5 year old
6 year old
7 year old
14.500 euro top price at Global Dressage Auction
Most expensive embryo:
Most expensive foal sold:
Here you find the entire results - https://globaldressage.auction/collection/14
Successful 1st edition of Gut Schönweide Foal Auction with top price colt by Bon Esprit sold for 48.000 euro
Carina Cassøe Krüth udelukkes midlertidigt fra bruttogruppe og landshold
Nyhed på DRF 14. august
Dansk Ride Forbunds ledelse har truffet en beslutning om at udelukke Carina Cassøe Krüth fra DRF’s bruttogruppe samt landshold i dressur. Udelukkelsen er midlertidig og gælder foreløbigt frem til appeludvalgets behandling af sagen, hvorefter længden af udelukkelsen revurderes i henhold til udvalgets afgørelse.
Videomateriale viser opførsel, som er uforeneligt med DRF’s normer og værdier
Beslutningen er truffet som følge af at rytterens opførsel i videoen er uforenelig med DRF’s sportsplan, hvori ”normer og værdier for bruttogruppe-, landsholdsryttere og deres personlige team” er beskrevet.
Samtlige bruttogruppe- og landsholdsryttere er bekendte med sportsplanen, som tager afsæt i værdierne ”samarbejde, engagement, helhed, udvikling og trivsel”. Sportsplanens formål er at agere pejlemærke for de normer, værdier og retningslinjer man som bruttogruppe-, landsholdsrytter og -træner i dressur skal være ambassadør for og virke under.
Udelukkelsen vedrører aktiviteter, samlinger og stævner i regi af DRF’s bruttogruppe og landshold, som er beskrevet i DRF’s sportsplan.
Har du spørgsmål vedr. ovenstående beslutning, kan du kontakte DRF’s direktør, Morten Rodtwitt, på +45 29 37 09 16
Uddrag af DRF’s sportsplan
Normer og værdier for bruttogruppe-, landsholdsryttere og deres personlige team:
Ryttere og deres personlige team er forpligtiget til at efterleve DRF’s Code of Conduct, følge nærværende normer og værdier, samt DRF’s retningslinjer for etisk korrekt anvendelse af hesten til ridesport.
Ryttere og deres personlige team forventes til enhver tid at optræde som gode rollemodeller.
Som rollemodel skal rytterne og deres personlige team stræbe efter god sportslig optræden og er forpligtiget til at overholde idrættens fairplay principper samt generelle dyrevelfærdsprincipper.
KWPN Online Auction: bridging breeders and international buyers
Over the years, the KWPN Auctions platform has evolved into an international showcase where breeders and buyers frequently come together. This season, seven editions of the KWPN Online Foal Auction are scheduled from July through October. What sets the KWPN Online Foal Auction apart from other auctions, is its focus on market promotion. The KWPN supports its breeders in reaching potential buyers, attracting an international clientele.
All foals are inspected by a KWPN inspector and have undergone a clinical examination by a veterinarian, allowing buyers worldwide to invest with confidence. However, there is no selection based on quality or pedigree, making it unfair to compare the results of the KWPN Online Foal Auctions directly with other foal auctions.
Fair prices
For buyers, this platform offers the opportunity to acquire promising foals at reasonable prices. Breeders aim to sell their foals, and the process is entirely transparent. In the previous edition, showjumping enthusiasts had the chance to invest in well-bred foals by sires like Chacco-Blue and Diamant de Semilly. Upcoming auctions will once again feature a range of interesting foals. From August the 16th to 19th, the third auction of the year will be open for bidding, featuring offspring of Olympic dressage stallions such as Ferro and Glock’s Toto Jr., as well as rising sires like Extreme U.S., One Million, and Kjento. Alongside 28 dressage foals, this auction also includes seven showjumping foals, sired by stallions such as Carrera VDL, Cero Blue TN, and Cape Coral RBF Z.
Interested parties can contact a KWPN inspector for more information, and our KWPN partner Horses2Fly is available to assist with international transport.
German young horses selected for Ermelo - strongest for the 7 year old division
5 yr old Singleton by Secret / Damsey with Madelene Engelke missing at the SELECTED list - screenshot: Clipmyhorse
Final German selected of young horses for WCYH in Ermelo took place yesterday in Warendorf
5 year old - From the first selection Voundation with Ann-Christin Wienkamp were super convinsing, where they yesterday were missing more overall power, but still a clear pick for the Germans.
