KILDARE dressage rider Anna Merveldt continued her strong start to the 2023 season with another podium finish, this time at the four-star show in Gössendorf, Austria.

Merveldt and the 13-year-old Lusitano stallion Esporim, owned by Mario Greco and Giovanna Mazza, scored 74.425% for second place in the Freestyle to Music. Last month, the Irish Olympian placed second in the international dressage Grand Prix in Ornago, Italy.

Merveldt performed her new freestyle at Gössendorf CDI4* for just the second time. The choreography and floor plan reflect a high degree of difficulty consisting of an intricate pattern of technically advanced movements including canter pirouette to piaffe pirouette transitions along with two-tempi to one-tempi canter changes across the diagonal and a passage and piaffe trot sequence to a Spanish-themed soundtrack.

“I’m really pleased with today,” said Merveldt. “It was a good freestyle test all the way through and we were with the music right down to the last beat. Esporim was too fresh yesterday but he was with me all the way today. I was really delighted to receive a score of 76.100% from Dutch judge Monique Peutz-Vegter at C, as it was just our second time performing this freestyle.” Austria’s Christian Schumach scored 74.975% with TE Quiero SF for the win.