Merveldt wins French Grand Prix and Kur

IRELAND’S Anna Merveldt took her first Grand Prix victory of 2010 today (Sunday) at the three-star international dressage show at Vidabaun in France, and also placed fifth in yesterday’s Prix St. Georges class.

The Italian-based Irish rider scored 67.064 per cent with her 14 year-old Coriolan gelding ‘Coryolano’ to win the Grand Prix class, adding to her previous day’s fifth on a score of 62.526 with ‘Pernod’ in the Prix St. Georges, which was won by France’s Jessica Michel and ‘Riwera’ on 70.105. Merveldt later cemented her winning streak with victory in the Kur, also with ‘Coryolano’, scoring 72 per cent.