The Young Ones and a Veteran Win the Big Tour at 2024 CDI Wellington Heckfield Indoor

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2024 CDI Wellington Heckfield

In the U.K the indoor show season has started for the winter of 2024-2025 with a first indoor show at Wellington Heckfield. Grand Prix riders Lewis Carrier, Richard White and Ellen McCarthy took home the big tour trophies.

The starters field at CDI Wellington Heckfield included strictly U.K. based riders as well as visiting American Ashley Holzer who has been training with Carl Hester this summer.

After claiming the 2024 British Grand Prix Champion's title less than a month ago, Lewis Carrier continued his winning ways on 16-year old KWPN gelding Diego (by Spielberg x Welt Hit II). In a field of 15 riders, Carrier top the Grand Prix which was judged by Sven Rothenberger, Isabelle Judet, Peter Storr, Pia Fälth and Juan Carlos Campos. He was awarded a winning score of 71.283% and edged out Ellen McCarthy who was second with 70.891%.

"Diego finally got an international win at big tour," Lewis said proudly. "A solid 71%+ today with a clean test. It was a little underpowered throughout, but he felt really relaxed and onside." Looking back on the weekend, Lewis said, "Diego was Mr Chill in the whiteboards this weekend which isn’t always the case. It’s a fine balance with Diego between a lot of go and over-exuberant mistakes, or less energy but potentially less expression. We could have done with a little more power in the collected work in both tests, but we have really started to meet in the middle over the last few shows and it’s something we’ll keep working away at!"

In the Grand Prix Special, "veteran" Richard White proved he's an equal match to the "young kids" and won the test aboard the 12-year old Lusitano Heroi do Seixo (by Rubi x Jalisco). The 63-year old White is a familiar face in the international arena as a respected and highly popular trainer as well as husband to Kyra Kyrklund, but he only made his international Grand Prix debut little over a year ago, at Wellington Heckfield in June 2023. Fifteen months later, he booked his first CDI victory at the same venue in the Special with 68.766% Six riders competed in the class. Swedish born Italian Nathalie Wahlund placed second with 10-year old Danish bred Gorklintgards Scorpion (by Gorklintgards Santos x Don Schufro).

The 28-year old young professional Ellen McCarthy and Brave Heart aced the Kur to Music on Sunday with a 74.530%, referring Carrier and Diego to second place with 74.160%.

"Massimo really dug deep for me (in the kur) and came out nice and fresh for the freestyle, even after a few days of hard work, and we pulled out the win on 74.530%," said Mccarthy, who trains with Carl Hester and Dylan Deutrom. "I honestly couldn’t love this little horse anymore than I do! I had so much fun today and can’t wait to do it again. The results this weekend meant a personal best internationally in the Grand Prix and also my first international senior win today."

Ellen Mccarthy on Brave Heart (Photo © Charlotte Bury)

McCarthy and her 10-year old Oldenburg Brave Heart (by Bordeaux x Zack) spent last winter competing in Wellington, Florida, and had not been out to a CDI show since their return to the UK at the end of March 2024.

"He had a seven month break," Ellie told Eurodressage. "I wanted to rest him after Florida, and then it was unfortunate timing that I broke my wrist for the rest of the season and there weren’t any shows left in the UK that I wanted to do with him until this one. Hopefully we will go to Le Mans next month and I would absolutely love to try and get into London CDI-W."

About his Tron freestyle Lewis Carrier said that he rode "a relatively clean freestyle for another solid placing. Still a little underpowered and definitely not firing off all cylinders but all things considering he was a star. I need to knuckle down and really work on our floor plan to increase the artistic marks! They’re rather influential at x4, so now seems like the right time to create a new plan. We put together the current one a few years ago when first stepping up to senior level, so lots has been learnt since. An exciting excuse for new music."