Simone Pearce and Destano - a perfect square halt before the rein back!

Image: ClipMyHorse.TV

Aussies Simone Pearce and Lyndal Oatley impress in National Grand Prix

By Equestrian Life

Essen Herbergen Dressurturnier (Essen Hotels Dressage Tournament) took place over the weekend in Germany. As was one of the first national dressage competitions in the country post-coronavirus lockdown, it saw many of the country’s big names step out - including some Australian riders.

The S*** Grand Prix (national Grand Prix test) on the final day saw some top performances by Australian riders Simone Pearce and Lyndal Oatley. Simone, who is based at Gestüt Sprehe, rode stallion Destano to second place on a huge score of 75.167%, with two of the three judges placing her first. Isabell Werth and Den Haag 12 won the class with a score of 75.633%. Lyndal Oatley and her new Grand Prix horse, the eye-catching grey Eros 192, finished in ninth place on 70.5% - a terrific score for the new combination! (Results).

Simone was thrilled with her results, and in a Facebook post said:

“I’m totally speechless!” Today Destano completely blew me away- he gave me an absolutely amazing feeling and we managed 2nd (only 0.3% behind the queen Isabell Werth and two of the three judges having is in 1st) with 75.16% in the toughest, most star studed grandprix I've ever ridden!!! I really can't believe how much he has developed since I started to ride him in January- hugely thanks to my amazing trainer Oliver Oelrichs!!! I'm so very thankful to gestut Sprehe and Sabine Rueben for giving me the opportunity to ride such an amazing horse- and I can't wait to keep working with him and see what the future holds for us.”

Owned by Gestüt Sprehe, Destano made his international Grand Prix debut in June 2019 under Swede Michelle Hagman-Hassink. Hagman and Destano competed at the CDIs in Kronenberg, Aachen and Oldenburg with upper 60 and lower 70 percentage scores. At the end of last year, it was decided that Destano would move back to stud at Gestüt Sprehe and Simone was lucky enough to gain the ride. Simone is now listed with the FEI as a part owner, meaning the horse has Australian ownership should Olympic selection come their way in 2021.

“We have changed the ownership of the horse to be registered as Australian, just in case we happen to be in a good way for the Olympics when the time comes,” says Simone in an interview with EQ Life earlier this year. At the time Simone referred to the Olympics as a “distant dream”, however this combination has only been together for six months, so it will be exciting to see where they are at in another six month’s time!

Simone also had success in a number of other classes at the event. She finished equal first in a young horse class with four-year-old Dimaggio Black (results), and third in a five-year-old class with Diamond First (results).

In the St Georg Special classes, she was sixth in the qualification round with Montevideo 65 with 70.341% (results), and fifth in the final on 71.683% (results).

Then with the young Big Tour horse Amandori, Simone was seventh in the S*** Inter II scoring 71.447% (results) and fourth with 71.705% in the Short Grand Prix test (results).

Well done Simone and Lyndal - two exciting new Grand Prix combinations for Australia!

Lyndal Oatley and Eros.

© Lyndal Oatley

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