Brilliant runner-up finish for Ireland’s Anna Merveldt in Hungarian World Cup Freestyle

Irish Dressage rider Anna Merveldt and the 11-year-old stallion Esporim have recorded their best ever World Cup finish as a pairing, taking runner-up spot in today’s (Sunday) CDI3*-W FEI World Cup Freestyle To Music Grand Prix at Budapest-Fot in Hungary.

Anna Merveldt and Esporim

Merveldt and Esporim finished third in Saturday’s Grand Prix at the same venue, and went one better in today’s Freestyle to take second place overall with an impressive score of 73.650%. That left them just behind French rider Morgan Barbancon and Sir Donnerhall II OLD who took victory with a score of 76.575%. Austria’s Christian Schumach and Donna Karacho, who had finished ahead of Merveldt on Saturday, this time had to settle for third place behind the Irish rider when scoring 73.600%.

Anna Merveldt and Esporim’s previous best placing in a World Cup came at Mariakalnok in Hungary back in June when they finished fourth.