Hickstead, England—Aug. 3 

Dressage riders from the United States closed out Grand Prix competition at the CDIO3* Hickstead with strong finishes in the freestyle on Aug. 3.

Lisa Wilcox and Denzello demonstrated why they were named to the short list for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Dressage Team with a third-place finish in the freestyle, while Katherine Bateson-Chandler and Wellnetta earned seventh-place honors.

Wilcox and Betty Well’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding continued their trend of improving their scores in each test at Hickstead as they earned a score of 73.62 percent in the freestyle. The pair finished less than 1/2 of a percentage point out of second place.

Bateson-Chandler and Jane Clark’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Wellnetta also had their strongest performance of the weekend, finishing the freestyle on a score of 72.77 percent.

Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Dances With Wolves were the winners of the Grand Prix freestyle on a score of 77.42 percent, with Sweden’s Mads Hendelio Witz and Weihenstephane finishing second on a score of 74.05 percent.

Earlier in the week, the U.S. team of Wilcox, Bateson-Chandler, Brian Hafner and Susan Dutta produced improved performances in the Grand Prix Special to earn a fourth-place finish in FEI Nations Cup competition. The team finished on a score of 414.61 in the competition that combined scores from the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special. 

Wilcox led the U.S. effort in the Special with Betty Well’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Denzello, finishing second place overall. The pair had marked improvement over the Grand Prix posting a score 5 points higher after earning 71.60 percent in the Grand Prix Special.

Hafner and his own and Rebecca Hafner’s Lombardo LHF earned a score of 70.27 percent. The 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding finished the Grand Prix Special in 11th place. Bateson-Chandler and Jane Clark’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Wellnetta, finished the Special in 15th place on a score of 69.56 percent. Dutta rounded out the U.S. effort in the Special, finishing on a score of 66.11 percent with Tim Dutta Inc.’s 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Currency DC, in 25th place.

Denmark was the winner of CDIO3* Hickstead’s Nations Cup on a score of 420.30, with Great Britain finishing second on a score of 418.04 and Sweden collected third place honors with a score of 415.98.
Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Dances With Wolves were the winners of the Grand Prix Special on a score of 71.92 percent.

The U.S. show jumpers had a spectacular week at Hickstead—read all about thier Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup win and Beezie Madden’s historic win in the Longines King George V Gold Cup.