Brilliant performance from Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K at 2019 FEI World Cup Dressage Final

Irish Dressage star Judy Reynolds and the Joe and Kathleen Reynolds-owned gelding Vancouver K have finished in 11th place overall, after a superb performance in the 2019 FEI Dressage World Cup Finals, which took place today (Saturday) at Gothenburg in Sweden.

Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K

Thirty-seven-year-old Reynolds from Kilteel, Co Kildare took the lead with a score of 79.350 % when sixth to go of the 18 starters in the Grand Prix Freestyle To Music competition.

Speaking afterwards, Judy was delighted with how her horse performed:

“I was really happy with JP [Vancouver K] today, I felt he made a really good comeback after yesterday. It was a bit of a difficult day for him in the arena yesterday and today he really went in and he stayed with me and was a lot more confident – so I was able to show that off and I was really happy with him,” she said.

Three of the judges awarded Reynolds and Vancouver K scores of above 81%. Giving her reaction to the score, Reynolds said,

“I’m happy with it. I would have liked to have gone over the 80% but it is what it is. I was early enough in the class and that’s always a little bit difficult but i’m pleased. It is just under 80 and that’s still a good score so I am happy with that.”

Today’s final attracted one of the strongest line-ups in the history of the World Cup competition. Victory went to Germany’s Isabel Werth and Weihegold OLD with a brilliant score of 88.871%. The result saw Werth complete three World Cup Final wins in-a-row and is the fifth time in total that Werth has won the World Cup Final. America’s Laura Graves and Verdades finished as runners-up on 87.179%, while Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Damsey FRH took third place on the podium with a score of 86.571%.