Mount St John Freestyle wins on first outing with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour

Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle have made a profitable worldwide debut collectively.

Cathrine and Freestyle loved a glowing begin to their new partnership after they topped the Kronenberg CDI3* grand prix with a rating of 81.20% on 1 December, and the next day received the grand prix particular on 81.40%.

“MSJ Freestyle you’re one in a billion, I’m speechless,” mentioned Cathrine.

The competitors is the 14-year-old world bronze medal-winning mare’s first worldwide for the reason that Wellington CDI3* in Could 2021, the place she competed below Charlotte Dujardin to win the grand prix freestyle. Freestyle was not match to compete on the Tokyo Olympics that 12 months, and returned to Emma Blundell’s Mount St John Stud in 2022 to rejoin the stud’s breeding programme.

She returned to the ring with Emma in June this 12 months to win a nationwide grand prix at Northallerton Equestrian Centre, three months after Emma mentioned it was “her imaginative and prescient to look at Freestyle again out on the prime of the game once more”. In October it was introduced {that a} half-share of Freestyle had been purchased by the joint firm world quantity two Cathrine has along with her long-term supporters the Zinglersen household, as a Paris 2024 prospect.

Cathrine and Freestyle’s victory within the grand prix particular was by a margin of almost 10%, with the judges scoring them numerous 10s for his or her passage and piaffe work all through. Lottie Fry and Especial had been second on 71.89%.

“MSJ Freestyle did it once more. I’m actually misplaced for phrases,” mentioned Cathrine.

“Yesterday (1 December) she delivered a mega efficiency and it humbles me to really feel how she permits me to journey her within the ring; +81% once more, merely extremely nicely skilled her entire life by Charlotte and Emma.”

Cathrine thanked everybody for the “enormous assist” she had on the weekend, and mentioned Freestyle will now get pleasure from some downtime within the discipline.

“A particular due to the Zinglersen household and Emma Blundell for making this fairytale a actuality,” she mentioned. “To my superb groom Ida Trecihler, coaches Kyra Kyrklund and Nathalie Sayn, spouse Rasmine, and my superb house staff.”

Emma added that the Mount St John staff are “besotted” with Freestyle.

“We couldn’t be happier to see the queen loving being out performing once more,” she mentioned.

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H&H senior information author

Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and highway security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed prime riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fortress Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting staff for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.