Other pairs that stood out
The World Cup tournament in London coincided with the Frankfurt weekend. But even if the majority of dressage enthusiasts were concentrating on the young stars in the Festhalle in the Louisdor Prize and Burg Cup, one eye was also on London. This was less due to Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale than to the fact that three-time Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin was making her World Cup debut here with her new sporting hope Alive and Kicking.
The eleven-year-old Westphalian mare by All at Once had completed her first Grand Prix with Dujardin in 2024. However, after she was banned for several months because a video had emerged of her beating a horse during a training course, Alive and Kicking (“Audrey”) also had a longer break from competitions. In London, she presented herself in front of a large audience for the first time.
This worked very well in the Grand Prix. She finished second behind Fry and Glamourdale (80.783) with a team-best 76.544 percent. In the freestyle, however, the mare seemed to be out of her depth at times. A piaffe-pirouette was required right at the beginning, but the mare only reacted after being asked to do so energetically. The same thing happened in the last piaffe. In between, the two also had highlights in this lesson. Although the mare still pushed herself together too much and became backwards in the front leg, she continued to step rhythmically, actively and diagonally. The pirouettes were also centered and well balanced. This time, she scored 79.230 percent with the knockdowns. This meant fifth place behind Susan Pape and Jazz’s daughter Harmony’s Giulilanta, who delivered a great performance for which the judges awarded 79.805 percent.
Like father like son
Charlotte Fry’s Glamourdale had not traveled to London from the Netherlands alone. The champion stallion of the 2014 KWPN licensing had a son from his first foal crop with him, the ten-year-old stallion Kuvasz RS2, who looks and moves almost absurdly like his sire. He is ridden by Marieke van der Putten and made his first World Cup appearance in Stuttgart. There he came fourth with 78.765 percent. In London he received 76.420 percent and finished seventh.
Oldie but Goldie
The Oldenburg Sir Donnerhall II by Morgan Barbançon is a four-legged evergreen. The Sandro Hit son is now 19 years old. Like Alive and Kicking, he had a long break from competition because his rider was accused of repeatedly failing to make herself available for the obligatory unannounced doping tests. She therefore received a three-month ban from the French federation. She appealed against this to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, the CAS ruled in favor of the federation and extended the ban by five months. As a result, Sir Donnerhall II has been out of competition since the 2024 World Cup Final in Riyadh. London was the first World Cup appearance since then to be judged with 74.860 percent and tenth place. At the age of 19, Sir Donnerhall II has accompanied his rider to five World Cup Finals, two European Championships, the 2022 World Championships and the 2021 Olympic Games.
The Backstreet Boys from Werder
The only German pair competing in London were the U25 European champions Moritz Treffinger and his Cadeau Noir from Gestüt Bonhomme in Brandenburg. For the elegantly mounted Treffinger, at the age of 22, it was the third World Cup appearance of his life. After a technical fault in their showpiece lesson of all things, the single change, the well-rehearsed duo received 75.395 percent for the Backstreet Boys freestyle, placing eighth.
You can find all the results here.
