Fry Delivers What Was Promised: Dominance, Not Drama, in Basel
Charlotte Fry’s win in Basel didn’t come as a shock. If anything, it had felt inevitable for some time. But inevitability doesn’t make it any less impressive. Riding Glamourdale, Fry delivered a dominant performance to win the FEI Dressage World Cup Final, confirming what many in the sport already knew — she’s operating at a level few can match.
The score of 88.195% told one part of the story. Five judges, five unanimous first placings. Nearly four percentage points clear of second place. It was a win delivered not through theatrics or desperation, but through control, balance and class. Basel marked her fourth consecutive freestyle victory in the World Cup series, having already won in London, Amsterdam and ’s-Hertogenbosch. That kind of consistency in international dressage doesn’t just happen. It’s earned.
Fry and Glamourdale had already secured the Grand Prix win the day before, so there was never any real doubt about who the pressure was on. The stallion – owned jointly by Fry and Van Olst Horses – looked settled, confident, and completely dialled in. He’s a powerful mover, but Fry channels that energy with economy, never letting the test run hot. She knows how to show him without showboating.
Isabell Werth finished second on DSP Quantaz, scoring 84.365%. That’s three podium finishes in a row at the Final for Werth, who remains the most decorated rider in the sport. She’d already admitted second was her target — she knew what Fry and Glamourdale were likely to produce. It says something when one of the sport’s greats is happy with the runner-up spot before the music even starts.
Third went to Isabel Freese on Total Hope OLD, who made history as the first Norwegian rider to reach a World Cup Final podium. Their 81.850% finish was clean, expressive and forward, and Freese didn’t hide her emotion in the aftermath. For a combination that came in hoping for a top-five placing, stepping into the top three was a breakthrough. It was deserved.
Elsewhere, the 80% mark was passed five times — further proof that dressage at this level is as tight and competitive as it’s ever been. Patrik Kittel rode to 80.115% on Forever Young HRH, complete with a new freestyle set to Alphaville’s ‘Forever Young’. Corentin Pottier and Gotilas du Feuillard came in just above that at 80.415%, despite a slip in the extended canter. Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock scored 78.990% with a relaxed, elegant test on her chestnut mare, and Sandra Sysojeva, riding Maxima Bella, posted 78.590% after a strong start and slight falter in the changes.
Even outside the top five, there were strong shifts in the midfield. Pauline Basquin scored 77.055% with a composed performance let down only by errors in the canter. Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau produced 77.470%, while Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee cracked the top 10 with 75.535%, showing improved piaffe and passage work.
But none of it really threatened the outcome. From the moment Fry rode down the centre line, the title never looked like going anywhere else. Glamourdale’s test was scored, not judged — it was that clinical. Every movement was delivered with rhythm and presence. The power is always there with him, but Fry’s real advantage lies in how she balances it. She keeps the horse in front of her, doesn’t override, doesn’t overcomplicate. It’s all there in the contact, in the outline, in the transitions.
Afterwards, she spoke as plainly as she rode. “To win here today is absolutely amazing, and it felt like Glammie loved every second of it.” That was the quote that made headlines, but it was what she said about the team behind the scenes that hit home. “This is all a team effort – with everyone at home at Van Olst Horses and all our supporters. Everything came together tonight.”
Fry is still only 28. She already holds a World Championship title and Olympic freestyle bronze. Now she’s added the World Cup Final to that list. And crucially, she’s done it with the same horse. Glamourdale has been a long-term project, a slow burner who’s been brought along with patience and purpose. That kind of development work doesn’t draw big headlines, but this win is what it looks like when it pays off.
In Basel, Fry didn’t just win — she proved a point. That the talk wasn’t hype. That the results match the expectations. And that when everything aligns, she and Glamourdale are almost impossible to stop.
