Carl Hester produced a breathtakingly beautiful grand prix test with the 10 year old Uthopia, causing the crowd to gasp and murmur with excitement as he put the horse he co-owns with Sasha Stewart through its amazing paces. There where whoops and cheers before he had even nailed his halt, everyone aware they were witnessing something very special. The score of 82.568%, another personal best, confirmed it, catapulting them into the lead and leaving him and his pupil, Charlotte Dujardin sitting in first and second at the top of the scoreboard.
Commenting on his test Carl said:
“We got 10’s for our last extended trot, I didn’t know what was going on, everyone was laughing and I thought there must be a dog in the arena! At Hickstead he was wildly flamboyant, here he felt more relaxed and in better self carriage, it was an incredible feeling! He’s only small – 16hh - but he feels massive to ride. This is a dream and even more fantastic because we’ve had the horse since he was a four year old. Sasha Stewart who I part own the horse with has ridden him too, he’s a family pet whose turned into a superstar.
I’m almost more emotional about Charlotte to be honest as she’s come to it so young but it’s all very pleasurable and at least I’ve managed to produce a decent score before I’m too old!
Jean Bemelmans saw this horse as an eight year old and said I had the next wonder horse. I believed it but it’s very difficult to tell everyone else you have the new Totilas in your stable! Anyone with a black horse is making the same claims!”
you know that I have found out that some horse racing programs can produce very good Equestrian teams?? I have seen it!
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