A total of 182 young colts are ready for this years HANN stallion pre-selection
Among the young stallions 10 colts by Dynamic Dream from his first crop are ready for the pre-selection. Also the stallion Confess Color is represented with his first crop, like also So Perfect shows his first crop.
Here you find the entire list of stallions for the pre-selection.
Normally the pre-selection will be available to follow at Clipmyhorse (but still not at the schedule).
Svalegårds Hot Driver & Carina Cassøe Krüth vinder af 4 års kvalifikation i Ålborg i dag - foto: Katrinelund
De to bedst placerede 4 års er direkte kvalificerede til finalen samt øvrige med minimum 7,8 er klar til mellemrunden.
Luxembourg rider repeats with another win in today´s S***
The 9 yr old mare Quatre Quartz á l´Orange by Quaterhall / Royal Blend together with Kristine Møller-Engel showed a lot of quality and of course still with some green moments.
Well balanced into entering halt, smooth trot tour active sharp from behind into a light and easy contact. Nice passage, easy in and out of piaffe steps, clear rhythm with ability and power to do the transitions, just need a bit more confidence to stay for a few steps more for the 2nd piaffe. The half passes in good balance, both trot and canter could show a bit more uphill trend, super walk tour, difficult exercise walk into halt with rein back and then transition direct into canter, super obedient and well balanced. Well balanced pirouettes with good sit and super canter quality, into extended canter with an extra change which was the only hiccup, super nice through the body with big canter strides for both the two times and one times. A clear win with 72,195%. A super exciting combination for the future.
Lena Waldmann and Fürst Wili 2nd with 69,919% with a lot of nice things but still missing bit more overall balance and collection.
Kristine was also today placed in S* with Sonnerie Souveraine as no 4 scoring 68,246%. No doubt about the qualities but sometime Sonnerie looks a bit to entusiastic and therefore errors creeping in for both series today which of course brought them bit down the list.
Qustello L e. Quantensprung / Hohenstein, avler & ejer L Horses (Skanderborg)- redet til sejr i dagens 5 års kvalifikation af Josefine Hoffmann fra Wind Dressage - privat foto.
Dagens championatskvalifikationer i Ålborg med vinderne direkte klar til finalen. Imorgen er det 4 års kvalifikation.
5 års klar til næste weekends mellemrunde (7,8):
6 års klar til mellemrunden (7,8)
7 års klar til mellemrunden (7,2)
Luxembourg rider Kristine Møller-Engel has this weekend brought two talented mares 9 yr old HANN mare Quatre-Quarts á l´Orange by Quaterhall/Royal Blend (breeder Dr. Christian Stampehl, owner Jens Thorsen) and 8 yr old mare Sonnenie Souveraine by Sezuan / Silvermoon (breeder & owner Jens Thorsen) for the national German event at Kranichstein.
This morning Kristine won the S*** with Quatre-Quarts á l´Orange with 70,570% and they showed a test without any technical issues. Quatre does show three really nice and clear basic gaits and for today´s performance of course still some insecure moments for the piaffe & passage tours, but look like a horse with great potential. Strong walk tour, super 1st pirouette to the left and nice series. 17 combinations were at start and among them also topriders as Dorothee Schneider, Thomas Wagner and Lena Waldmann.
Placed combinations in S***:
This afternoon Kristine showed Sonnerie Souveraine in S* unfortunately with two hiccups, the first shoulder in with small canter and error for the end of 3 times. Strong well balanced trot tour, bit short for the walk, but well balanced walk pirouettes and nice canter tour including very nice quality half pirouettes. Overall picture could have been with a bit more let go. Score 71,228% (placed as no 5).
Placed combinations in S*:
Opoque & Mette Sejbjerg Jensen er direkte klar til finalen med sejr i 4 års kvalifikationen i Bogø - foto: H2R
Til dato har der nu været afholdt kvalifikationer i Midtsjælland, Billund, Bogø, Vilhelsmborg og i den forgangende weekend i Frederiksværk. Den kommende weekend er det med kvalifikation i Ålborg og så er der mellemrunder i hhv. Grindsted og Heslegård den 23. og 24. september.
Vilhelmsborg
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB reclaimed the Freestyle title they won 12 months ago on the thrilling closing day of the FEI Dressage European Championship 2023 in Riesenbeck (GER) today.
In the months leading up to the event, speculation was rife about the clash of the sport’s giants and the emergence of many new stars, but the expected fire-works didn’t materialise earlier in the week.
