Charlotte Dujardin has withdrawn Uthopia from competing him at the 2016 CDI Stockholm which is set to take place on 24 - 27 November 2016. Stockholm was supposed to be unexpected show come back of the 15-year old Dutch warmblood stallion. Hester told Eurodressage that a return to the arena might be in the cards at a later point.
Though no public announcement was made that Dujardin would be back in the saddle of Uthopia for the 5* competition in Stockholm, their withdrawal has been announced. Hester, however, told Eurodressage that the Stockholm organisation was a bit over-enthusiastic when he mentioned a possible start for Uthopia and they considered it a done deal.
"Uthopia has been at stud till October and is obviously not fit," Hester told Eurodressage. "Originally like three months ago we said 'maybe if he was fit'. However I said a month ago he would not be coming but their office had not yet conveyed the message to the organiser. He was withdrawn well before the close of entries."
Dujardin and Uthopia did their last competition together at the CDI-W Amsterdam in January 2016 where the pair finished fourth in the freestyle with 82.375%.
Afterwards the horse disappeared from the scene as the lengthy legal battle, which took from 2012 until 2016, came to a conclusion with Uthopia selling for £165,000 at Wilsons Auction as part of an executorial sale following the bankruptcy of the horse's Irish owners Sasha Stewart and her father Derek Harrison. Uthopia sold to an anonimous, Irish buyer, who then sold the horse back to Hester and a sponsor.
The highly publicized sale included numerous interviews with Hester who clearly stated that the horse was unfit for a further sport career due to injuries and would be retired to stand at his yard. His entry for the CDI 5* in Stockholm was more than a surprise.
"He is lightly ridden. Who knows, he may be back," Hester told Eurodressage.
Officially registered with the FEI as owned by Carl Hester and Mrs C. Kirk as of 1 July 2016, Uthopia made his first public come back since January at a Spencer Wilton Masterclass held at Leamside Equestrian centre in the U.K. on 6 November where groom Alan Davies gave a talk on the care taking of high performance horses.
Swedish Olympic team rider Mads Hendeliowitz will be filling up Dujardin's empty spot at the 2016 CDI Stockholm. Carl Hester, Isabell Werth, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, Patrik Kittel, Hans Peter Minderhoud, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Cathrine Dufour, Diederik van Silfhout, Mads Hendeliowitz, and one more wild card rider will make up the field.
Photos © Risto Aaltonen - Astrid Appels
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