Herefordshire Dressage Rider Lucy Pincus excels at Keysoe CDI after GB selection

Up and coming dressage stars from the Hartpury Equine Academy filled three of the 10 UK selection spots for the prestigious Keysoe CDI – the first international on home soil this year.

Lucy Pincus riding Sheepcote Doncalisto

Lucy Pincus riding Sheepcote Doncalisto

Lucy Pincus, Francesca Bradley and Lily Hewitt were among 10 UK Young Riders selected to compete for Great Britain Under-21s at the CDI 3* event by British Dressage, with the talented trio coming up against senior professional riders. London 2012 Olympic gold medallists, Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester – Hartpury Equine Academy’s elite dressage coach – competed at the event in the top classes.

Lucy and her horse, Sheepcote Doncalisto, claimed an excellent second place finish in the Young Rider Freestyle dressage to music class with 70.917% as well as finishing fourth overall in the Young Rider Individual (67.631%) and seventh in the Team Test (66.227%).

Lily finished in ninth spot in the Team Test on Sir Charlie Chaplin with a score of 64.122%, 10th in the Young Rider Freestyle (66.500%) and 13th in the Young Rider Individual (64.649%). Affected by the unseasonal snow, Francesca Bradley and Baldovino had three 14th place finishes, in the Team Test with 62.850%, in the Individual (63.114%) and in the Freestyle (63.875%).

Lucy has been in excellent form so far this Spring, achieving a score of 74% in the Intermediate I class at Kings Equestrian and then achieving fifth (Prix St Georges Music), sixth (Prix St Georges) and eighth place (Intermediate I) finishes in the Myerscough Premier League.

Lily Hewitt riding Sir Charlie Chaplin

Lily Hewitt riding Sir Charlie Chaplin

Lily was also delighted with her score of 68.11% in the advanced medium open class at the recent Winter Dressage Championships at Hartpury.

Fellow Equine Academy starlet, Alessya Kaiser, has also been in excellent form in senior competitions recently. She achieved a first place finish on her horse, Aida, in the British Dressage affiliated Prix St Georges at Chester Hall with 66.58%, despite a difficult warm-up, and the duo – still tired from the previous day – secured third spot with 62.10% in the same class at Pachesham Equestrian Centre only a day later.

Francesca Bradley riding Baldovino

Francesca Bradley riding Baldovino

The pair then headed to Hickstead, where they won the Silver Section Prix St George and they were third overall with a score of 66.10% out of 13 competitors.

Alessya said: “The competition at Hickstead was superb! I was really worried because we were competing in torrential rain and Aida is very sensitive but she was perfect in the warm-up and rode her nicest test so far.

“With 7s for the pirouettes and the changes, the judge at C had me winning the whole class on 68.7% but the overall score with the second judge was 66.10%. I was so happy with her and with our placings.”