‘I’m super proud’: Freestyle delights in grand prix on Olympic dressage debut

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle’s harmonious performance in the Paris Olympics dressage grand prix elevated the pair to the top of their group and secured their spot in the individual final.

This relatively new partnership were the first to break the 80% barrier, with their score of 80.79% also a boost for the Danish team.

Freestyle, owned by Mount St John Equestrian LLP, Laudrup-Dufour and Zinglersen ApS, is such an elegant mare and their test was a picture of lightness and harmony. They were rewarded with consistent marks from the judges, with nines woven through their Olympic dressage grand prix scoresheet and their piaffe and pirouettes particular high points.

“I’m very relieved and super proud,” said Cathrine. “The performance from Freestyle today was wonderful. My plan today was to not push her to do something, but just see what she offered – and what she did today was just something she offered me.”

Cathrine and Freestyle are an exciting fresh pairing in the sport and are strongly tipped to challenge for medals. But there remains an element of the unknown in this pairing of stars. Freestyle was previously competed on the world stage by Charlotte Dujardin, and has since been back with owner Emma Blundell for several years – spending time away from the sport for breeding, before Emma stepped her back up to grand prix.

Paris will be just the third international show together for Cathrine and Freestyle, but their sole freestyle at the Danish National Championships where they won on 86.98% has built expectations.

Both have a wealth of experience in their own rights. This is Cathrine’s third Olympics and she has a weighty medal collection from championships, while 15-year-old Freestyle has world medals and plenty of international wins to her name.

“The main thing has been to really create a proper friendship with her – really seeing if she could allow me in there, which she did quite quickly,” said Cathrine, touching her own heart as she spoke.

“I was quite amazed. Animals are amazing. If you treat them well and show them trust and all that, then suddenly *boop*, you’re in there, and that’s been the main thing.

“Another key word for me has been respectful leadership, because in some way I had to be the leader to show her [the way] in a dressage test. But at the same time, to respect where she’s coming from, because she’s a skilled young lady.”

She added: “Today the goal was not to max it out or anything. It was just to get in there, get a nice feeling for her, and to get a nice feeling for my nerves to be brushed off a little bit.

“I’m really proud of [my teammates] Nanna and Daniel, I was actually crying when Nanna went in yesterday – we’ve been riding together since she was four and I was five [and were] at her mum’s riding school for 15 years. It’s not like we see each other every week, but we’re really close and we trust each other. In this team, I trust those three with everything I have and that’s the best feeling you can ride in with.”

The Olympic dressage grand prix serves as a qualifier for both the team and individual finals, and the slates will be wiped clean ahead of these.

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