Bradshaw and Dahl unbeaten at Le Mans CDI

British riders were on top form at Le Mans CDI in France (14 – 17 October 2021). Mette Dahl and Emily Bradshaw were unbeaten, and Beth Bainbridge chalked up her first international win.

Emily Bradshaw and Enjoy Amaris V (Apache x Clint Eastwood) - pictured - were top-ranking with scores of 68.05% in the U25 Inter II and 66.59% in the U25 Grand Prix. Currently based with trainer Bert Rutten in the Netherlands, Emily (22), who represented Great Britain in Young Riders at the 2020 FEI European Youth Championships, has this year made a successful step to FEI U25s with Ian Kyle and Susan Bradshaw’s ‘Enjoy’. With promising results at Grote-Brogel and Meerle CDIs so far, they’ve confirmed their work further as was shown with this exciting double of wins.

“It was very surprising – I had no idea I’d won!” said Emily, recalling the moments leading up to the Grand Prix prize-giving. “The board was wrong so I was convinced I was second or third. I was very pleasantly surprised.”

Based with Rutten since December last year, Emily is involved in many aspects of the business including selling horses and finding horses for clients, and credits the Dutch trainer for helping her recent progress through to U25 Grand Prix. “I came here for three weeks and forgot to go home!” she laughed. “Bert is a genius and his experience is such that he can tell a horse’s life story after just minutes in the saddle. It’s an incredible environment to be in.”

Describing the step from Young Riders to U25s, Emily says, “It’s an enormous step. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I never expected it to be as enormous as it was. A year ago, [in training] I thought ‘oh this is good’ then ‘now this is good’ but then there’s so much more work to consolidate it all. That’s why it’s so amazing to be based here with Bert.”

Enjoy, as the 12-year-old gelding is known, was first spotted by Emily at Van Olst Horses for whom she was working at the time. “It was three years ago in 2018,” she said. “He’d come in to be sold and when I first knew him I thought ‘I need to find a way [to buy him]’. My long-term supporter Ian Kyle went in with us halves.

“We started a bit late - he had a green change when we bought him, but we’ve learnt everything together and moved on so quickly. He’s such a sweet horse with a very nice character,” she continued. “And he loves shows! In the prize-givings at Le Mans he just walked in and said ‘I can get used to this’.

“We have just got back from Exloo and he’ll have a little holiday now before we pick back up and keep building on what we’re working on. I would love to do a senior Grand Prix with him at some stage.”

In the Pony classes, Mette Dahl (15) dominated with Fiona Bigwood’s British-bred grey George Clooney BS (Caesar 171 x Santano). On top form this year having swept the board at Wellington CDI in Hampshire as well as three podium spots, including a win, at Zandhoven CDI, they continued their winning ways in France. A Team Test of 72.85%, an Individual Test PB of 74.05% followed by 73.75% in the Freestyle put them top of the leaderboard all three days.

Competing in the CDI2*, Beth Bainbridge made an impression with the athletic grey mare Habouche (Ampere x Sydney). Finishing runners-up to Germany’s Linda Knoll and FBW Fairplay H in both the PSG and Inter I, Beth and ‘Holly’ pulled out all the stops to ride an accomplished and expressive Freestyle to finish ahead of the field on 73.49%.

Beth works as head rider for Anna Ross at Elite Dressage in Devon and Le Mans was her second ever CDI. “Today my dreams came true,” she said on Facebook.

Anna Ross herself was on form in the CDI3* placing second in the Grand Prix Freestyle on 71.59% with Lorna Wilson’s 12-year-old De Niro x Rubinstein mare, Newton Domino, closely followed by fellow Brits Louise Bell with Into the Blue (71.48%) and Jess Dunn with Alicante Valley (71.46%).

