Carl Hester and Escapado held off all opposition to win their first ever
FEI World Cup Qualifier in Mechelen. It was the first time a Briton has
headed a World Cup Qualifier line up since 1991.

Escapado, whose spookiness at the start of the Grand Prix left the
British pair in sixth place, raised his game to the music and while
Hester had a long wait to see if their score of 74.50 would be enough,
the British national anthem finally rang out across the Nekkerhal
followed by a standing ovation from the crowd.

" It was amazing", said Hester. " Escapado found it a difficult arena in
the grand prix - his eyes were popping out of his head! He's hot but
doesn't usually get scared, but then it is the same for everyone. In the
freestyle the one real error was mine, and he was great in the piaffe
and passage. By the time the national anthem played though, he stood
like a rock and watched the flag rise! The crowd was really lovely and I
appreciated their support."

With Carl in the prize giving was Athens team mate Richard Davison, in
third place after Gwendolen Mayer's Ballaseyr Royale produced a foot
perfect test. "She was gorgeous", said Davison. " There wasn't a single
'dodgy moment'. I didn't see Carl's test but when he told me he had gone
well but with a few 'blips', I thought I'd really go for it, and 'Bird'
was with me all the way."

Such was Hester's surprise at his triumph, he had no time to change his
original plan to dash to the airport directly after the prize ceremony,
so he left Davison to do the honours and collect his trophy, rug and
prize money. He did, however, depart with a grin and the knowledge that
he is now second in the Western European League standings on 50 points.

The British sandwich had a Swiss filling as Marie Line Wettstein gained
her best international result to date with Le Primeur. " I'm singing
like a bird", said the delighted Wettstein, whose daughter Amelie was
also riding in Mechelen and gained a clear round in the pony jumping.
The Swiss pair's freestyle, to Joe Cocker music, came closest to
Hester's score on 74.10. Together for some eighteen months, Wettstein
and Le Primeur will now contest Neumunster and while she would love to
book a ticket to the Las Vegas Final in April she commented: " I'll try,
but the main aim is to do our best and have fun. Leo's best quality is
his character, and after my husband and children, he's the best thing
that has happened to me in my life."

While some riders got the best belated Christmas presents, others fared
less well. Spain's Beatriz Ferrer-Salat sadly had to withdraw before the
competition when Beauvalais developed a cold, and Sven Rothenberger and
Barclay II failed to reproduce their Grand Prix winning style in the
freestyle where they finished fourth.

Belgium's sole representative Jeroen Devroe had the crowd in uproar when
he rode Paganini into the arena carrying his whip. The luckless rider
didn't hear the warning shouts and incurred elimination, but Ground Jury
President Mariette Withages allowed the pair to perform for the home
crowd anyway. It was particularly bad luck, as from January 1st a new
rule states that riders will have to leave their whips in the collecting
ring anyway!

Ground Jury President Mariette Withages commented: " It has been an
exceptional day. The top riders rode well and to see new countries at
the top is an evolution, although they have been building up for a long
time."

Results, 29 Dec
FEI World Cup Dressage, Freestyle to Music Qualifier
Presented by Nashuatec
1, Escapado (Carl Hester GBR) 74.50
2, Le Primeur (Marie Line Wettstein SUI) 74.10
3, Ballaseyr Royale (Richard Davison GBR) 73.25
4, Barclay II (Sven Rothenberger GER) 72.70
5, Amando (Gina Capellmann-Luetkemeier GER) 72.70
6, Hexagon's Ollright (Laurens van Lieren NED) 72.40
7, Gribaldi (Edward Gal NED) 71.55
8, Willibaldi's Don Debussy (Peter Gmoser AUT) 71.475
9, Ludewig G (Lone Joergensen DEN) 71.325
10, Roi de Coeur (Dominique D'Esme FRA) 69.425

Press Contact
Edith de Reys
Press Office Tel: +32 15 55 48 51

For further information
www.jumping-mechelen.com

For more information about the FEI World Cup Dressage and rider bios www.horsesport.org

The FEI World Cup Dressage, initiated in 1985, is the only worldwide series in this discipline. It comprises qualifying leagues encompassing Western and Central Europe, North America, Canada and Australia. Each FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier comprises a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to Music competition, where
league
points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.