Shockwaves were sent through the FEI World Cup Finals for the second day in a row.
World Cup favorites Lottie Fry and Everdale, leading by a 2% margin after Wednesday’s Grand Prix, were eliminated in Riyadh prior to contesting Friday’s medal deciding Freestyle after judge Hans-Christian Matthiesen (DEN) spotted blood the horse’s mouth.
Under the FEI blood rule, fresh blood in a horse’s mouth or in the area of the spurs results in an automatic elimination.
From the FEI:
British athlete Charlotte Fry and her horse Everdale were eliminated from the Grand Prix Freestyle competition today at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Riyadh (KSA).
A minor bleed originating from the front gum mucosa was found in the mouth of the horse by the Judge at C, and in accordance with Article 430.7.6 of the FEI Dressage Rules, this results in elimination.
Elimination under this rule does not imply there was any wrongdoing but the rules are in place to protect the welfare of all competing horses.
The 15-year old KWPN stallion (by Lord Leatherdale x Negro) helped Great Britain to the team bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games and team silver medal at the 2021 European championships. The pair hasn’t finished below second in their past four international appearances together.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.