Reynolds sixth in Stuttgart Freestyle

JUDY Reynolds finished sixth in the third leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup Western European League in Stuttgart on Saturday evening behind a dominant group of five German riders.

Team gold and individual bronze medallist Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, riding TSF Dalera BB, toppled triple-champions Isabell Werth and Weihegold into second place. The host nation completely dominated the line-up with Helen Langehanenberg, Dorothee Schneider and Benjamin Werndl finishing third, fourth and fifth. For von Bredow-Werndl this was a very special result.

“She gave me a feeling I’ve never had before! In Rotterdam she was already amazing but today it felt even lighter and easier.

“Every piaffe was amazing, every transition every passage and pirouette, every half-pass... I’m so excited about our future now!” she said.

Second last to go, von Bredow-Werndl set a massive score of 88.440 after a breathtaking performance.

Werth, who won two weeks ago in Lyon, made a few mistakes and had to settle for runner-up when scoring 87.240.

After a couple of problems in Friday’s Grand Prix, where Vancouver K spooked at a camera man and lost concentration, Judy Reynolds had the unfortunate draw of first to go in the Freestyle.

A solid test saw them score 80.755 and go straight into the lead. They were still out in front with five – all of them German – left to compete.

Reynolds and Vancouver K were having their first competitive outing since finishing fifth in both the Grand Prix Special and the Freestyle at the European Championships in Rotterdam in August. They scored a personal best of 85.589 on that occasion.

The top nine on the Western European League will qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup 2020 Final, and after the first three qualifiers the leading four on the league table are all Germans, von Bredow-Werndl and Frederic Wandres sharing pole position.

The next leg will take place in Madrid, Spain, in two weeks’ time.