last updated on August 24, 2010 13:20

With only 35 days to go before the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, British team member Laura Bechtolscheimer (pictured) nailed her last minute preparations with the 15 year old Michellino Gelding Mistral Hojris. The pair proved untouchable in both classes, scoring top marks to secure a double win at the Cappeln CDI, Germany, 20 August 2010. The pair took the grand prix for kur on 76.64%, a substantial 7.7% higher than Sweden’s second place contender Patrik Kittel and went on to seize the grand prix freestyle with 81.45%.

Laura commented, “It was great preparation before WEG, I made a few mistakes in the changes but I was really happy with the way Alf [Mistral Hojris] was going. I wasn’t so happy with our performance in the grand prix, it was very hot and I used my old style of warming up and didn’t really get him started, the performance was not spectacular. I made sure I allowed longer for warm up in preparation for the freestyle, got him into action and he was fantastic! We’ve all got our fingers crossed he travels well for WEG now.”

Another Michellino progeny to encounter success at Cappeln was rising star Elmegardens Marquis with Emile Faurie. The 11 year old Danish bred gelding continues to go from strength to strength earning fourth place in both the grand prix and grand prix special with scores of 71.28% and 71.13% respectively. In the same class Oxfordshire based UK rider Henriette Andersen was placed tenth with scores of 66.43% and 62.75% on Mrs Paula Potter’s bay gelding Louis D’or III.