Annabella Pidgley has transform the primary British rider ever to win a person medal on the Dressage Eu Championships for Younger Riders – by way of claiming double gold in Hungary over the weekend (15-16 July).
The 18-year-old rode her mom Sarah’s nine-year-old Escolar mare Espe to 2 large private best possible ratings as they secured each the person and freestyle gold medals.
Annabella’s double gold got here off the again of the British workforce successful the primary British younger rider workforce medal since 2005, as Annabella joined Lily Laughton (Skovborgs Romadinov), India Durman-Generators (Escade) and Jessie McConkey (Girl Gaga) to assert a super bronze.
Britain completed intently at the back of Denmark in gold and Germany in silver, with Annabella’s instructor Charlotte Dujardin becoming a member of them out in Hungary.
The bronze medal-winning younger rider workforce of Lily Laughton, Annabella Pidgley, Jessie McConkey and India Durman-Generators, pictured with Charlotte Dujardin and child Isabella.
Annabella completed peak of the leaderboard in my view within the workforce take a look at and duly finished a blank sweep over the process the weekend. She and Espe scored 76.94% for his or her particular person take a look at to knock Germany’s Valentina Pistner and Flamboyant OLD into silver, and leaving her “merely speechless”.
Jessie and Girl Gaga completed thirteenth, with India 18th and Lily nineteenth for Britain.
A brand new private best possible for Annabella Pidgley and Espe
An afternoon later, Annabella and Espe recreated their magic as soon as once more, breaking the 80% barrier for the primary time of their partnership to put down an unbeatable ranking of 80.5%.
Taking freestyle silver used to be Annabella’s boyfriend, Denmark’s Alexander Helgstrand, son of Andreas Helgstrand, using Belantis. Jessie additionally secured a top-10 end for Britain, in 9th, with India fifteenth.
Annabella Pidgley and Espe en path to successful double gold on the younger rider Europeans 2023.
“Double Eu champion… Espe did it once more and were given the gold within the freestyle lately right here in Hungary, towards a super box of riders,” mentioned Annabella. “I may no longer have imagined we might have those effects right here on the Europeans in our first 12 months at younger riders, however she merits all of it.
“She’s such an improbable mare with a stupendous middle and I’m so thankful to her for being so wonderful over the past week,” added Annabella of Espe.
“Thanks to my workforce, circle of relatives, Charlotte, my sponsors and all who’ve supported me from house. Thanks additionally to my Staff GB teammates.”
This isn’t the primary time Annabella has made historical past for British dressage – in 2021 she was the primary British rider to assert a person podium position on the junior Europeans, when she gained double silver on Sultan Des Paluds. Using Espe, she added extra medals to her haul in 2022 after they led the British junior workforce to silver and in addition scooped particular person silver and bronze.
That is Annabella’s first 12 months in younger riders, and with those medals she has transform the primary British rider to win gold in any formative years (under-21) segment since Phoebe Peters took double gold on the pony Europeans in 2015.
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