DRESSAGE rider Abigail Lyle continued her good run of form at the three-star show in Tolbert, The Netherlands, placing third on 72.475% in the Freestyle to Music last Saturday with the 12-year-old Fabregas gelding Farrell.

Amsterdam-based Irish rider Jennifer Harnett scored an international personal best of 69.910% with her 14-year-old Lusitano stallion Eximio for eighth place, while Judy Reynolds finished 10th with the 12-year-old Fuerstenball Old gelding For Fun 51 on 67.765%. Spain’s Severo Jurado López and Fuerstenglory scored 78.510% for the win ahead of Japanese rider Yuko Kitai and Amandori in second place on a personal best total of 74.300%.

On the same day, Lyle and her 12-year-old world championship mount Giraldo scored 68.298% for seventh place in the Grand Prix Special class with Irish Olympian Judy Reynolds scoring 67.404% with the 13-year-old Lusitano gelding Faisao, owned by Qatari international rider Wejdan Majed A M Al Malki, for 10th.

The legendary British Olympian Carl Hester clinched a double at Tolbert CDI3* on a winning score of 76.936% with Fame. Finland’s Emma Kanerva placed second on a 72.255% total with Feldrose Frh. Hugo Pereira completed the podium for Portugal scoring 71.596% with Falsario LS for third.

Pleased

Lyle’s Freestyle result came off the back of an international personal best of 70.326% in the Grand Prix to finish fourth of the 29 starters. It proved to be a good day also for Irish Olympian Judy Reynolds as she achieved the 2023 FEI Dressage European Championship qualification standard with two horses, Faisao and For Fun 51.

Reflecting on a good show, Lyle commented: “Farrell was really good in the Grand Prix. He is a little bit hot and spooky. We had a long journey here from England and were delayed at Calais. He was probably a little fatigued and we could have room for more power but I was very pleased with his international personal best score of 70.326%.

“He was a little hotter [the next day]and the freestyle could have gone either way. Overall, very consistent and a fab test for a podium finish with things to work on for the future.

“With Giraldo we needed to dial back a bit after an issue with the piaffe at Addington CDI last month. It proved to be a good confidence-building show for our partnership. Were it not for a few blips in the Grand Prix Special we could have scored 70%, so lots of positives to take away from this show.

“I travelled with my trainer Carl Hester who had a fabulous show here. I’m so very grateful for his hugely knowledgeable input. It is really important to have Carl making key decisions in the warm up arena to give me and the horses every chance to excel.”

Meanwhile, at the international show in Le Mans, France, Irish pony rider Oscar O’Connor placed ninth with Top Hero 2 in the FEI Pony Team Test class on 68.063%.