Today however the reigning individual World championship duo of Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and the fabulous stallion Glamourdale pushed the reigning Olympic and defending European champions von Bredow-Werndl and her magical mare all the way to the line to take silver, while fellow-Briton and triple Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin stepped up to bag the bronze with Imhotep.
Much-anticipated
A total of 18 combinations lined out in this much-anticipated final test of the week, and it was Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD who led the way at the halfway stage with a score of 84.568. That might have been a great deal higher however if he hadn’t forgotten part of his floor-plan. Riesenbeck is in the heart of German horse country and the super-sharp spectators immediately realised something wasn’t right when he did a few steps of half-pass before riding down the centreline to finish.
“I had a brain-stop!”, he said afterwards, filled with emotion because he had omitted some of his half-pass and was trying to fit it in before finishing his test. “It was absolutely not a horse mistake, it was completely on my side!”, he pointed out.
When the action restarted the riders were playing leap-frog with each one overtaking the one that went before, and the crowd showed their everlasting adoration for their own Isabell Werth who was greeted with a frenzy of sound when she steered DSP Qantaz to the new leading score of 88.407. Two horses later however Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter, silver medallists in Friday’s Grand Prix Special, raised the bar even higher when putting 89.546 on the board with a super-smooth performance.
There were just four left to go now, and it seemed very possible that the Dane, a member of last year’s World Championship gold medal winning team, would finish on the podium again.
Uncharacteristic
Then von Bredow-Werndl set off for a test that was filled with seamless transitions and showered with maximum marks of 10, but it wasn’t without an uncharacteristic mistake in the one-tempi changes. The pair still stayed in tune with each other to the very end, when the scoreboard showed a colossal 92.818 for the new lead. It didn’t seem likely any of the rest could come anyway close to that. But Fry and Glamourdale did.
The stallion was on fire today, much more like the super-steed who wowed the spectators at the World Championship in Herning (DEN) last summer when he carried Fry to victory in both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle. Heavenly half-passes and lovely piaffe/passage saw the scores piling up despite a mistake when picking up the canter lead for the first time. The crowd held their breath while the score was being calculated, and although 92.379 was just short of von Bredow-Werndl’s target the knowledgable spectators roared with approval because they knew they had seen something very special once again.
The penultimate partnership of Britain’s Carl Hester and Fame put 85.461 on the board before Dujardin, last into the ring, did what she does best. It didn’t seem possible that a 10-year-old horse with no real experience could withstand the pressure, the noise, the tension in the arena that was now like a cauldron of excitement. But he did, overtaking Skodborg Merrald’s Zepter for bronze medal spot when earning 91.396 for a wonderful test. It was the perfect end to a wonderful week of sport.
Biggest buzz
"For me it’s the biggest buzz to go out there to a full crowd. When you’re warming up all you can hear is clapping, cheering, screaming, stamping feet, and it’s so exciting for our sport and us riders to have”
Charlotte Dujardin GBR
"I was just delighted to start and finish, he’d never had anyone clapping through his test and I was thinking they are clapping and I’m not even close to home! But he’s just incredible, he takes everything in his stride and I’m just so excited for next year. I had a baby six months ago and I didn’t think I’d be here this year. I kind of ruled out the Europeans and was aiming at Paris next year and here I am at the end of the week with one gold medal and two bronze medals. I can’t ask for more. It’s been a great week for me and for Dressage!”, Dujardin said.
All-the-more extraordinary was the fact that she was only riding her floorplan and music created by Tom Hunt for the very first time. She only started putting it together a few weeks ago and she had no idea how it would work out. The music is from the film “Madagascar” because apparently Imhotep, aka Pete, looks just like Alex the Lion when his mane is loose.
Asked how she is feeling this evening after a super-close race to the finish line today, Fry replied “I guess I feel a little relief that we are back on the podium, but mainly just excitement and super happy. The feeling that he gave me in there today was that we are really back on track. The first two tests (this week) maybe weren’t what I had hoped they would be, but today it was the most incredible feeling and I’m a bit speechless to be honest!”
She said she was trying to reproduce the best parts from her Grand Prix and Special tests from earlier in the week. “Glammy also had a day off yesterday, it’s been very hot for him, and today he was fresh but he was concentrated. The first day here he was fresh and slightly distracted and the second day he was slightly tired, so today we got the perfect mix and it was such an amazing feeling and I couldn’t be more happy”, she explained.
Defence
Meanwhile von Bredow-Werndl reflected on her magnificent defence of both individual titles this week. “This is the success of a huge amount people, not only me. Today the big feeling is just gratefulness. Dalera only hand-walked yesterday and she was full of power and energy again today”, she explained.
