Strong test from Dujardin and Freestyle - nearly 80% (79,652%) - 2 judges over the magic 80%
As we just have seen this combination a few times, they already improved. The piaffe tours are much more settled even though they of course still miss the experience and security together in the arena.
Super halt but not straight into trot, but with 3 walk steps into the trot, lovely half passes, top power and balance for extended trot, good halt with rein back, super nice 1st piaffe with good transitions, good walk tour, not direct up into passage from collected walk, strong canter tour but with a small error in the middle of the 1 times, nice qualities for the pirouettes with best 2nd pirouette. (video below)
Carl Hester and Hawtins Delicato also shows a very strong test. Nice smooth trot tour with supple half passes, for the halt with rein back the halt itself lack a bit longer halt before asking for rein back, small tensions for the 1st piaffe tour, but does not the disturb the rhythm or balance, lovely expressive passage, for the extended walk would could wish for a bit more stretching of the neck but the walk quality is good, like for the collected walk, very nice 2nd piaffe tour, small unbalance for the zig-zag, nice series, good qualities for pirouettes but could be a bit more centered. Lovely angles for the piaffe and passage tours. 77,217%.
At the moment it looks like Gareth Hughes will be the 3rd spot for the team, but we haven't seen Spencer Wilton with Super Nova II this year internationally yet. And next in the line must be Emile Faurie.
Bit outside the team is British Henriette Andersen with Flavio. Today they showed personal best score with 70,783% and also best test. No technical issues well balanced test, still the piaffe tours need more power off the ground and a bit cautious transitions out. Super nice well performed canter tour.
Only Danish combination was British based Ulrik Mølgaard with his now 17-year-old Michigan. They showed a very strong test and from the sideline also a test that showed more than the final score of 69,978%. Super strong trot tour with and OUTSTANDING halt with rein back, totally balanced square halt at the letter, diagonal supple rein back with 5 steps and direct forward to trot - just rewarded with 6,5 - 6,5 - 8 - 8 - 6,5, a clear 9 from H2R point of view. The piaffe tours still lacking more suppleness and Michigan becomes a bit locked in his own way of doing the piaffe, good extended walk, becomes a bit hurried for the collected walk tour, the 2nd piaffe is with more activity, very solid canter tour, with huge series, pirouettes could show more sit, nice final with very nice passage.
See the entire results here.