Cathrine Dufour Confirms Bohemian as First Choice for Tokyo

Dressage

Denmark

Cathrine Dufour, Denmark's number one Grand Prix rider, has confirmed that her second Grand Prix horse Bohemian will be her first choice for Danish Olympic team selection in Tokyo.

83.043% in Herning

Dufour and Louise Zinglersen's 10-year old Westfalian gelding Bohemian (by Bordeaux x Samarant) won the 5* Grand Prix at the CDI Herning today, scoring a whopping 83.043% for test with mistakes. The five judges had marks ranging from 81.087 to 84.239% for their ride.

"We are trying to test a few things like getting his frame higher and opening up the frame," said Dufour. "I felt that I had a really good ride today, especially the piaffe-passage and the half-passes, and I think he is improving in the extension. I was also testing something in the two-tempis, and that didn’t work out very well because he was a bit too much on his toes. But I am really, really happy."

A year ago, Dufour and Bohemian posted an almost identical score - 83.020% - at the same show in Herning.

Bohemian First Choice for Tokyo

Dufour has two irons in the fire for Tokyo team selection: her long-time number 1: Atterugpaards Cassidy (17yo, by Caprimond x Donnerhall) and Bohemian. With Cassidy she won GP Special bronze at the 2019 European Championships. However, her number two Bohemian has now been beating his barn mate in scores.

"My plan so far is to keep them both going," she explained. "Cassidy is 17 years old, but super fit and really going on really nicely, but it is a quite tough travel to go there, and the atmosphere can be a struggle for the horses, especially older horses. Bohemian he is still young, but today he got 83 even with the fault in the two-tempis, he is improving all the time, and when it comes to travelling I think it will be easier for him to cope with everything."

She continued: "If they are on the same level, I would probably go with Bohemian, because he is younger, and hopefully I can keep Cassidy longer in the sport if I spare him for the travel."