Richard Davison and his home bred Grand Prix horse Bubblingh have returned home from the 2017 CDI Roosendaal Indoor 4* in the Netherlands on 30 November – 3 December 2017 as the winners of both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle.
The home nation played a huge part with a number of its top riders in the running, though none could catch the British contender. Richard and Bubblingh, who’s an 11-year-old son of the stallion Lingh out of Richard’s former team horse, the late Ballaseyr Royale, performed with confidence in the Grand Prix to earn a score of 71.66% finishing ahead of runner-up for the Netherlands, Diederik Van Silfhout. The young Dutchman and his partner, chestnut gelding Four Seasons (by Fürst Piccolo x Mon Cheri), were awarded 70.86%. The third podium place was filled by Hans Peter Minderhoud with the grey stallion Zanardi (Rubels x Avignon).
On to Saturday, Richard and Bubblingh, owned by Gwendolyn Sontheim, once again showed their supremacy, taking the Grand Prix Freestyle with a fabulous 74.70%. Hans Peter Minderhoud this time taking second (73.92%), with Diederik Van Silfhout third (73.85%).
“Roosendaal had a great atmosphere – the organisers had made a huge festive effort and it’s a great, expanding show centre,” Richard told British Dressage on his return home. “It’s very much been my plan this year to develop Bubblingh step by step, and carefully select his shows, and that plan is now falling into place.
“I use the shows to assess where we are in our training and how his mental confidence is, and Roosendaal was a great measure to show we’re on track and where we want to be. We just had one miscommunication in our one-time changes in the Freestyle but apart from that, I got everything in the ring that I did when working in so that’s just how any rider would want it.”
“Olympia is our next stop and it’ll be quite a test for him. He handled Roosendaal well but it’s a new level there.”
Photo © Digishots
Related Links
Scores 2017 CDI Roosendaal Indoor
Dujardin, Butler, Wilton, Davison Take the Spoils at 2017 CDI Hartpury
Richard Davison Turns Up the Heat at 2016 CDI Oliva Nova in Spain
