British one-two after first day of Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI5* dressage

Laura Collett and Hester sit on the high of the leaderboard in a single day after the primary day of Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI5* dressage.

“The highlights have been the actual fact she didn’t lose her marbles!” stated a thrilled Laura after the check.

Laura and 13-year-old Hester, owned by Lucy Nelson, scored 30.6 to sit down only a small margin forward of Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser, who have been first to go within the five-star dressage this afternoon (13 June). Tom posted a 30.8 rating aboard Vicky Bates and David Myers’ 14-year-old chestnut mare. Belgium’s Lara De Liedekerke-Meier is in provisional third with 11-year-old mare Hooney D’Arville, owned by the 5 Star Eventers SRL and Larga SPRL.

Laura stated Hester continues to get “higher and higher” within the dressage part. The pair produced a delightful check, simply dropping some marks with blips within the flying adjustments.

“I’m completely delighted together with her,” stated Laura. “She’s beginning to belief me and realise it’s not going to be the tip of the world when she goes right into a dressage area.

“Every time she goes in and doesn’t lose her thoughts it’s a step in the appropriate course.”

Laura has had the trip on Hester since 2021, but it surely hasn’t all the time been plain crusing in attending to this stage.

“I’ve by no means had a full run-through, she’s all the time had a bit niggle right here or there, and needed to have time without work. Blenheim final yr by to now has been the primary time I’ve received any constant work into her,” stated Laura.

“It’s simply been figuring her mind out and getting her to take a deep breath. She will be able to do all of the strikes other than the adjustments, so long as she’s relaxed. Her trot work is beautiful, she actually feels safe in that, and the subsequent step is to get the canter simply as safe. However to be sincere for her to get any flying change is an enormous spotlight so I’m completely over the moon together with her.”

Laura, who doesn’t put on spurs with Hester within the dressage part, added that she’s a “very delicate” horse.

“I used to need to trip a check utterly with neck-rein and no leg in any respect, so the actual fact I can get my leg wherever close to her is fairly marvellous!”

Aiming for Hester’s first five-star completion

Laura can be hoping for Hester’s first five-star completion at Luhmühlen this weekend. The pair retired throughout the cross-country part at Badminton final month when Hester went “very inexperienced”. Following a constructive subsequent run at Bicton when she “felt like Hester once more”, the choice was made to take her to the German occasion.

“She began rather well at Badminton and felt nice, then with the amphitheatre of the lake she simply didn’t know what on earth was occurring, or what to have a look at. Badminton is a special degree, there’s nowhere to place the wheels again on after they fall off – and so they very a lot fell off on the lake. We jumped just a few extra and she or he simply didn’t really feel like her in any respect. So I assumed ‘We’ll go residence and put the wheels again on’,” defined Laura.

“At Bicton she got here out of the beginning field grabbing the bridle, ears pricked and superior, so whereas she’s match and properly, and since we’ve needed to miss a lot together with her, I assumed we’d deliver her right here. I believe the observe ought to go well with her, it’s a five-star and she or he’s not a confirmed five-star horse but, however hopefully after this weekend we will say that she is.”

Tom McEwen second in Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI5* dressage

Tom McEwen believed CHF Cooliser, who has three five-star completions beneath her belt, produced one in every of her greatest exams to this point this afternoon.

“I’m delighted with ‘Eliza’, she concentrated all through so I’m very completely happy,” he stated. “There have been some nice highlights, however for me that was as close to sufficient of a transparent spherical as we will do. Particularly at five-star, you’ve simply received to place your self within the recreation after which go from there.

“She was actually rhythmical all through. She has an incredible stroll but it surely doesn’t all the time present within the area, and I assumed she undoubtedly confirmed that in the present day. The trot work was pretty and easy, and within the canter work we received all of the adjustments and wonderful half passes.

“This was CCI5* check A so all the pieces comes up fairly shortly. It comes brief and sharp so that you’ve received to be there prepared and ready for it and she or he undoubtedly was, whereas typically she could be doing her personal factor.”

The Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI5* dressage continues tomorrow (14 June), with 21 combos – together with 11 Brits – nonetheless to go. Alex Bragg and Ardeo Premier kick off the five-star motion at 12.30pm UK time (1.30pm native time), after the CCI4*-S dressage within the morning.

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H&H senior information author

Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has lined a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and street security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fortress Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to residence. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting workforce for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.