Mount St. John and Charlotte Dujardin at Europeans 2019 - photo credit: Lily Forado
Grand Prix and Grand Prix freestyle from British national Championships
Two days of super nice live coverage from the British national championships with both very good commenting by Spencer Sturmey and Matt Frost during the tests and quick small live interviews after the tests with Jenny Rudall (unfortunately some issues about the streaming for the Grand Prix).
The British championships of course caught our attention as the list of participants counted some of worlds absolute top riders with their top horses.
Charlotte Dujardin showed her championship mare MSJ Freestyle with an extraordinary performance today and her first +90% after Valegro.
MSJ Freestyle and Charlotte Dujardin - Power start, super expressive and well balanced trot tour, super relaxation for extended walk with nice over track, the lateral work is just outstanding in both trot and canter, bit big double pirouettes, super 2 times, full risk extended canter tours, huge 1 times with a small error, straight joker line with super 1 times, small issues for transition back to trot, super piaffe tours, power extension towards final halt. 90,200%
Charlotte Dujardin talking with Jenny Rudall after her test:
“I haven’t ridden that freestyle since the start of the year in Amsterdam, I haven’t even practiced it! I was really behind the music and spent time having to catch up instead of riding it,” Britain’s golden girl told us after her test. “I was really pleased with her [Freestyle] yesterday and she felt really good, there were still a few blips today but they’re easy to iron out and if I’d practiced more it would’ve been better! I watched both tests back yesterday and thought I’d ridden too safe and just sat there, Carl always says Tokyo isn’t here yet so don’t over do it but I thought it was safe. I went for more today and both horses felt really relaxed.”
2nd placed:
Gio and Charlotte Dujardin - So nice with Valegro music suits perfectly. Power, balance and expression for the trot, passage and piaffe tours, good walk tour not a huge over track but good, two times bit tense in the ground jump at the begin but becomes more relaxed at the end, lovely double pirouettes well managed, power forward 1 times. Amazing test! 88,05%
3rd placed:
Carl Hester showed the big En Vogue owned by Charlotte Dujardin with much more harmony for today’s freestyle, and seems that the big gelding really lightning up Mr. Hester for the next big championship goals.
En Vogue and Carl Hester - Super nice start, lovely balance and power for piaffe and passage with smooth transitions, good extensions, active power for 2nd piaffe small tension out, doing a lot of extensions (normally not Carl´s favorite exercise), good collected walk, short extended walk lacking more relaxation over the back, small error hind begin of 2 times, super sit and balance for 1st double pirouette, good 1 times, bit big 2nd double pirouette, lacking clear transition to trot, becomes a bit hot for the final centerline. 86,47%
4th placed:
Erlentanz and Sonnar-Murray Brown - Strong canter tour, top series super forward flow, well managed double pirouettes, really going for it today, superb extended walk unfortunately a small stumble hind, coming from collected walk to piaffe, lacking a bit energy, lovely half pass, keeping better energy coming from passage into nice piaffe turn, active expressive passage, missing a bit more clear forward search for piaffe final. 83,58%
5th place:
DSP Rose of Bavaria and Laura Tomlinson - Lots of quality for each exercise, superb tiny double pirouettes, very difficult floor plan, 1 times on big half circle and again one times straight at the centerline, super extended walk tour, very attentive, final centerline with piaffe turn. What a great debut freestyle. 79,95%
