Elvis LD Conquers Crozet with a Double International Victory

Elvis LD and Bernat Barrachina's double victory at the CDI4* in Crozet confirms the direction of La Donaira Lusitanos' breeding programme.

Weeks after being called up by the Royal Spanish Equestrian Federation to represent Spain at the CDI4* in Crozet, France, the classical dressage horse Elvis LD delivered the best possible response: a double victory in the seven-year-old category, at one of the most demanding fixtures on the international classical dressage calendar.

Ridden by Spain’s Bernat Barrachina, Elvis won the 7-YO preliminary test with 73.868%, narrowly finishing ahead of the Netherlands’ Julia Groenhart on 73.368%. The combination then returned for the finals test and produced an even stronger performance, improving their score to 75.029%, again finishing ahead of the Netherlands’ Julia Groenhart, who scored 73.915%. For Bernat is was a notable double victory.

For Bernat Barrachina, the most meaningful part of the week wasn't just the scores: “What pleased me most wasn’t just the results, but how relaxed, confident and willing Elvis felt in the arena. You can really feel him developing into the horse we believe he can become”, the rider explained after the competition.

Being selected to represent Spain is, in itself, recognition of the consistent work carried out within La Donaira Lusitanos' sport horse breeding programme; winning on that international stage confirms that the chosen path is the right one.

With Crozet behind them, Bernat Barrachina and Elvis LD now head into the final stretch of the season with the goal of continuing their progression within international classical dressage, gaining experience in the most demanding classes ahead of their future step up to the higher levels. The road to Grand Prix is a long one, but each international outing brings Elvis a little closer to that horizon.

Congratulations to Bernat Barrachina and to everyone involved in Elvis LD's development for this new milestone for La Donaira Lusitanos and its sport horse breeding programme in Andalusia.