"It was my goal to come here and defend as many titles as possible!”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl GER
she continued. “I gave my very best for the team (Germany finished in team silver medal spot) but at the end the ladies next to me, and the men next to them, were better, so we have more work to do before Paris to make it more difficult for them!” she pointed out.
Asked about coming up against Fry and her stallion for the first time this week she said “I was prepared to meet her in Omaha, or in Aachen, and I was just finally happy to meet her here! I’m focusing on myself and Dalera and I’m happy we had great sport and other riders coming up, but this pushes me to train better, more precisely and to keep on improving”.
There’s no doubt that this week’s close competition has firmly focused minds on next year’s Olympic Games. With the 2023 European titles now decided it’s all eyes on Paris 2024. And Fry still has her eyes on the big prize.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on for next year but it does make everybody super-excited when we were so close today, having small mistakes but that makes it even more exciting because we both know (Fry and von Bredow-Werndl) we can be better! And we shouldn’t under-estimate Charlotte or Nanna for next year, or Isabell (Werth) so I think we are going to have a year to work on a lot of things and Paris is going to be really exciting!”
If it is anything like the FEI Dressage European Championship 2023 at Riesenbeck this week it’s going to be a thriller from start to finish…..
Daniel talks through Fridays Grand Prix Special test with Vayron, where he tells about both the high lights and the challenges for at still inexperienced big Grand Prix horse, while Nathalie brings in details they are working on.
It’s icing on the cake to get to ride the 2nd ever freestyle, Daniel tells and hope to be able to take a risk. Start time 🕰️ at 14.20 today.
CLICK HERE to watch the analyze from Daniel & Nathalie.
Pauline Basquin and her 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Sertorius de Rima Z, quietly captivated the hearts of spectators at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck. This French duo, relatively new to the international dressage scene since last year, has been steadily gaining recognition, even contributing to their team's victory in the Nations Cup in Rotterdam.
Their most significant individual achievement to date occurred in yesterday's Grand Prix Special, where they secured a spot in tomorrow's freestyle with an impressive score of 73.328 percent. Many spectators felt that their performance deserved even higher marks. The petite 44-year-old rider and her elegant dark bay partner embody the essence of dressage, which, for Basquin, is all about harmony. It's a quality that defines their partnership.
Surprisingly, Basquin's equestrian journey began in the world of showjumping. Her parents ran a pony club near Rennes in Brittany, and she was already in the saddle while other children were taking their first steps. Choosing a career in riding was a natural progression for her. She went on to achieve the higher riding instructor exam, equivalent to Germany's master's exam, at the Cadre Noir in Saumur. The Cadre Noir is a renowned French riding school, often likened to a blend of Austria's Spanish Riding School and Germany's national base in Warendorf, albeit without the backing of a federation.
After successfully passing the exam, Basquin seized the opportunity to participate in an entrance test for the Cadre Noir, a move that marked the beginning of her enduring journey within this prestigious institution. Her affiliation with the Cadre Noir commenced in 2007 and has since been a significant part of her life.
Performance Sertorius
Basquin used to ride showjumping horses, training and competing with them up to a 1.35-meter level. However, after the birth of her two sons, she decided to shift her focus away from competitive tournaments and towards more equestrian galas, particularly the performances with the Cadre Noir. These galas showcase high-level equitation, similar to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, featuring classical riding techniques and movements performed on horseback.
Sertorius de Rima Z IFCE, a three-year-old at the time, joined the Cadre Noir and was destined to become a part of these prestigious equestrian showcases. Being relatively small and delicate, he was not suitable for male riders, which turned out to be fortunate for Basquin. She took on the task of training and developing Sertorius, initially with the intention of eventually passing him on to another rider once he was ready.
However, when Sertorius turned five, Pauline Basquin began to sense that he possessed exceptional potential. He was not destined to be just another showjumper for the galas; he had the makings of a dressage horse destined for the grand arena. "I've always loved riding him because he's so intelligent and has so much energy," Basquin says, describing the feeling in the saddle.
Steep career
The plan to "ride fewer shows" was short-lived and proved unsuccessful. At the tender age of seven, Sertorius emerged as France's top young horse, and he continued to excel, even reaching the S*** level. However, a setback occurred when he had to take a two-year hiatus due to colic. In 2021, he made a triumphant return, and by 2022, he was competing in his first international Grand Prix competitions. That same year, he earned a nomination for the World Championships in Herning, marking a consistent upward trajectory in their journey together.