In general more of the 5 yr old horses yesterday were missing a bit more clear selfcarriage as most of them were a bit to much into the contact. During the event the riders were made aware of the very hot weather in terms of the warm up.
From H2R point of view Singleton was clearly missing among the selected 5 yr old horses. Singleton was moving light and easy of the ground into a steady, natural carriage and not to hard contact.
The overall most supple mover was Glamdale WP but unfortunately the ultimate 100% steady contact was missing.
Escanto PS by Escamilo / Fürstenball which has been popular among the breeders did not get selected. From the entering halt one could sense that he was not fully in front of the riders aides. Again for the walk turn on haunches he clearly was against the rider and not moving forward on the aides. Once more for the simple change canter, walk, canter where he just stops and the rider is unfortunately not able to make him move anymore, as he just stands, until the bell rings and they were eliminated. Such a pity.
6 year old - Among the 6 year old horses the two stallions Segantini with Dorothee Schneider and Top Shelf with Laila Wittendorf Petersen were the most clear picks, and with Top Shelf with very nice both first and final selection.
Global Power with Evelyn Eger with super trot work and top canter qualities, bit tensions for the walk tour but very interesting candidate.
7 year old - here Germany will be in the medals. Three mares stood out Blue FRH with Tessa Frank which we haven´t seen at the first selection due to illness, but were invited for the final as they already competed successfully at S-level. Supple well balanced with good expression all the way. Also Vaida-Girl with Marina Welbers and Chere Celine OLD with Lena Hassmann were showing high class performances.
Last years silver medalist Vitalos FRH with Leonie Richter were again showing a super trot tour and good walk tour, and as Dr. Dietrich Plewa fully correct commented for the canter: “In clear 3-beat sometimes with bit croup high, for the collected exercises you could wish for a bit more under the body jump, which also affects the flying changes which could be more through the body”.
5 year old combinations selected:
6 year old combinations selected:
7 year old combinations selected:
Start lists for final German Young Horse selection for WCYH in Ermelo
Tomorrow Tuesday 13 August with final selection
Will be available to watch on Clipmyhorse.
Germany has 8 slots available in each age group for WCYH in Ermelo.
7 year old
6 year old
5 year old
Verden Championships of riding and young dressage horses
⬆️Hannoveraner Champion of the six-year-old dressage horses: Be Sure with Eva Möller (Photo: Hannoveraner Verband)
Press Release
Verden. Hannover’s Champions of riding and young dressage horses were crowned at the Verden showgrounds. The decisions were exciting and the finals featured high-calibre competitors. The riding horse titles went to Flower, Senorita la Bonita, Vienna Ninja and So Special. The Hannoveraner Champions of young dressage horse are For Future W, Siempre Conmigo and Be Sure.
RIDING HORSES
The Riding Horse Championships are very popular among breeders as one of the first tests for young talents at the beginning of their careers. In the final of the four-year-old mares and geldings, Hann.Pr.A. Flower and Janina Tietze lived up to their role as favourites. The Fürst Toto/Dancier daughter (breeder: Manfred Kregel, Laatzen), became Hannoveraner Champion of mares and geldings. Almost exactly twelve months ago, the strong-moving chestnut mare with best conformation was awarded a Ia Prize at the Herwart von der Decken show at the same venue. The silver ribbon went to Diyala by Damaschino/Stedinger (breeder: Klosterhof Medingen, Bad Bevensen) and Jacob Schenk. The bay is a half-sister of premium stallion Quattroporte by Quantensprung. The bronze place was shared, two Hannoveraner premium candidates achieved the same score in the final result. Hann.Pr.A. London Eye by La Vie/De Kooning (breeder: Kathrin Wassmann, Badbergen) was highly awarded at the Herwart von der Decken show last Thursday and was presented by Hermann Burger. Sascha Böhnke was in the saddle of the Secret/Fantastic daughter Secret's Fantastic (breeder: Aloys Ewers, Meppen). She was also successful at the Verband’s mare show. Last year she was awarded an Id prize as the winning mare at the local mare show in Timmel. Owner Sabine Eggerking had discovered her four years earlier at the Verden foal auction.
