April 23, 2023 
World champions Charlotte Fry (GRB) and Glamourdale have made 30 career international appearances to date—and won 20 of them.
But according to Fry, Saturday’s performance may have been their best yet.
The pair made their first outdoor appearance since winning the World Championships at Herning in 2022 and collected two victories at Le Printemps des Sports Equestres CDI5* in Fontainebleau (FRA) last week.
“Glamourdale was already in great form [Friday] for the Grand Prix, even though he made a few small mistakes. He was really fresh and enthusiastic, and I have to admit that I was really aiming to put in one of our best performances [on Saturday]. And I think that’s what happened. I had a great feeling, he was still really positive today, he enjoyed every second of our routine to the full,” recounted the 27-year-old.
“Everything went according to plan, with no mistakes. I think I’ve just experienced our best ever performance together. To be honest, I don’t think he could have done much better than he did.”
The judges seemed to agree. Fry and Glamourdale were awarded a score of 89.360%, it’s just 1.6% off their personal best of 90.995%—and a good omen for Paris 2024?
“Obviously, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are our main objective, and we are taking things as they come, day by day. The main challenge will be to keep Glamourdale in a good mindset, to ensure that he remains happy to go out and compete, and that he continues to enjoy his work as a competition horse,” continued Fry.
“He will tell us what rhythm and the schedule to adopt, according to his needs. He is not the kind of horse that needs to do a lot of shows; he loves competing and is always really excited and always does his best. So, we’ll try to make sure he stays true to himself. He is a very expressive horse: when I meet him in the stables, I can tell if he is happy or if he needs a few more carrots (laughs). He’s quite a character!”
Dorothee Schneider (GER) and First Romance 2 were a distant second on 82.250%, it was the 13-year-old gelding’s first CDI5* and second ever Freestyle to Music. Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo (ESP) took third place on Euclides Mor, with score of 78.970%.
