IRISH dressage rider Judy Reynolds and the gelding Vancouver K, produced an excellent freestyle to music test, to finish in ninth place in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup at the Olympia grand hall in London on Wednesday evening.

Reynolds had finished 14th in the opening Grand Prix class at Olympia on Tuesday, a score of 64.28 qualified her for Wednesday’s freestyle where the Kildare rider posted an excellent score of 73.525% in a competition which attracted a top class field.

Reynolds has already recorded two fifth place finishes in the FEI World Cup series this year, at Odense and Lyon as she bids to secure a coveted place at the Rio Olympics through her world ranking position. The points gained at Olympia have moved Reynolds up two places in the World Cup league table to 13th overall.

Wednesday’s Olympia competition was won by Britain’s Carl Hester and the 11 year-old gelding Nip Tuck on a finishing score of 83.750%. “This is really huge for me,” said a delighted Hester. “I thought I had a chance and decided to grab it.

“I was a little nervous as to whether it would come off and to produce a test like that you really have to have a horse on your side.

“It just goes to show that after 25 years in the job and riding Grand Prix you never really know what you have and Nip Tuck is really turning into something I never thought he was.”

The showcase performance by the British Master relegated the then leaders Charlotte Dujardin and Uthopia (82.55), to second place. The pair had produced an energetic and expressive test and also produced their highest and best score to date.

“I am really happy with the test,” said Dujardin, who is lining up the Dutch-bred stallion as a second string for Rio.