The programme continued with the three-year-old mares and geldings. With two tens in the protocol for trot and canter, the Sir Heinrich/Westernhagen daughter Hann.Pr.A. Senorita la Bonita (breeder: Axel Windeler, Verden-Walle) from the valuable dam line of Alferate could not be denied victory. The local heroine, who was born less than five kilometres from the showgrounds, was put in the limelight by Sina Aringer. She had qualified for the final ring at the Herwart von der Decken show as an Ib prizewinner due to her high quality. Boccaccio by Bonds/Dancier (breeder: Hans-Jürgen Hollen, Geveshausen) was also awarded high marks. The liver chestnut with Danica Duen in the saddle was runner-up champion by a tenth of a point. After taking second place in the four-year-old class, Jacob Schenk guided Voulez-Vous by V-Plus/Fürsten-Look (breeder: Michael Schenk, Niendorf), who was bred by his parents, to third place.
Vienna Ninja by Viva Gold/Bodyguard (breeder: ZG Slink, Großheide) and Daniela Graé led the field of three-year-old stallions. The liver chestnut, who has an outstanding canter, came into Austrian ownership via the Verden stallion sales last year. The Majestic Tonga/Desperados son Majestic Day (breeder: Anna Genfors, Förslöv/SWE) came second. It was the second ride of his rider Hermann Burger that was crowned with a podium place. The dark bay's dam is none other than St.Pr.St. Doris Day, who was the acclaimed champion mare at the Herwart von der Decken show in 2010. There were again two third places: Beck in Magic by Benicio/Dancier (breeder: Dirk Wahlers, Weyhe) with Mareike Mimberg-Hess and D'Agustinus by Damaschino/Dauphin (breeder: Prof. Dr Karsten Harms, Rosdorf). Jacob Schenk sat in his saddle – medal three in the third round. Both stallions have prominent relatives: Beck in Magic is a full brother to the Westphalian stallion By your Side and half-brother to the stallion Falihandro by Fürstenball, who was successful at Grand Prix level. D'Agustinus' dam Donna Aurelia produced the advanced (S) level dressage horses D'Agustina by Don Juan de Hus and Florence by Franziskus.
The last ten of the Hannoveraner Riding Horse Championships was awarded to the four-year-old stallion So Special. The Secret/Bon Coeur son (breeder: Pia Sophie Wahlers, Visselhövede) was also "so special" indeed: 10 for canter and 9.5 for rideabelity made the liver chestnut with Jessica Lynn Thomas the Champion. After coming second last year, he could now enjoy the white and yellow winner's sash. Jacob Schenk was also in the saddle of a medallist in this class, this time riding the runner-up, Lindenberg by Libertad/Destano (breeder: ZG Maak, Hamburg). Third in Verden last year, he had passed his sport test for stallions part I in spring with a final score of 9.07. A former Verden auction foal took the white ribbon for third place: V-Zwölf GT by V-Plus/St. Moritz (breeder: Nina Vogt, Ostercappeln), who impressed with rider Charlott-Maria Schürmann with three basic gaits that were all scored "very good". The black stallion also found his current owner in the Niedersachsenhalle: Gestüt Tannenhof purchased him two years ago at the stallion sales.
DRESSAGE HORSES
Tessa Frank made her Secret/Dancier son Siempre Conmigo (breeder: Gisela and Dr Richard Brunner, Weilserswist) dance around the dressage arena in the five-year-old class and took the title "Hannoveraner Champion of five-year-old dressage horses" in the final after winning the qualifier. The absolute highlight: the canter. Second place went to Escaneno by Escamillo/Veneno (breeder: Tobias Schult, Hünxe) with Jacob Schenk in the saddle. For the stallion from Klosterhof Medingen, who is very popular with breeders, this is only the third competition start of his still young career. Completing the podium in third place was the Celle state stud stallion Eventyr by Escolar/Lauries Crusador xx (breeder: Zuchthof Dree Böken KG, Prieros), who Wolfhard Witte routinely guided through the medium (M) level dressage horse test.
In the final of the six-year-old dressage horses, the highest score of the Verden Championships was awarded: 9.2 for the incredibly powerful and uphill canter of the Benicio/Scuderia son BeSure (breeder: Ludwig Fuchs, Meinerzhagen). The athletic bay was effectively staged by Eva Möller and thus won his first title. Last year, the former premium stallion competed for Denmark at the World Championships for young dressage horses and finished eleventh. Emmy Lou by Escolar/Fürst Heinrich (breeder: Friedhelm Tito, Horn-Bad Meinberg) and Kira Laura Soddemann had qualified for the final in fifth place. When it came down to it, they went "one better" and became Vice Champion. The expressive liver chestnut stallion Sky by Sezuan/Sir Donnerhall (breeder: Gestüt Neff, Frankenberg) joined Hannah Laser in bronze. He left the Verden stallion sales as premium stallion and top prize horse heading for Schleswig-Holstein to Gut Schönweide. More could have been possible, the canter changes were not successful and Sky ended up in third place.
