Nanna Merrald and Atterupgaards Orthilia shooting for the stars!

With all eyes laid upon them, Blue Hors rider Nanna Skodborg Merrald and the 16-year old Atterupggards Orthilia, alongside with trainer Michael Soegaard and groom Ellen Glinvad Nielsen, have had a succesful trip World Cup Lyon in France

1. November 2021International

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Nanna Merrald and Atterupgaards Orthilia shooting for the stars!

Nanna Skodborg Merrald & Atterupgaards Orthilia /Photo: FEI

"I’m out of words. Thank you so much, Orthilia. Personal best with 83% in the Freestyle and placed second. Third place in our first World Cup together with 75,3% and personal best in the Short Grand Prix. Couldn’t be more proud of her!"

Nanna Skodborg Merrald on World Cup Lyon

Personal record and a third place in Thursday’s short Grand Prix

Blue Hors rider Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Atterupgaards Orthilia (by Gribaldi / Donnerschlag, breeder: Atterupgaard a/ Kristine Munch Sinding) rode themselves into a nice third place in the new short Grand Prix at the FEI Dressage World Cup ™ 2021/2022 in the French town Lyon with an impressive score of 75,342%.

In Thursday’s second place was Frederic Wandres (GER) on Duke of Britain FRH (by Dimaggio / Rubinstein, breeder: Sarah & Tony Pidgley) with 75.947%. The overall winner of the dressage competition was Isabell Werth (GER) on Blue Hors Don Schufro-daughter Weihegold OLD (by Blue Hors Don Schufro / Sandro Hit, breeder: Inge Bastian), who rode to a beautiful score of 78,421% in the short Grand Prix.

Personal freestyle best - only outdone by the German dressage queen!

Nanna and Orthilia continued their good competition stream with a fabulous freestyle to the fantastic score of 83.695%, where especially the piaffe/passage-tours were in a class of their own! The program was so well executed that two judges had placed the pair as the winner of the class, which means that Nanna and Orthilia are now breathing the great queen of dressage; Isabell Werth, and her top horse Weihegold OLD in the neck.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald & Atterupgaards Orthilia in the Grand Prix Freestyle /Photo: FEI

Isabell and Weihegold rode a great freestyle program to 84.910%, which is only barely one and a half percent more than Nanna and Orthilia’s (expected temporary new personal best) score. Third place was occupied by Fredric Wandres, who rode to 81,640% on the Duke of Britain. As number 4, just outside the top 3 position, was another Dane, Cathrine Dufour, on Annabelle Pigdley’s Vamos Amigos (by Vitalis / Blue Hors Hotline, breeder: Reesink Pferde GmbH Schulze Siehof)

Watch Nanna and Orthilia’s freestyle here:

Orthilia’s freestyle music is created by the Dutch Joost Peters, who is the owner of Joost Peters Dressage Music.

He has created the music after an idea to simplify the musical by minimizing the number of instruments. Joost wrote about watching Nanna and Orthilia’s freestyle at the World Cup in Lyon: “Very nice ride by Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Orthilia. The idea behind the music I’ve composed for this freestyle was to minimize the instruments. So basically it’s piano, some strings and woodwinds and a simple drum. Congratulations Nanna and please enjoy!!”