Anne-Sophie Serre Wins 2020 French Grand Prix Championships

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2020 French Dressage Championships

Anne-Sophie Serre became the National Grand Prix Champion winning the big tour division at the 2020 French Dressage Championships held in Vierzon, France, on 14 - 16 August 2020.

2020 Edition

The 2020 French Grand Prix Championships consisted of two rounds, the Grand Prix and Special. No less than 22 pairs contested the first round and 17 moved on to the second round. Ten riders were officially ranked for the Championship.

Several top French pairs were absent from the nationals, including the 2018 French Champion Morgan Barbançon Mestre. She competed her top ride Sir Donnerhall II at the World Cup Qualifier in Budapest at the beginning of August. Her second Grand Prix horse Bolero has not been out since June 2019 and is recovering from an injury.

"I had other plans for the season like collecting points for the World Cup finals and it was too much two shows in a row for Gus," Morgan told Eurodressage.

2019 French team rider Arnaud Serre did not compete Ultrableu, but is coaching students at the European Youth Championships in Budapest, and nor was Belgian based French rider Ludovic Henry present with Casanova. Charlotte Chalvignac withdrew her second ride, Elice, last minute from the event

The big tour did have a few interesting pairs, including former team rider Pierre Volla on the 12-year old German mare Silvermoons Mariechen (by Silvermoon x Maizauber). The horse was previously owned by Alexandre Barbancon, but never made a CDI debut. French based Belgian 2014 WEG team rider Laurence Vanommeslaghe rode her two Grand Prix horses - Havalon and Edison - in Vierzon but could not be ranked for the Championship due to her Belgian nationality.

Also absent from the Big Tour championship was Camille Judet Cheret, who did compete her number one ride, the Thai owned Duke of Swing at Grand Prix level in Vierzon, but not in the Championship. She took three horses to Vierzon, but riders are only allowed to ride one Championship tour and Camille decided on the Medium Tour Championship with Scoop du Bois Luric.

Anne-Sophie Serre Reigns

Anne-Sophie Serre and the 10-year old Lusitano bred mare Actuelle de Massa (by Paston x Fuzilador OCO) wielded the axe of power and secured the title and gold medal with a 149.929 total point score. She won the Grand Prix with 74.652% and dominated the Special with 75.277% although the judges disagreed on that test: one of them at H was very optimistic with a 77.979%, the judge at B thought it was a 71.383% test. Nonetheless, Serre was clearly favoured and convincingly won both rounds to become the 2020 French Grand Prix Champion. She was coached by French 5* judge Raphael Saleh at the event as her husband Arnaud was in Budapest.

"I'm thrilled. I thought I would perform better if it were colder, but once there I felt relieved. Yesterday I handled the pressure without problems, but today I had some more nerves, but I'm happy that I got over them," Serre told Dressprod.com. "I'm so lucky to have a horse that I match with beautifully and who gives me her all. I'm delighted with this medal, but it's a team achievement. The mare is wonderful, I never had a horse on which I could count so much. It's a sort of osmosis of which you dream since childhood."

Serre credited her husband Arnaud for his help, coach Saleh as well as the owners of Actuelle, Sylvain Massa and his wife Anne Sophie de la Gatinais.

Ayache and Chalvignac Complete the Podium

The silver medal went to Alexandre Ayache aboard the 16-year old KWPN stallion Zo What (by Scandic x Cocktail). He was twice second with 72.957% in the Grand Prix and 73.192% in the Special. In the Grand Prix the judges were divided with marks ranging from 70.870% to 74.783% but in the Special the difference was smaller with marks between 72 and 74%. He totaled 146.149 points for silver.

The bronze went to 2019 French Grand Prix Champion Charlotte Chalvignac on Bernadette Brune's 16-year old Hanoverian Lights of Londonderry (by Londonderry x Weltmeyer). This year, she was third in the Grand Prix with 72.022 (marks from 69.457 to 73.913%) and fourth in the Special with 71.277% (scores between 70 and 73%). Her total was 143.299 points.

Results - 2020 French Grand Prix Championships - Vierzon

1. Anne Sophie serre - Actuelle de Massa - 74.652 - 75.277 ---- 149.929
2. Alexandre Ayache - Zo What - 72.957 - 73.192 ---- 146.149
3. Charlotte Chalvignac - Lights of Londonderry - 72.022 - 71.277 ---- 143.299
4. Bertrand Liegard - Star Wars - 70.282 - 71.085 ---- 141.367
5. Nicole Faverea - Ginsengue - 70.391 - 70.660 ---- 141.051
6. Maxime Collard - Cupido PB - 70.587 - 69.021 ---- 139.608
7. Guillaume Lundy - Tempo - 68.761 - 69.149 ---- 137.910
8. Marie Emilie Bretenoux - Quartz of Jazz - 68.500 - 69.085 ---- 137.585
9. Stephanie Brieussel - Amorak - 67.544- 64.489 ---- 132.033
10. Thierry Tarral - Abundus GIH - 67.609 - 62.000 ---- 129.609