Legacy! Unstoppable Lottie Fry and Glamourdale storm to World Cup Final victory in Basel

They’ve shone on every major stage: world champions, Olympic bronze medallists, European champions – and now, World Cup winners. With grace, grit, and seemingly ice-cool nerves, Lottie Fry and Glamourdale have etched their names into the history of every one of dressage’s greatest championships, scoring 88.2% to win the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois FEI Dressage World Cup Final.

After a commanding win in the grand prix qualifier, they carried the weight of expectation into the final – and few venues test a partnership more than Basel’s St. Jakobshalle.

With vertiginous grandstands and banks of bright flowers, Lottie said the atmosphere had ruffled Glamourdale in the opening test.

But truth be told, they never looked like wavering, finishing comfortably ahead of Isabell Werth with DSP Quantaz in second (84.37%) and Isabel Freese with Total Hope OLD in third (81.85%).

“Every competition on Glamourdale is special, but the World Cup has always been a big dream, so to win it is very special – it’s not something that happens very often,” Lottie told Horse & Hound.

“We were confident going in, and we both felt very determined and ready for it today, so when I entered the arena, it was an amazing feeling – he grows when he goes in there.

“I had an amazing ride. He was with me each step and it’s the most amazing feeling when it all comes together. It’s such a team effort from everyone at Van Olst, it wouldn’t be possible without every single one of them because when it all comes together, it’s as much their win as mine – I’m just very grateful to be in this position.”

On her preparations for the test, and whether she lets outside noise affect her, Lottie added: “In the buildup we’re full concentration on Glammy, and making sure all his needs are catered for, and we doe everything to make sure he’s in the best shape possible – and he’s still loving it, and that’s the most important thing for me.”

How the early riders fared

Hungary’s Anikó Komjáthy-Losonczy and Dior S (Spielberg x Florestan) got the action underway, and what a charming start it was. The 17-year-old gelding didn’t bat an eyelid at the atmosphere, looking as relaxed as if he were out for a quiet hack. He may not have matched the expression of some of his rivals, but if there’d been a prize for the horse spectators would most like to take home, he’d surely have been a contender.

America’s Genay Vaughn and the talented Gino (Bretton Woods x Haarlem) were next to go, aiming to recover from a tough first test where Gino got his tongue over the bit and scored 62.98%. And recover they did. There was still the odd moment of tension, but Genay rode boldly, allowing Gino to open up in the piaffe and passage.

Their crowd-pleasing medley – featuring  Earth, Wind & Fire’s Fantasy and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – earned 73.65%. A touch below their personal best, but an impressive score for their World Cup Final debut, especially coming from America’s smaller west coast circuit.

Eventual ninth-place finishers Pauline Basquin and Sertorius de Rima Z Ifce led the way going into the break, scoring 77.06% despite errors in the one-time changes. There was a notable spread in the judging, with Pauline’s marks ranging from a low of 73.93% to a high of 79.05%.

That variance was particularly noticeable during Adrienne Lyle’s test with Helix, who followed after the break. Adrienne has great faith in the 13-year-old gelding, but he is known to be sensitive, and the lively atmosphere in Basel unsettled him. He showed tension, surging in both the extended trot and two-time changes, and never quite found his rhythm.

It was an exercise in damage limitation for Adrienne, who lost the length of neck, but as the scores flashed up on the big screen, the crowd – vocal throughout the night – reacted with dissenting whistles to a 74.18% from the judge at H, American Michael Osinski. Their final score of 71.26% placed them second-to-last in the rankings – the audience scoring had them at 65.11%.

The battle at the top

Patrik Kittel and Forever Young HRH were next in, and in contrast, they were a picture of harmony, and despite a slight mistake in the first piaffe, they recovered in subsequent attempts to finish fifth overall on 80.12%. Patrik was clearly delighted as he left the arena, punching the air, and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD were the first big threats to Lottie and Glamourdale to go, scoring 81.85% to take the provisional lead.

“I’m over the moon with him – he exceeded my expectations and he felt great out there,” she said. “We had a little bit of a difficult start yesterday, so I was nervous before going in, but in a healthy way. But today, he was 100% with me, and I was able to enjoy my ride, and I got the feeling he got better and better as he went on.”

Lottie was next to go, and Glamourdale straight from the off looked more confident than yesterday, with his early piaffe and passage work getting off without a hitch.

No one else can match the spectacular, raw physicality of his canter work, and in a setting like this, it affords him the opportunity to make a mistake or two and not be punished for it. By the time a slight mistake crept in during the final piaffe pirouette, the win was already assured.

Sandra Sysojeva (Maxima Bella), Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz) and suprise-package Corentin Pottier followed, but each would have to considerably outscore their personal best to lay a glove on Lottie and Glamourdale.

Isabell went closest, scoring 84.35%, demonstrating her excellent musicality, with Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart playing as she turned into her pirouettes – scoring 10s across the board for her music and interpretations of the music.

“I’m very happy – Quantaz improved a lot from yesterday, when I had to be a bit careful,” Isabell said. “Today, I was still holding him a bit at first, but he settled, and he was much more open, and I was very happy with the whole piaffe-passage tour and the canter work – even the walk was quite good!

“I’ll hopefully now have a nice evening at the bar, and then we’ll prepare for the outdoor season.”

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