Bella Rose and Isabell Werth GER - photo credit: Lily Forado
Riding for the GOLD
Not much to say Werth was going for gold and she got it together with the German team.
From H2R point of view the walk tour and the pirouettes still have room for improvement, even more than the scoreboard tells. As the day developed one have to realise that Werth will be very difficult to beat over the next days.
Bella Rose GER - good halt, bit hectic diagonal, supple half pass right, super smooth to left uphill lightness pure, super halt with rein back, good extension, direct to passage, super expressive passage, sharp in and out of super piaffe, good relaxation for extended walk bit unbalance rhythm, super into passage, super dancing 2nd piaffe and transitions from the book of dressage, good transition to canter, super 2 times, this was extended canter and transition back before change, superb zigzag, super nice 1 times, tiny pirouette but lack more clear canter beat, 2nd better canter, nice diagonal, outstanding final.
Well Done de la Roche and Patrik Kittel SWE - photo credit: Lily Forado.
For Kittel like for Gal and Dufour it was entirely about the podium. And they gave it all.
The ultra light-footed mare Well Done de la Roche has been kind of a shy girl in the arena, not the spooky way but more like a bit insecure. Today’s test showed a very confident and expressive mare following all the aides and signals from her rider, and a significant development of the piaffe tours made the big score and the podium for the Swedish team.
Well done de la Roche SWE - good halt, bit hectic diagonal, light and supple half passes with good crossing, super halt with rein back, good diagonal, direct into passage, good passage, nice piaffe with good transitions, bit hurried extended walk need more relaxation, good 2nd piaffe with nice transitions, good transition to canter, nice 2 times, good extended canter, super balanced zigzag, smooth 1 times, super nice 1st pirouette, nice control and balance 2nd 2nd pirouette, good transition to trot, nice diagonal, smooth final centerline. 78,261%
Glock´s Zonik and Edward Gal NED - photo credit: Lily Forado
Gal was clearly determined to ride for the podium you could see, and his impressive Danish Warmblood stallion Glock´s Zonik had agreed on that plan. The Dutch team was definitely not going into to this championships as a silver contender, but as things developed over the two days they were standing at the silver podium today.
Glock´s Zonik N.O.P. NED - good halt, direct forward, power supple diagonal, supple super balanced half passes, open halt bit tense rein back, nice diagonal, super into passage, good piaffe with good transitions, super supple relaxed extended walk, direct to passage, regular 2nd piaffe could show a bit more obedience, good transition to canter, good 2 times, power extended canter, lacking bit more forward search for zigzag, good 1 times, super nice pirouettes, good transition to canter, nice diagonal, good final piaffe, strong final.
Mount St. John Freestyle and Charlotte Dujardin GBR - photo credit: Lily Forado
Eliminated
After a +81% test Dujardin and Mount St. John Freestyle were unfortunately eliminated after steward control, as Mount St. John has got a scratch from the spurs on the left side. This fact just changed the medal picture for the silver and bronze podium.
Great Britain was a silver position while Holland was at bronze. With the elimination Holland moved up to silver and Sweden took the bronze. Even with just three combinations left without Dujardin for Great Britain they finished 4th, while Demark finished 5th. With this picture 2% more for Denmark, it would have brought them into a silver position.
Mount St John Freestyle GBR - superb halt, power set off, WOW diagonal, nice flow half passes uphill, super nice halt with rein back, wauw supple extension to passage, dancing steps, small tensions for 1st piaffe, nice transitions, super relaxation and over track for extended walk, wow passage, lack a tiny bit to bring in the power for the piaffe, huge sit and bouncy steps, good transition to canter, huge 2 times, power extended canter and back for super change, small unbalance for zigzag, could be a bit smaller the 1st pirouette, 2nd more centered, superb diagonal, superb passage piaffe lack bit more clear flow. What a great performance.
Statement at Charlotte Dujardin Facebook site: