Hagen 4* CDI: Cathrine Laudrup Dufour & MSJ Freestyle strategically begin their outdoor season

While Justin Verboomen, Charlotte Fry & Isabell Werth chose Fontainebleau last week for a confrontation that clearly smelled of the World Championships in Aachen, the Dane Cathrine Laudrup Dufour, recent world number 1 with her 17-year-old MSJ Freestyle, had opted for the CDI 4* Hagen; a strategy of avoidance and/or a happy coincidence for those who signed on to the CDI 5* in Herning, at home, therefore, an 84.174% on the Grand Prix.

Always presented very discreetly with a stable and light contact, the daughter of Fidermark could perhaps have been a touch more active in her trot halph pass to the right. Not quite steady in her halt before the rein-back, she also offered a first piaffe/passage transition that could have been cleaner but made no major faults; a test that allowed the Danish riders to take the win with 82.391%.

In second place were Ingrid Klimke and the delicate Vayron. At 15 years old, the son of Vitalis seems to have improved his piaffe, now more on the spot and diagonal. With joined feet in the passage/canter transition, the bay followed with an easy zigzag and two relatively large pirouettes. The German pair left the arena with 75.087%.

Finally, third place went to the Swedish rider Maria von Essen and her Invoice. Not quite square before his rein back, Jazz's son shook his head at the extended walk and proved faulty in the tempuies flying changes, which limited their score to 73.370%.

Full results HERE