The seven and eight-year-old dressage horses competed in the St. Georg Special. Hann.Pr.A. For Future W by Fürst Belissaro/Silberschmied (breeder: Oliver Wauro, Helvesiek) and Claire-Louise Averkorn left the arena of the Hannoveraner Championships with the winner's sash. She comes from the dam line of Oböe, which is also the dam line of Mattihas Alexander Rath's Sterntaler UNICEF and Frederic Wandres' World Champion Zucchero, and was the best qualifier in the final. The runner-up was Sezuana by Sezuan/Belissimo M (breeder: Fun-Dressage GbR, Bad Homburg) with rider Sandra Kötter. Third place went to the Flanell/Donnerhall son Feu D'Amour (breeder: Burkhard Wahler, Bad Bevensen), presented by Moritz Gehrmann.
⬆️Hannoveraner Champion of three-year-old mares and geldings Senorita la Bonita with Sina Aringer and breeder Axel Windeler (Photo: Hannoveraner Verband)
74.000 euro top price colt by Blue Hors Santiano at OLD Elite auction
VIDEO of top price colt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXqH4Oshnbk
Part of OLD Press release
Overwhelming Prices for Top Foals
Oldenburg Elite foals are in demand worldwide. At the 35th Elite Foal Auction at the Oldenburg Horse Center Vechta, there was once again reliability on the numerous Oldenburg regulars. Managing Director Roland Metz was especially pleased with the many new customers who were acquired through HORSE24. On average, Oldenburg fans spent 13,000 euros on their young talents in Vechta.
As the top price, Sea Cloud by My Blue Hors Santiano - Krack C - Aljano - Caletto II, bred by Erja Aholainen, Hollingstedt, triumphed. With a price of 74,000 euros, this movement-talented colt received the highest bid. The stallion prospect was sold to an international dressage stable in the UK. His dam, Fjola, is the sister of the licensed and Grand Prix-successful Champagner by Catoo, ridden by Maria Klementieva/RUS, and Laurano by Lauries Crusador xx, ridden by Anna-Lena Kracht.
Customers from the UK also secured Special Agent by Secret Noir - Floriscount - Stedinger - De Niro, bred by Helmut Kleen from Bad Zwischenahn. The noble black beauty was sold for 40,000 euros. His dam, Uthaja, is the sister of the Oldenburg Champion Mare of 2022, Benice by Benefit. The Uthoba family also includes the Grand Prix-successful Gut Wettlkam’s Stand by me OLD, ridden by Lisa Müller.
The second highest price was achieved by the winner of the Vechta Foal Championship, Ravina KP by Fair Deal - Foundation - Florencio I - Donatelli, bred by Kerstin Peters, Wiesmoor. A bid of 47,000 euros secured this charming champion for regular customers from Poland. They also acquired the lovely black mare Emilia by Escanto PS - Vivaldi - Bretton Woods - Rubinstein I, bred by Dieter Bloms from Halverde, for 21,500 euros. Her granddam, Toskara, is the sister of the licensed stallion, World Champion, and two-time Bundeschampion Don Davidoff by Don Gregory, ridden by Dr. Ulf Möller.
A long-time Oldenburg friend from Hungary secured Veritas by V-Power - Totilas - Florencio I - Lord Liberty G, bred by Grote Landwirtschaft KG from Neuenkirchen-Vörden. The ambassador of the famous Rulli-Rudilore family cost 30,500 euros. Customers from Mexico also acquired the black stallion Flamour by Feliciano - Sezuan - Locksley II - Escudo II, bred by Carsten Gebers from Winsen, for 15,500 euros. Flamourcomes from the same maternal line as the Grand Prix star Duke of Britain, ridden by Frederic Wandres.
A renowned stallion station from Lower Saxony invested 30,000 euros in the movement-talented Vangelis by V-Power - De Niro - Argentinus - Barsoi xx, bred by Andreas Klinkerfrom Molbergen. Vangelis shares his maternal line with the Bundeschampion and Vice-World Champion Destello OLD, ridden by Beatrice Hoffrogge, and the Grand Prix-winning Daytona Platinum, ridden by Fiona Bigwood/GBR.
