Afterwards, Lottie said: “It’s absolutely incredible, like unbelievable, I just had the best feeling in there I’ve ever had. I had so much fun and he has so much fun and we literally just loving it the whole way round. Glamourdale went in there and he knew what he had to do and he could feel the atmosphere. If there’s a lot of crowd, he’s going to show off even more – I can just sit there, it felt so easy and he was just bouncing through his music.”
The music was entitled Best of British and was arranged by Joost Peters. The tone and intent suited the black stallion perfectly; his love of crowds sealed the deal.
Away from the arena Fry described Glammy as having a super sweet personality. She said: “He is very chatty, he likes to whinny to everyone and always says good morning. He’s the most polite gentleman. He loves his cuddles and kisses and just any attention generally. His main focus is to make sure everyone is looking at him, which isn’t difficult when he’s as beautiful as he is.”
Glamourdale’ was born May 10, 2011. He was bred by Joop Rodenburg and owned by Gert Van Olst and his wife Anne, the former Danish Olympic Dressage rider. They live in the Netherlands and run an elite performance and breeding centre. Glamourdale’s sire is Lord Leatherdale and his dam, the classy Thuja – her sire being Negro. Glamourdale’s lines, like his trot is impeccable.
Fry began her partnership with Glammy when he was six. She can still recall how it felt when she first began working with him, “It was the most incredible feeling in the world, like flying.”
Glamourdale won the World Young Horse Championship as a seven-year-old at Ermelo in the Netherlands.
The notes on the young champion said: “The trot, always in rhythm and with huge cadence, scores nearly a 10, only because the judges want to see a more noticeable difference in the medium and extended trot. A 9.8. The canter has lots of quality and ability to collect, a 10. We see that Glamourdale is very focused in his work, shows us nice changes and always has a nice contact, a 9.4. We look forward to his future, a 9.5 for his perspective.”
In 2019, when Glammy was eight, the pair were unbeaten internationally as they rose up the ranks through Prix Saint George and Intermediate. As an active stallion, he’s always been lightly campaigned; he was back on stud duty shortly after his recent Championship success.
Fry said: “Glammy’s taking a bit of a well-deserved holiday and his breeding schedule is getting very busy. He will concentrate on that and just enjoy some hacking and light work for a few months.”
His performances in Herning will remain long in the memory. Fry moved country from the UK to the Netherlands to dedicate herself to dressage and she’s been rewarded in the best possible way – partnering the oh so beautiful Glamourdale.
Although he is the most spectacular looking individual – he is still a gentle and affectionate horse, who loves a carrot or two and according to Fry – also a banana.
Words by Katie Roebuck
Images from FEI/Leanjo de Koster
