Irish Dressage star Judy Reynolds shines in World Cup Final Grand Prix with top five finish

Kildare’s Judy Reynolds produced an outstanding performance to take fifth place overall, in the opening Grand Prix at the FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Omaha, Nebraska in the USA late last night (Thursday).

Riding the 15-year-old Jazz gelding Vancouver K, who is owned by her parents Joe and Kathleen, Judy finished with a score of 74.443% in a competition won by former World Cup champion Isabell Werth (GER) and Weihgold OLD on a score of 82.300%.

Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K leave the arena after a super World Cup Grand Prix performance in Omaha (Photo: Erin Gilmore/NoelleFloyd.com)

Speaking after the competition, which was held at the 17,000-seater Century Link Center in Omaha, a delighted Judy Reynolds said:

“I’m really happy. Today Vancouver K was very focused and the canter pirouettes were a highlight for me. He was with me all the way and the final passage/piaffe trot sequence down the centre line was a really strong finish to the test. I was delighted to receive a score of 76.70% from the president of the ground jury, Katrina Wüst from Germany. A top five finish in the Grand Prix is what I was aiming for as it gives me a great draw for the freestyle final on Saturday. It has been a wonderful experience to come here to Omaha, it is an amazing facility with good surfaces.”

Reynolds qualified for the FEI World Cup Dressage Final after finishing in third place in the Western European League and now goes forward to the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music final leg on Saturday where the 2017 World Cup champion will be crowned.