Here you find the entire list of prices - https://horse24.com/en/auctions/details/35th-elite-foal-auction-356
51.000 euro and 26.000 euro top price colts by V-Power HANN OnLive auction (Part 1 & 2)
Dansk Varmblod med sadelkåring på Randbøl Dressage Academy
⬆️Udnævnt til dagens bedste 4 års og ældre hoppe.
De smukke faciliteter dannede igen rammen om et dejligt hestearrangement
Torsdagen stod i hoppernes tegn. Generelt en god kollektion af unge hopper til sadelkåring på Randbøl Dressage Academy. Nogle enkelte var ikke helt ridemæssigt klar til opgaven, men lod sig alligevel ride i de nye opgivelser.
En enkelt hoppe fra 4 års og ældre holdet (her øverst ⬆️) samt ni 3 års hopper klar til eliteskuet.
Det var hopperne Søbakkehus Malfoy e. Down Town / Sir Donnerhall, Soulsister L e. Secret / Apache og Polka Gold M e. Glamourdale / Fürstenball som fangede mest opmærksomhed hos H2R. Alle tre hopper med potentiale for fremtiden.
Malfoy super flot balanceret i hele præsentationen, Soulsister L lidt mere grøn men med masser potentiale og dagens bedste skridt sammen med hoppen Skovgårdens Qaisa e. Quaterhit / Don Olymbrio. Hoppen Polka Gold M viste særklasse galop som dog alene blev bedømt til 8,5 og samtidig fik den 7,5 i skridt. Kunne have været nuanceret mere med et klar 9-tal i galop og et 7-tal i skridten.
Undervejs gjorde dommer Karsten Pedersen opmærksom på, at de ikke ville se de unge hopper præsenteret i overtempo. Et klart budskab og set fra sidelinien også et meget mere retvisende billede af bevægelsesforløbet, når de unge heste får lov at balancere naturligt.
Klik evt. på fotos herunder for at se videoklip via Instagram ⬇️
3 års hopper udtaget til eliteskuet:
This week now with Verdener Championate, Herwart van der Decken-Schau & OnLive foal auction
Huge program for HANN horses in Verden this week
Young horse championships, qualifier for Bundeschampionate and up till Intermediaire I competitions.
Thursday with the prestigious Herwart van der Decken Schau and Friday with OnLive auction.
Here you find the entire collection for the auction.
The entire event is available at Clipmyhorse.
Here you find start and results.
Olympic horse Mount St John Freestyle was discovered at the foal auction in Verden
Discovered at the Elite Foal Auction and successful at the Olympics: Mount St John Freestyle with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Photo: Hannoveraner Verband/Lafrentz)
PRESS RELEASE
50th Elite Foal and Broodmare Auction
Verden. On Friday, August 9, the 50th Elite Foal and Broodmare Auction of the Hannoveraner Verband will take place as an OnLive Auction in the Niedersachsenhalle. The auction will feature 118 foals born on or after April 10. The foals will be presented on the show grounds from 10 a.m., before it's time to say "First, second, third – sold!" in the Niedersachsenhalle from 3 p.m. onwards.
Foals arrived in Verden with the first Elite Foal Auction in 1975. This established itself as a permanent fixture every August. Many successful sport horses found their way to their new owners via the foal auction. Currently the most famous Verden auction foal is Mount St John Freestyle by Fidermark/Donnerhall (breeder: Stephan Kurz, Zöbingen), who thrilled spectators at the Olympic Games in Paris as winner of the Grand Prix Special and fifth in the Freestyle with Danish rider Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour. She was discovered by the British stud Mount St John in the Niedersachsenhalle in 2009.
The 50th Elite Foal and Broodmare Auction will take place as an OnLive Auction in the Niedersachsenhalle. Customers can place their bids on site or bid for their favourite foal online – all from the comfort of their own home. Breeders, riders and horse lovers from all over the world are invited to purchase the most promising foals of the next generation.
The showcase of breeding with highly interesting fillies and colts by various sires from a wide range of dam lines will be presented for the 50th time this year. The collection is rounded off by broodmares in foal with the best dressage and jumping pedigrees that will make breeders' hearts beat faster. Because breeding and sport are closely linked, the auction is embedded in the Verden Championships, where former Verden auction foals also compete year after year. The selected foals and broodmares will be presented in the outdoor area on Friday, August 9, and auctioned off in the afternoon in the Niedersachsenhalle. Admission is free.
LINK for auction collections.
