Doha, Qatar, March 5

Every since the CHI Al Shaqab began hosting a five-star dressage competition there’s been one thing in common: Patrik Kittel has won. This year he continued his domination, topping both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix freestyle with Deja.

The Swedish rider couldn’t control his grin when asked about the 12-year-old mare by Silvano.

“I’ve had her now five years and she just keeps improving a lot,” he said. “I think the mares are coming up in the sport—there are a couple really good ones out there. I couldn’t be happier.”

Patrik Kittel couldn’t have been more pleased with Deja’s performances in Doha. Photos by Mollie Bailey.

Deja earned a career best mark in today’s freestyle on a mark of 82.55 percent while dancing to a Stevie Wonder compilation.

“I thought ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ would be perfect, because she really is a lovely horse,” he said.

“I think what worked today is that everything was really with the music,” he continued. “Every beat, every transition really worked today. She was really on it but she was really calm, and this made it really easy for me to ride. Some people on the tribune were starting to clap when she went down centerline, which I thought was great. I love that for the sport.”

Kittel’s hoping that Deja will be his mount for the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games, and he wanted her to get a taste of serious travel before putting her on a plane for Rio de Janeiro, which motivated him to bring her to Qatar.

Irish rider Judy Reynolds was equally pleased with Vancouver K’s performances, setting personal bests in both yesterday’s Grand Prix (74.32%) when she was third and today’s freestyle (79.70%) with exceptional piaffe and passage work. Equally importantly, the marks will have moved her up enough in the standings to have nearly guaranteed her an individual invitation to the Olympic Games just before the cut-off for individual qualification.

“There’s been a lot of stress leading up to this,” she said. “It’s been a long process to qualify for theOlympics in the last year. I’ve been more or less constantly in one of the positions to qualify until two weeks ago, then the situation was that we came to Doha without a ticket. I really had to produce something, and we had a great Grand Prix and an even better freestyle. Fingers crossed we’re going to Rio.”

Vancouver K’s performances in Doha should earn Judy Reynolds an individual slot at the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games. Photo by Mollie Bailey

Third-place rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl described her partner for third, Zaire, as the most exciting horse in her stable.   

“She gives me a very special feeling,” she said. “I haven’t ridden so many freestyles with her yet—I think it was her third or fourth, and already it feels like dancing. She tries her very best, and there’s still space to improve.”

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was just as excited by Zaire’s performances as her potential to improve. Photos by Mollie Bailey

Catch up with more from the CHI Al Shaqab here.