Junior Rider Charlotte Fry Wins PSG Kur at 2014 British Indoor Championships

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2014 British Indoor Dressage Championships

There was a huge amount of expectation in the air tonight at the 2014 British Winter Indoor Dressage Championship as a great field came forward for the Prix St Georges Freestyle. It was an all-female trio who came out on top, and all with plus 70% scores to boot with British Junior Team rider Charlotte Fry and Leslie Connor’s Remming the victors.

At the half way stage, the judging panel of Susanne Baarup (E), Freddy Leyman (C) and Lizzie Murray (M) had Callum Whitworth and Ramazotti III in the lead with a solid 69.19%. The duo have been summer national champions at medium and winter champions at advanced medium here last year so the Magic title would have given them a welcome hat-trick.

But after the interval, it was the turn of Alice Oppenheimer, who always relishes a challenge, with her mum Sarah’s Headmore Boadecia. The pairing qualified for this class last year and Alice admitted the Bellissimo-sired mare suffered a bit of stage fright. But a year’s development behind them showed with a step up in quality to a West Side Story score which earned them 71.08% and the lead.

Maria Griffin on DJ Maria Griffin gave it a good go with Adrian Baker’s DJ (s. Diamond Hit) with a brave, inventive floor plan but 70.58% left them so near, just half a percent, but so far.

It was then the turn of local rider Matt Frost with one of the hot favourites, Dedi Leech and his own AMD Don Rosso II. At 18hh and just nine, ‘Donald’ is still maturing but creates an imposing picture in the arena. A few costly mistakes hampered some great work to give a score of 68.96%.

Next in was Charlotte with Remming – could they go level better than their advanced medium win last year? Brimming with confidence, the 18 year old stuck with her familiar dramatic music used by her late mother with Remming but upped the technical content with some challenging lines of tempi changes and a bold final centre line of extended canter to halt.

Charlotte Fry on Remming Charlotte was clearly delighted with her test, giving 16 year old Flemmingh-sired gelding massive pats and sporting a smile ear to ear; the crowd was equally thrilled and gave the loudest applause of the evening. The judges rewarded her bravery and artistic flair with 73.54% and the lead. Her artistic marks were all above 76%.

Sara-Jane Lanning and Andrew Griffin’s British-bred Try Me Once were next to go. The Montecristo gelding gave his all for 64.38% which didn’t quite earn them a top placing. Our final rider into the fray was UK Sport World Class Development rider Ryan Todd with Julie Todd’s Charlex Eskebjerg. This duo is constantly improving and a 69.25% wasn’t quite enough to push the ladies off the podium but a more than respectable fourth place.

So the night belonged to Charlotte and Remming . Any competing occasion at Hartpury is emotional for this immensely talented young lady but she always uses it to inspire her and lift the performance to a new level. “It’s amazing! Everything went to plan, I really loved his extended work in trot and canter. My changes line went a bit odd but that’s the beauty of freestyle; not really sure what happened there!” said an elated Charlotte.

Results - 2014 British Indoor Championships - PSG Freestyle

1. Charlotte Fry - Remming - 73.54
2. Alice Oppenheimer - Headmore Boadecia - 71.08
3. Maria Griffin - D.J. - 70.58
4. Ryan Todd - Charlex Eskebjerg - 69.25
5. Callum Whitworth - Ramazotti III - 69.17
6. Matt Frost - AMD Don Rosso II - 68.96
7. Jessica Gale - Umbro-S - 68.17
8. Becky Edwards - Ufano- 66.92
9. Claire Moore - Rendezvous - 66.88
10. Jennifer Johnston - Donnergott - 66.46
11. Sarah Williams - Felia - 64.75
12. Ben Martin - Dimaggik - 64.42
13. Sara-Jane Lanning - Try Me Once - 64.38
14. Charlotte Grundy - Just Thomas - 62.79
15. Amy Schiessl - Mr Mercury - 62.00
16. Tahley Reeve-Smith - Special - 58.58