Germany’s von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera Dance to individual Olympic Dressage gold once again
Defending champions, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her great mare TSF Dalera BB, secured the Individual Olympic Dressage title for the second time in a row at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Versailles (FRA) today.
At the Tokyo 2020 Games they claimed gold ahead of team-mate Isabell Werth riding Bella Rose. And once again this afternoon it was Werth who had to settle for the silver medal spot, this time with her magical new mare Wendy.
Bronze today went to Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry and the stallion Glamourdale as spectators in the packed stands witnessed horse after horse producing their very best performances in the final. But it was far from clear if the defending champions were in good enough form to repeat their Tokyo victory as the action got underway.
Yesterday, they helped their country to secure the Olympic Dressage Team title for a spectacular 15th time, albeit by only the narrowest of margins ahead of Team Denmark. However, Dalera and her rider didn’t demonstrate the harmony that has been the trademark of the glorious successes they have enjoyed in recent years, and that left a question mark over what they could do today.
The doubters were put right back in their place, however, by a copybook Freestyle that wasn’t just technically brilliant, but also sparkled with lightness and mutual understanding, leading to their winning score of 90.093%.
Joyous
Werth was second to go in the final group of six, and her test with Wendy was a joyous celebration of this new-found partnership who simply seem to be made for each other. They were clearly having fun as they posted their score of 89.614% to put it up to the remaining four.
Fry and Glamourdale followed, posting 88.971% on the board, and when The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere and Hermes scored 88.432% there were only two left to challenge for gold.
From the moment von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera set off it was a completely different picture to what they shown the day before, the mare bouncing off the arena surface and responding to her rider’s every invisible instruction with ease and grace. The scores came tumbling in, getting higher and higher as the test progressed, and by the time they came to the end they were earning 10s across the board to bring them to 90.093% - only 0.479 points ahead of compatriot Werth but very definitely in the lead. The score was just 1.639 less than her winning one in Tokyo where she posted 91.732%.
Von Bredow-Werndl was not convinced she had done enough, however, because Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and her new ride Freestyle were still to go and they had been so impressive over the previous days, including taking top spot in the Grand Prix Special that decided the team medals. "The minutes when Cathrine was riding were very exhausting - I died several times!”, von Bredow-Werndl said afterwards. But, with 88.093%, Laudrup-Dufour settled into fifth place in the final analysis, and the gold medal was back around the defending champion’s neck.
Pressure
She admitted that the pressure of going last of her team had affected her performance yesterday and that she really had to pull herself together to put things right this afternoon.
"Today I woke up and I thought, ok, it's all about trust, we are enough and I have to trust myself and I have to trust Dalera. It was about letting go, to surrender”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
(GER)
She kept her preparation to the minimum, so much so that the mare didn’t even break into a sweat all day. “I didn't even do a whole pirouette in the warm up - she went in (to the arena) with dry hair and came out with dry hair!”
In the end it was all about controlling her own mentality so that both she and her horse could give their very best. “This was a mental game”, she pointed out.
Talking about her ride, she said Dalera “was 1,000% with me, she had no ear or eye anywhere else than me, she was listening so carefully and she really showed me that this is what she wants to do and this is why it makes me so emotional because I don't know if I will ever get another horse like her. She's the most intelligent horse I've ever had, she is out of this world!”, she added.
So close
Werth could hardly be disappointed about finishing so close behind her compatriot. She has only been riding the mare Wendy since the beginning of this year and their partnership is literally improving with every outing together. They have been wonderful to watch in Versailles over the last week.
Talking about being pipped at the post by her team-mate, the multiple medallist - who herself took individual Olympic gold with Gigolo in Atlanta in 1996 - said:
“We (Team Germany) had the luck on our side yesterday, the Danish team also could have won, and today I'm really happy with the result because at the end it's a lucky punch for Jessie and a bit unlucky for me, that’s how it goes. But both horses were fantastic, we had such a high standard in the competition. The first starter had 80% already so I think it was just fantastic. And for me, with this horse, and in this atmosphere, I don't feel that I lost anything!”
Isabell Werth
(GER)
Proud
Bronze medallist Fry said she was very proud of Glamourdale. “I 100% knew he was capable of it, but to be able to pull it off in there today and get the bronze is just incredible. The support from the crowd was amazing and the prize-giving was just insane! That feeling going around with Jessica and Isabell - two idols and huge inspirations in our sport - was just incredible! I didn’t watch anybody after my test, I knew they were all very good. I didn’t want to disappoint myself so I was just happy with my ride. We were on our way back to the stables and I just thought we better check the scores before we decided to start packing up and suddenly there was screaming going on and we realised we had the bronze so it was so exciting!”, she said.
