Team Hester-Dujardin Sweep the Board at 2013 CDIO Saumur

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2013 CDIO Saumur

British riders did not disappoint over four days competition at Saumur CDI3*, France on 2 - 5 May 2013. With the sun beating down, an eager supporting British crowd and a host of firsts, memories of the London Olympic golden era for dressage were re-ignited as Carl Hester continues his winning streak on Dances with Wolves and Charlotte Dujardin made her winning show debut on Carl's Uthopia.

Team GBR’s ‘golden couple’ Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin were on top form with wins in the two major classes. The celebrity couple of dressage in Great Britain were a force to be reckoned with yet again – but this time there was a bit of a twist. Following record breaking successes with her ride Valegro over 2012, Charlotte Dujardin was this time contesting her trainer and mentor Carl Hester’s Olympic ride Uthopia.

All eyes back home were glued to the live streaming, eager to see whether Charlotte could continue her time in the spot light with ‘Uti’ - and true to form the pair rode for first place in the Grand Prix for FSM on Friday 3 May, and then again on to the top spot two days later in the Grand Prix Freestyle.

With a massive score of 81.600% in the GP Freestyle on the last day of the competition, it was very obvious that Charlotte has certainly ‘found the right buttons’ on Uthopia. Carl was hot on Charlotte’s coat tails with second placings in the two same classes riding new mum Gemma Appleton’s 12 year old Florestan stallion, Fine Time IV.

Brit rider Sarah Millis secured a top ten placing in the qualifying round on her partner of two years HP Frontier but finished 14th in the Freestyle on a score of 64.400%. Sarah said she was pleased with the quality of the work from ‘HP’ but too many mistakes at their first outdoor show of the year ‘cost us dear.’

Grand Prix Special

It might have been second spot for Carl in the freestyle class, but he had already proven that he was still the ‘man in charge’ on the first day of competition, with a win the Grand Prix for Special qualifying class on his ride Aram Gregory’s Dances With Wolves (by Donnerschwee).

Carl and ‘Golly’ went on to better their qualifying score by nearly 3%, again taking first place in Saturday’s Grand Prix Special on 75.791%. This young horse is well on the way to establishing himself at grand prix level – Carl even tweeted “Thrilled with Golly. I enjoyed that more than the Olympics!” and “I am so enjoying his progress. He is a serious contender in becoming my favourite!”

Nikki Crisp and Gareth Hughes were both extremely close contenders in the same classes – finishing second and fourth in the Special respectively.

Following on from the Olympic success of 2012, British Dressage fans may have been wondering whether we could hold on to the precedent that had been set by Carl, Charlotte and Laura Tomlinson in London. If the Saumur results are an indication of what’s to come, things are looking bright.