For Pauline Basquin, the prospect of competing for the European title in the freestyle is a cause for great joy. However, she is consciously avoiding putting excessive pressure on herself. Her primary goal is to savor the experience and relish the enjoyment of the moment.
In her quest for the perfect freestyle music, Basquin delved into the depths of the internet, listening to countless tracks under the keyword "epic music." This meticulous search took her several hours. Ultimately, she discovered a piece of music that resonated with her and Sertorius' embodiment of the Cadre Noir tradition, as well as the gelding's graceful movements. It was further arranged by a friend to suit their performance.
If Sertorius were a human, Basquin playfully describes him as "very handsome, a bit sassy, and someone who loves to be the center of attention." Tomorrow, he will indeed revel in the spotlight, capturing not just titles but also hearts along the way.
The FEI Grand Prix Freestyle starts Sunday, September 10th, at 1.30 pm
Photo: Stefan Lafrentz.
Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein reflecting on today´s Grand Prix Special, looking towards Sunday´s freestyle and a bit towards next year´s big championship - the Olympics in Paris.
Defending champions, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the 16-year-old mare TSF Dalera BB, made it two-in-a-row when coming out on top in the Grand Prix Special at the FEI Dressage European Championship 2023 in Riesenbeck (GER) today.
The pair scored 84.271 to take the title two years ago in Hagen (GER), but today they raised their game even higher when posting a personal-best 85.593 for the win. In a championship filled with a combination of well-established partnerships along with many only setting out on their journeys at this level of the sport, the silver medal went to Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg-Merrald and the 15-year-old gelding Blue Hors Zepter while Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin steered 10-year-old newcomer Imhotep into bronze.
Early target
It was von Bredow-Werndl’s compatriot Isabell Werth who set the early target score at 78.252 with DSP Qantaz. “He was fantastic, he is really in a great shape!”, she said. “The fine tuning is perfect, he trusts me, the confidence is really there and he was so supple”, said the legendary lady who finished in silver medal spot in the Special in 2021.
But then Britain’s Lottie Fry changed the whole shape of the competition when putting 81.763 on the board with the stallion Glamourdale. “He felt really good in there today, much better than yesterday, more concentrated, we had one tiny blip in the one-tempi changes behind, but apart from that I couldn’t fault him.
“The test overall was much better than yesterday, he was much more with me. The pirouettes were a real highlight today, and the trot-work. And his walk has improved so much as well”, she explained. Piaffe also picked up marks of 9 and 10 throughout the test.
With the bar now set really high, von Bredow-Werndl and the mare with which she won all gold at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and again just a few weeks later at the European championship in Hagen in 2021 were next into the ring. And they certainly didn’t disappoint. Despite fiddling in the first halt, they stepped it out in style for the remainder of the test and went way into the lead with that score of 85.593.
She knew she’d thrown it down to the remaining three.
"“She (Dalera) was on fire and listening, and now it’s so easy for her. Now she’s got the strength. Of course she was sweating but when we came out her breathing was normal after one minute. This is how you can see how fit she is”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl GER
von Bredow-Werndl said.
She wasn’t really threatened by the final three despite some more spectacular performances, Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep overtaking team-mate Fry when putting 82.583 on the board, and Carl Hester posting 80.106 with the 13-year-old Fame. “I’ve never had him so relaxed, it was like he grew up at this show, accepted all my aids really nicely and I just had a really lovely ride!”, Hester said.
Build-up
In the build-up to the championship all the conversation has been about the clash of giants - the first-time face-off between von Bredow-Werndl’s mare who has been unbeatable for a long time now and Fry’s stallion who won the individual title at last summer’s World championship along with the rising stars ridden by Dujardin and Hester.
A little more quietly under the spotlight however was the relatively new Danish partnership of Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter. Anyone who has followed their progress since coming together at the beginning of the year knew they could not be discounted this week. And so it turned out. Showing all of their class they gave the leaderboard a shake-up when slotting into silver medal spot with a super score of 82.796 to demote Dujardin to bronze and push Hester off the medal podium into fourth place.
“It was a dream come true today!”, Skodborg Merrald said this evening. I knew it was possible for me to fight for the medals this year but I also knew that I was up against three amazing, strong women who could do the same (von Bredow-Werndl, Dujardin and Fry). I had so much focus on doing my test today as good as possible and see how the result is - it was actually super close, so it’s all the small details that matter”. Just 0.213 separated silver and bronze.
