Cooper, Berktold, Boucher In the Blue at 2022 CDI Wellington during GDF Week 7

Shows

2022 CDI Wellington - Global Dressage Festival / Week 7

While dressage took centre stage on the Wellington show jumping ground on Friday 25 February for the 5* classes, the action also continued at the Global dressage festival across the road where Hope Cooper and Bianca Berktold aced their tests.

**Cooper Wins 3* GP Kur**

In only her second-ever senior big tour competition, Hope Cooper (USA) swept the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by Premier Equestrian. She and Hot Chocolate W attained 73.925%, with all five judges placing them first. Fellow American Susan Dutta debuted Don Design DC at CDI grand prix freestyle, claiming second with 72.320%, while Colombia’s María Alejandra Aponte González filled third with her first-ever plus-70% score on Duke De Niro (70.345%).

Cooper, who rode Mary Mansfield’s 17-year-old gelding by Dauphin, said of her win: “It’s crazy and really surreal and — honestly — not something I thought would happen this year. I’m so proud of Chocolate. He feels so good, and he puts 100% into anything I ask him. To have this [result] as the second time we’ve done the freestyle is unbelievable. He felt like he was dancing.”

Cooper, from Massachusetts, rode to a Marc Anthony soundtrack. She has come up the levels with Hot Chocolate, competing him at under-25 grand prix level since 2019.

“Chocolate has so much suspension off the ground, especially in the passage,” said the 25-year-old. “Having this music that has a lot of lift to it — and a lot of soul — is a cool thing to have for him, because he’s such a heart horse.

“He’s not the hottest horse on the planet, but he’ll do it for you. I [try to] take the pressure off and have fun with it because it’s our first year. The end has the words to the Marc Anthony song, so I sing that in my head, and he gets more alive on the last centerline,” added Cooper, who trains with Christoph Koschel.

**Berktold Takes Two in 3* Small Tour**

Bianca Berktold continued her winning form during GDF 7 in the Intermediate I CDI3*. Having led Thursday’s Prix St. Georges CDI3* class with 73% and a personal best, Berktold and Imperial stamped a 73.324% career best on Friday’s Intermediate I.

Last to go of the four all-American starters, Berktold was riding the youngest horse in the class, Imperial — her own nine-year-old KWPN mare by Charmeur.

**Boucher Wins 1* Prix St Georges**

The Prix St. Georges 1* produced inspirational performances, with four of the top five finishers posting personal best scores. The winner, Canada’s Beatrice Boucher, laid down 73.382% riding Summerwood’s Limei for a unanimous win from the five judges. The nine-year-old Londonderry mare — formerly ridden by Heather Blitz — was contesting her second CDI show with Boucher, and this marked their first international win.

Boucher and Monica Von Glahn’s Summerwood’s Limei were the last to go of 15 competitors in the class, toppling María Alejandra Aponte González and Lord Of The Dance from the top of the leaderboard. They finished second with 68.471%, with Hannah Irons (USA) third with 67.676% on Scola Bella.

- Text GDF press release - A Eurodressage report with our impression of the Week 7 competition will follow later this week
Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED