Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Freestyle Captures Herning World Cup

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Mount St. John Freestyle at the Herning World Cup. Photo: Ridehesten.com/Kristine Ulsø Olsen

HERNING, Denmark, Oct. 19, 2024–Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle brought a packed stadium to its feet in a victorious World Cup Freestyle Saturday on a score that beat the Olympic performance for the partnership.

Cathrine and the 15-year-old mare with a highlight of a one-handed line of changes scored 88.965% for the win in the pair’s second musical performance in the year of their partnership and 0.872% higher than the result in Paris where they led Denmark to team silver.

The combination received eight marks of 10 for technical but another nine 10s for artistic including a straight line of the top marks for music and interpretation from the five judges in the opening leg of ll Western European qualifiers for the Final in Basel, Switzerland next April.

The pair posted a personal best score to win the Grand Prix Friday.

The 32-year-old Cathrine began competing Freestyle a year ago after the horse had a 2 1/2-year break from competition following three years with Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain for team and individual bronze medals at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018.

Cathrine said she has no plan yet for the remainder of the World Cup season, but will make a decision later with her team.

In her career, she has competed in only one Final so far, on Vamos Amigos in 2022.

Olympic team mate Daniel Bachmann Andersen on the 13-year-old stallion Vayron was awarded 84.095% for runner-up, the same placing as the Grand Prix.

Sweden’s Maria von Essen on Invoice, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding, logged a personal best 79.795% for third.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald, also on Denmark’s Olympic team with the 16-year-old gelding Blue Hors Zepter who placed third in the Grand Prix, slipped to seventh place on 78.475%.

Reigning World Cup champion Patrik Kittel of Sweden rode the 13-year-old stallion Zoulmate to a score of 75.195% for 11th, the first of two competitions he needs to automatically earn a start in the Final.

The next qualifier in Western Europe is in Lyon, France beginning Oct. 29.