“During the test I was just focusing, but coming to the end I thought I had done everything I could and I really love that feeling, and when I heard the scores it was unbelievable. The feeling I had yesterday in the Grand Prix was a lot of fire and a little too much tension. Today was more relaxed but then I was in doubt if he was too relaxed during the test!”, she added.
Bronze medal spot
Dujardin was more than happy to slot into bronze medal spot.
“I love having young horses and training them through up to Grand Prix. The partnership I have with my horses means everything to me. Pete can get a bit insecure, you can hear it in the sneezing, and I pat him and tell him you are doing really well. I have to hold his hand a little bit but each horse I’ve had has been different. With Valegro I pressed for 10 and he was off for 10, whereas Pete, he’s an amazing horse, phenomenal to ride but I can’t press for 10 now. But next year I can go for 10!”, she said, throwing down the gauntlet to the other two medallists at the post-competition press conference.
“Their horses are 15 and 16 and they’ve been doing it a lot longer than Pete. He’s done that test no more than six times. To be sat here with a medal around my neck with a horse that is so inexperienced - yesterday there wasn’t much atmosphere in the arena but today it was full of people and you could really feel the vibe. It takes a lot for a horse to go in that environment and go down that centreline and halt and then do a perfect test. For a horse that doesn’t have experience and who has been thrown in the deep end like he has, I am so proud of him. He has a heart of gold and just wants to work with me all the time”, she pointed out.
Managing expectations
For von Bredow-Werndl, this week has been as much about managing expectations as it is about winning medals. Could she and Dalera keep Fry and Glamourdale at bay, or would some of the other British contenders overtake them all? As it happens it is Skodborg Merrald and Zepter who are presenting the biggest threat ahead of Sunday’s Freestyle finale.
The new champion talked about the lead-in to the championship and the expectations ahead of the clash between her mare and her many challengers.
"There were expectations before Aachen and the World Cup Final, so I’ve been working with these expectations for quite a few months now. Finally I was just happy to meet them."
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl GER
What I did was not to think about it. The only thing I can influence is Dalera and me. So that’s how we handled it and how we will handle it in the future.
“Because if there’s no Glamourdale there’s always somebody coming. And it’s good for the sport and good for the competition and if there was nobody I couldn’t improve so it’s good to be pushed and to continue improving ourselves. And we have improved, we’ve improved our walk, the passage, the piaffe, the canter, the changes, so many things. And the art is to have everything together on point but also to have a happy athlete who wants to present herself because she has enough strength.
“And it’s only possible if you train smart, and not hard, at home”, she said.
She enjoys every moment of her time with Dalera who is pretty good at taking care of herself.
“She is the best at resting, she can switch on and off immediately, she goes to the stable and she turns right off! She lies down in the stable every night, she is the best traveller and she knows how to save her own energy!”
In the intense heat at Riesenbeck this weekend she will need all the energy she can muster for the final clash in Sunday’s Freestyle in which the top-18 will line out. It’s all set for another day of exceptional sport, do don’t miss a hoofbeat….
Team medal decision, Danish performances and results, the top of today´s individual ranking and the eyes on tomorrow´s Grand Prix Special from Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein.
It was team gold for Great Britain at the FEI Dressage European Championship 2023 in Riesenbeck (GER) today where the hosts and defending European champions from Germany had to settle for silver medal spot ahead of the reigning World champions from Denmark in bronze.
Fantastic individual performances were the order of the day, with world number one, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, posting the biggest score of the competition with the super-mare TSF Dalera BB when putting 84.612 on the board. But it was Lottie Fry’s personal-best Grand Prix result of 81.258 with the stallion Glamourdale that clinched it for the British side, boosting them to pole position on a final tally 242.220 when the best scores from each team were added.
Germany completed on a total of 239.674 while Denmark rounded up their tally at 228.727. Sweden slotted into fourth place ahead of The Netherlands in fifth and France in sixth while Austria, Belgium and Spain earned the three Olympic qualifying spots up for grabs when filling the next three places in that order.
Fry was joined in the victorious British side by Gareth Hughes (Classic Briolinca) and Carl Hester (Fame) who strutted their stuff yesterday, and Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) who also produced a stunning performance today.
Raised the temperature
It was Germany’s Frederic Wandres who first raised the temperature on a very hot day when producing a strong score of 77.888 with Bluetooth OLD under the midday sun. “It was so hot in there, but Bluetooth is used to the heat a little bit from competing in Wellington (USA). He has had two seasons there and every day it is 30 degrees so he is able to deliver very good scores in the heat. I think we showed a very harmonious ride and a consistent frame from the beginning to the end with no technical mistakes”, he pointed out.
But Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep set a whole new standard when putting 82.422 on the board for a test in which they earned multiple scores of 9 and 10 and held the crowd spellbound.
“The relaxation, the frame is getting better, he still has moments where it could be better but it all comes from experience. Just going through the test, for 10 years old that’s done as little as he has, it really is amazing. It normally takes years and years to get them to that point. Last year I think he’d done maybe four or five Grand Prix before the World Games (FEI Dressage World Championship).
"He did just three shows before coming here and preparation-wise he needs to do more shows but smaller shows just to give him experience, but then he goes and does that! I love him to bits!"
Charlotte Dujardin GBR
Start
She didn’t have a great start to the week however. “When I got here Pete (Imhotep) had been travel sick, there were complications getting here because of the EU paperwork that was done wrong, so he had 19 hours of travel and he’s never travelled that far. So he arrived with travel sickness but we have a great team of vets that helped so thankfully he was fine. And then Isabella (her six-month-old baby daughter) got a temperature. She was really sick and had high fever so I got about an hour’s sleep on Monday because she was so poorly - it’s been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me this week!”, Dujardin said.
With just one more rider to go for each team the result was still hanging in the balance. And when world number one, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, blew the competition wide open with what would be the biggest score of the competition then Germany looked set to threaten Britain’s overnight lead.
Consistent scores of nine and multiple scores of 10 for piaffe and for seamless transitions throughout their entire test earned a massive mark of 84.612. She was delighted.
“Being here in Germany riding my wonderful, beautiful mare Dalera is always a gift. Every time I am allowed to enter the arena it is a gift. She always tries her very best and it’s just up to me. If I am focused and on point then she is as well, she is my mirror!”, she said. But there would be one more twist in the tale.
Immense pressure
Third-last into the ring, and under immense pressure, the horse-and-rider combination who claimed the individual title at last summer’s FEI Dressage World Championship in Herning (DEN), Britain’s Lottie Fry and the super-stallion Glamourdale, would ensure that although von Bredow-Werndl would have the highest score of the day it would be Team GB on the top of the team podium this evening.
The stallion kicked off his test with a huge mark of over 87.00 but ended up on 81.258, still a personal-best for the British partnership. “He felt amazing in there, he had a few small distractions, some noises from outside caught his attention but still he got a personal best which shows we’ve really improved on a lot of things from last year and we were excited to get back in there”, Fry said.
That score would lift the British total past Germany and onto the top step of the medal podium.
On fire
"He went in there on fire! I just felt a few little distractions, his eyes wandering to the outside of the arena, but I think he had many many highlights today as well, some things that have never been as good, so we are focusing on those and really going for it tomorrow!”
Lottie Fry GBR
The stallion was awarded six scores of 10 for his trademark and thrilling extended canter and the spectators will be looking forward to seeing it again in tomorrow’s Grand Prix Special for which the top 30 individual riders have qualified.
Carl Hester threw down the British gauntlet yesterday with what he described as his “best test to date” with Fame.
“I’ve only been riding him for about nine months and I was absolutely delighted with him. My take-away from yesterday would be if I could ride the beginning of my test like I got to ride him at the end of the test that would help to get more points in there. He’s a joy to ride, a joy to be around, and I’m very lucky to have him!”, he said this evening.
Emotion
Team-member Gareth Hughes was filled with emotion. “We’ve been a team since 2019, Lottie - her career so far has been unbelievable, what the future brings is mind-boggling. We have Carl, he gets on a horse and he is just a master - he’s been coaching me for 20 years. Charlotte, for me she’s the best test rider in the world, it’s just an honour to watch her today and it’s an honour to be part of this team and all I can say is thank you!”, he said.
This was only Britain’s second team gold in the 60-year history of the FEI Dressage European Championship. Dujardin, riding Valegro, and Hester, riding Uthopia were on that winning side in Rotterdam in 2011 and, a year later, they clinched team gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Today’s result seems like a good omen a year ahead of Paris 2024.
But more immediately there is tomorrow’s top-30 Grand Prix Special to look forward to and then the Freestyle finale on Sunday. Von Bredow-Werndl won both at the last European Championship in Hagen (GER) two years ago but she looks set to face stiff competition in defence of both of those titles, especially from her nearest challengers in the Grand Prix - Dujardin, Fry, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald with Blue Hors Zepter and Hester.
The Special kicks off at 10.15 local time, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….
Startlists and Results here
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