Results: top-three and British placings
CDI3* Grand Prix
1. Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau, 70.71% (BEL)
2. Carlos Pinto and La Gesse Sultao Menezez, 69.21% (POR)
3. Jessica Dunn and Alicante Valley, 67.82% (GBR)
4. Louise Bell and Into the Blue, 67.63% (GBR)
9. Anna Ross and Newton Domino, 66.76% (GBR)
10. Thomas Goode and Dior, 66.41% (GBR)

CDI3* Grand Prix Special
1. Charlotte Chalvignac and Icaro das Figueiras, 68.23% (FRA)
2. Carlos Pinto and Fugaz da Lagoalva, 67.78% (POR)
3. Bernard Bosseaux and Rilkadora Z, 66.61% (FRA)

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle
1. Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau, 73.79% (BEL)
2. Anna Ross and Newton Domino, 71.59% (GBR)
3. Louise Bell and Into the Blue, 71.48% (GBR)
4. Jessica Dunn and Alicante Valley, 71.46% (GBR)
6. Thomas Goode and Dior, 70.54% (GBR)

CDI2* Prix St Georges
1. Linda Knoll and FBW Fairplay H, 71.88% (GER)
2. Beth Bainbridge and Habouche, 70.00% (GBR)
3. Philip van Ommen and Imme F, 69.41% (NED)

CDI2* Intermediate I
1. Linda Knoll and FBW Fairplay H, 70.35% (GER)
2. Beth Bainbridge and Habouche, 69.85% (GBR)
3. Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Honore, 67.91% (NED)

CDI2* Intermdiate I Freestyle
1. Beth Bainbridge and Habouche, 73.49% (GBR)
2. Linda Knoll and FBW Fairplay H, 73.32% (GER)
3. Laureen Poncelet and Sir Rubinus, 72.19% (BEL)

CDIU25 Intermediate II
1. Emily Bradshaw and Enjoy Amaris V, 68.05% (GBR)
2. Suphakamol Vuntanadit and Dreamboat BCN, 67.08% (THA)
3. Ellen McCarthy and GB Londero V. Worrenberg, 64.97% (GBR)

CDIU25 Grand Prix 16-25
1. Emily Bradshaw and Enjoy Amaris V, 66.59% (GBR)
2. Ellen McCarthy and GB Londero V. Worrenberg, 66.02% (GBR)
3. Suphakamol Vuntanadit and Dreamboat BCN, 65.02% (THA)

CDIJ Junior Team Test
1. Lana-Pinou Baumgürtel and Zinq Founder FH, 70.15% (GER)
2. Nina Woerts and Haristo, 69.29% (NED)
3. Kimberly-Liv Schiltz and Filou 2178, 67.22% (LUX)
5. Lily Laughton and Danubio 13, 66.81% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Individual Test
1. Lana-Pinou Baumgürtel and Zinq Founder FH, 71.76% (GER)
2. Nina Woerts and Haristo, 69.55% (NED)
3. Lily Laughton and Danubio 13, 68.72% (GBR)

CDIJ Junior Freestyle
1. Lana-Pinou Baumgürtel and Zinq Founder FH, 78.12% (GER)
2. Nina Woerts and Haristo, 69.50% (NED)
3. Maud Hebras and Senorita Rosa, 68.08% (FRA)
5. Lily Laughton and Danubio 13, 63.79% (GBR)

CDIP Pony Team Test
1. Mette Dahl and George Clooney BS, 72.85% (GBR)
2. Maddy Dijkshoorn and Boogie de l’Aube, 69.14% (NED)
3. Yasmin Westerink and Cognac IX, 68.09% (NED)
4. Beatrice Butterworth and Carlsson, 66.19% (GBR)

CDIP Pony Individual
1. Mette Dahl and George Clooney BS, 74.05% (GBR)
2. Maddy Dijkshoorn and Boogie de l’Aube, 70.36% (NED)
3. Yasmin Westerink and Cognac IX, 70.18% (NED)
4. Beatrice Butterworth and Carlsson, 68.19% (GBR)

CDIP Pony Freestyle
1. Mette Dahl and George Clooney BS, 73.75% (GBR)
2. Yasmin Westerink and Cognac IX, 72.54% (NED)
3. Maddy Dijkshoorn and Boogie de l’Aube, 71.50% (NED)
4. Beatrice Butterworth and Carlsson, 68.12% (GBR)

FULL RESULTS

Photo © Les Garennes
Words: British Dressage/Joanna Bowns