After winning the Prix St Georges title on day one of the 2021 British Dressage Championships at Somerford Park, Charlotte Dujarin rode Imhotep twice on day two and collected the Intermediaire I and Prix St Georges Kur title as well.
Inter I Title
Charlotte Dujardin picked up where she’d left off 24 hours earlier in taking her second small tour title of this year’s Nationals with Carl Hester and Coral Ingham’s Imhotep. It wasn’t the fault free performance we’ve been used to seeing from the Newent rider but after such a busy summer, we can forgive Britain’s most successful female Olympian for having one ride which wasn’t quite perfect. A missed zig zag and a two time change in the line of threes pegged the scores back but such is the Everdale-sired eight year old’s quality, 74.026% was still the score to take the Saracen Inter I Gold title.
British bred horses occupied the remainder of the podium with Lucinda Elliot and Judith Davis’s Hawtins Duchessa taking second with 71.316% and Sarah Rogers piloting Viva Lotta to third on 70.947% for owner and breeders Ursula Bechtolsheimer and Laura Tomlinson, completing a great day for the yard.
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Freestyle Gold
A matter of hours later, Charlotte and Imhotep were back in action in the sun drenched the main arena in the inaugural Fairfax Prix St Georges Freestyle Gold, one of the seven additional classes at this year’s show.
‘Pete’ has clearly inherited energy, stamina and a hunger for work from his sire, Olympic and European medallist Everdale as the bright chestnut bounced around the arena with the same enthusiasm as his previous appearances. Charlotte used the familiar ‘Cecelia’ music which has helped her (and Carl we think) to many titles at small tour level and ‘Pete’ excelled in only his second Freestyle. Their bubbly routine earned 78.675% from judges David Trott, Helen Bradley, Caroline Tupling, Clive Halsall and Steph Cooper.
Becky Moody had to play bridesmaid again with her promising star Jagerbomb on 76.125% - whtile Alice Oppenheimer had a more settled ride aboard Headmore Dionysus to claim a podium place with 74.425%.
After the prize giving for both small tour classes Charlotte said; “I’m so happy with Pete today. If I’m really honest, I’m disappointed in myself – I had to big rider errors. I messed up my zig zag and in my three time changes I did a two…but Pete was wonderful! He did the job – even if it was right or wrong, he still did it! He’s really not done many Inter Is so he’s quite green at the level – his last was Wellington Premier League – and he’s dealt with everything so well here. He hasn’t done an arena walk but just goes in and does his job – he never ever tires!
“He’s fantastic; I’m so excited for him for next year when I’m hoping to do Inter II and Grand Prix and see how it goes. Having been with Everdale at the Olympics and Europeans, there are so many similarities, the energy is never ending! The springiness, the bounciness…he’s already got the piaffe and passage and just moves from one to the other, just like Everdale. It’s unbelievable to ride – in extended canter I feel like I’m going so much bigger and faster than I am. Everything just feel so big- when I have control of the power, he’s going to be unbelievable. I’m really excited about him, I just need to make sure that Carl doesn’t steal him now!”
Results - 2021 British Dressage Championships
Intermediaire I (top 20 only)
- 1. Charlotte Dujardin Imhotep - 74.026 %
- 2. Lucinda Elliot Hawtins Duchessa - 71.316 %
- 3. Sarah Rogers Viva Lotta - 70.947 %
- 4. Andrew Gould Genie I - 70.316 %
- 5. Daniel Sherriff I’m Bayford Hall Incognito - 70.132 %
- 6. Kate Lister Fiskus - 70.026 %
- 7. Alice Oppenheimer Headmore Dionysus - 69.763 %
- 8. Michael Eilberg Figlio - 69.395 %
- 9. Nikolas Kroencke Flanell - 69.105 %
- 10. Henry Boswell Folt - 69.053 %
- 11. Beth Bainbridge Habouche - 68.737 %
- 12. Sarah Higgins Waldessarini - 68.632 %
- 13. Gareth Hughes Happiness - 68.605 %
- 14. Emma Blundell Mount St John VIP - 68.605 %
- 15. Sara-Jane Lanning Sigurd - 68.211 %
- 16. Alice Oppenheimer Headmore Bella Ruby - 68.026 %
- 17. Lucinda Elliot Hawtins Soave - 68.026 %
- 18. Emily Ormerod Freya FST - 68 %
- 19. Matt Frost Helga - 67.895 %
- 20. Jess Bennett JB Dukaat - 67.842 %
Prix St Georges Kur to Music
- 1. Charlotte Dujardin Imhotep - 78.675 %
- 2. Becky Moody Jagerbomb - 76.125 %
- 3. Alice Oppenheimer Headmore Dionysus - 74.425 %
- 4. Matt Frost Helga - 73.025 %
- 5. Alice Oppenheimer Headmore Bella Ruby - 72.075 %
- 6. Nicola Buchanan St Giles Bon Bon - 71.525 %
- 7. Lucinda Elliot Hawtins Bellegra - 71.5 %
- 8. Gareth Hughes Happiness - 71.475 %
- 9. Tyler Bradshaw Gijsbert - 71.45 %
- 10. Andrew Gould Rockwood Virtue - 70.525 %
- 11. Henry Boswell Folt - 70.525 %
- 12. Eilidh Grant mount st John Doornroos - 70.525 %
- 13. Michael Eilberg MSJ Dante VX - 68.925 %
- 14. Sara-Jane Lanning Sigurd - 68.675 %
- 15. Rebecca Hughes Goldstrike - 68.1 %
- 16. Hannah Esberger - Iggy Pop BEK - 67.85 %
- 17. Jennifer Martell Fiderstan- 67.2 %
- 18. Caitlin Burgess Chocotof - 67 %
- 19. Dylan Deutrom San-Marco - 66.8 %
- Lucinda Elliot - Hawtins Duchessa - DNS
Text by British Dressage - Photo © Kevin Sparrow
Related Link
Dujardin and Woodhead Win First Titles at 2021 British Dressage Championships