“When we became World Champions (individual in 2022) it was also quite unexpected, but I knew Glamourdale was always capable, and having it all come together on the day at the right time here is a very special thing. This is just as special for me, maybe even more special to have this Paris 2024 Olympic medal - it’s just so cool!”
Charlotte Fry
(GBR)
Dressage has attracted huge attention at these Olympic Games with celebrities including American rapper and record producer Snoop Dogg coming to see Britain’s Becky Moody in action yesterday and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling dropping in today. They all saw super sport.
Asked what her plans are now for Dalera, the newly re-crowned Individual Olympic champion von Bredow-Werndl said that the mare will compete a few more times this year and then retire to breed some foals in the spring.
Filled with emotion she said, “I owe her so much. I love her and I will spoil her until the last day of her life.”
Germany just pips Denmark to take 15th Olympic Team title
In arguably the closest and most thrilling Olympic contest of all time, Germany clinched Dressage Team gold by the narrowest of margins ahead of Denmark in silver and Great Britain in bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic equestrian venue in Versailles (FRA) today. The result brings Germany’s Olympic gold-medal count to a massive 15, and with 10 victories from the last 11 editions of the Games dating all the way back to Los Angeles in 1984, their record is nothing short of phenomenal.
However, it doesn’t get much closer than a winning margin of 0.121 percentage points. For Team Denmark, realising their dream of clinching the Olympic title for the very first time was only a whisper away when they were pinned back into silver medal spot ahead of Great Britain, who took the bronze just over three points further adrift. It was Olympic sport at its very best today, with the result completely unpredictable until the very last moment.
The victorious side of Frederic Wandres/Bluetooth OLD, Isabell Werth/Wendy and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl/TSF Dalera BB knew they had been in a mighty battle that might well not have gone in their favour.
“We did it! It was too exciting to be honest, and at the end the margin was so tiny!”, said von Bredow-Werndl who claimed double-gold with the same super mare in Tokyo three years ago.
As the most medalled athlete in all of equestrian sport, her team-mate Isabell Werth knows what tense competition is all about, but even this seven-time Olympian was near-breathless with the excitement of it all.
“That was a thriller today!”, she said. “At the end I didn't believe that we got it because it was so very close! Now nobody can ever say again that dressage is boring!”, she added with a huge laugh.
Three-way contest
As the 10 nations qualified for the Grand Prix Special took their turn in the arena, it quickly evolved into a three-way contest between the defending Olympic champions from Germany, the reigning world champions from Denmark and the reigning European champions from Britain, who all looked well set for a podium placing from the outset.
The British got off to a flying start when their new recruit Becky Moody, only called up at the very last moment, showed that despite never competing in a championship before her partnership with her home-bred 10-year-old gelding Jagerbomb is really something special. Putting 76.489% on the board for a harmonious test she topped the leaderboard after the first group of 10 combinations had competed, with Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Vayron next best on 75.973% and the first of the Germans, Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD, close behind in 75.942%.
Carl Hester and Fame added 76.520% to the British tally, but then Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Zepter’s 78.480% moved the Danes well ahead only for Germany’s Werth to follow with a wonderful ride from her new horse Wendy that earned 79.894%.
Perfect match
This pair are the perfect match, and Werth has found a whole new dimension to her performances. “It's a very quick coming together of a new partnership, that's true, when you sit on a horse and you feel that is your horse then it just clicks!”, said the German, who has long been known as “The Queen” in her sport and who only teamed up with Wendy in January of this year.
“This is a really perfect match between us and I think we both feel really confident and that makes it so easy. She's so uncomplicated!”, Werth enthused about the big mare.
“She's really tall when you stand next to her, she's 1.85cms and everything is much easier on her, you can sit and just have fun! She's everything in a perfect construction, and it's wonderful to have her in time for the Olympics!”, she added.
It would all come down to the final three to decide the medal-placings, and when reigning individual world champions, Charlotte Fry and the stallion Glamourdale, posted 79.483% for a great test then the British were assured of at least the bronze. However, the penultimate partnership of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle then threw down the biggest score of the day to leave the gold-medal race still wide open. Their softness and balance, the unhurried and majestic movement of the mare and the harmony between horse and athlete earned 81.216% to move Denmark onto a total score of 232.492, which piled the pressure on the German anchor partnership.
