the 13 invited participants based on the British continent. Only German Juliette Piotrowski and Dutch Thamar Zweistra and Tosca Visser crossed the channel for this intimate competition set in the garden park of the Windsor royal palace.
Mount St. John Freestyle, a 9-year-old mare owned by Emma Blundell of the Yorkshire based Mount St John stud, belied her main ring inexperience impressing the judges with her ground covering paces and relaxed attitude to the atmospheric arena. Although the transitions in and out of the piaffe were still difficult for the young mare and the regularity in her spectacular passage was something shaky, the talented mare produced a winning score of 78.58%
“I am chuffed to bits with her,” said the British Olympic gold medallist. “She’s so chilled and really takes everything in her stride especially as she has really done next to nothing at this international level – I am so, so happy.”
Carl was equally happy with his ride on Anne Cory's British-bred Hawtins Delicato (by Diamond Hit), who was also competing in only his third Grand Prix and was not far behind the winning score – some judges even had the pair of riders and horses on near equal terms.
Richard Davison rounded off a British one-two-three, taking third place with his home-bred Lingh offspring Bubblingh (70.8%) while British riders Hayley Watson-Greaves and Rubins Nite (by Rubin Royal) and Gareth Hughes with Don Carissimo were fourth and fifth respectively.
British based Iranian rider and Windsor first-timer Litta Soheila Sohi might have finished at the other end of the leader board but was simply thrilled to be competing at the Show.
“I will never forget this moment,” said Litta, who is aiming to compete in the Asian Games in Jakarta later in the year. “This is no ordinary Show – there is so much going on at the same time, it is overwhelming. Just to be a part of it is as good as winning and I am just thrilled to be through to the freestyle tomorrow night.”
Photos © Peter Nixon
Related Links
Scores 2018 CDI Windsor