Wrap it up
As von Bredow-Werndl entered the arena with Dalera it seemed more than possible that they would score over 80% to wrap it up for another clear German win. But there were mistakes, and when 79.954% went up on the board it was so very, very close. The margin of victory was little more than a hair’s breadth.
“It was more than a hiccup!”, von Bredow-Werndl said of her expensive error. “It was a misunderstanding in the transition to the passage that cost too many points for two movements that count double! But luckily we connected again and we brought it home!”, she said.
And asked if she knew before she went into the arena what she had to score in order to keep her country in gold medal spot, she replied, “no, and it was good that I didn’t!”
Close competition is what makes great sport, and today’s Olympic contest was just that.
Wandres’ contribution with Bluetooth OLD was significant. As he pointed out himself, it is his pure consistency that earned his place here in Paris. “I don't need to lie. I'm not the one which is looking for 80% in the Special but that’s okay, because whether it is 30 degrees or raining cats (and dogs!) I'm riding my best and getting the scores that are expected of me always”, he said.
The Danes could have been disappointed, but they knew that if von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera hadn’t run into problems in their test they would have finished further behind, so they were realistic about today’s result and more than pleased. Denmark has only once before earned an Olympic Dressage team medal and that was bronze in Beijing in 2008. The camaraderie in their team has been clear to see at these Games, and that closeness and comfort is paying off in spades.
Supported
“We've known each other since we were small kids, and we've supported each other in each other's career so far. We are the youngest team of all here and we came in as world champions. We've already done so much great together, but we have so much more to come ahead of us, and we are so hungry to do even more. We are very happy!”, Bachmann Andersen said.
The British have enjoyed a great run at these Games, taking team gold in both Eventing and Jumping and now bronze in team Dressage. Like Germany’s Werth, Carl Hester is also competing at his seventh Olympic Games and reflecting on how the Dressage team competition played out over the last few days, he said he knew it was going to be close-run affair for the medal placings.
“Looking at the scores all year you could see how everybody has been shifting around and you could see how Isabell has been improving, which she's just proved now, and the Danes have been so very consistent and very strong. For me it’s great to see Becky Moody being the newest star to hit the Olympics, she has been amazing - so it’s all very exciting!”, the British veteran said.
The German celebrations from today’s epic contest will barely have faded before tomorrow’s much-anticipated Grand Prix Freestyle finale which will decide the individual medals. With such super-star quality on show in Paris this week and so many partnerships, some well-established and others just blossoming, taking to the stage one more time, it’s going to be like “Strictly Come Prancing” - with plenty more surprises possible when the action gets underway at 10.00am Paris time.
Germany’s show their strength ahead of Dressage team final
Team Germany overtook the first-day leaders from Denmark when the Grand Prix drew to a close at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA) today, giving them a big boost as they continue on their mission to lift their 15th Olympic Dressage team title.
Great rides from Isabell Werth with Wendy and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera secured pole position at the end of the competition that decided the 10 best nations qualified for Saturday’s medal-decider, the Grand Prix Special, in which all teams will start from scratch.
Joining the defending Olympic team champions, and the feisty Danish side who look set to challenge them every inch of the way, will be the British who finished third ahead of The Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, France, Austria, Finland and Australia.
There was less than two percentage points between the two top sides, Germany completing with 237.546 while the Danish total was 235.730. The British were not far behind on 231.196.
Meanwhile, the 18 athlete/horse combinations that have made the cut for Sunday’s Individual medal decider, the Grand Prix Freestyle, are also confirmed. The finalists are made up of the best two from each of the six qualifying groups plus the six next highest ranked.
The 18 through to the Freestyle are: - Jessica von Bredow-Werndl/Dalera (GER), Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour/Freestyle (DEN), Isabell Werth/Wendy (GER), Charlotte Fry/Glamourdale (GBR), Nanna Skodborg Merrald/Zepter (DEN), Dinja van Liere/Hermes (NED), Carl Hester/Fame (GBR), Daniel Bachmann Andersen/Vayron (DEN), Isabel Freese/Total Hope OLD (NOR), Frederic Wandres/Bluetooth OLD (GER), Becky Moody/Jagerbomb (GBR), Emmelie Scholtens/Indian Rock (NED), Patrik Kittel/Touchdown (SWE), Victoria Max-Theurer/Abegglen FH NRW (AUT), Therese Nilshagen/Dante Weltino OLD (SWE), Pauline Basquin/Sertorius de Rima Z (FRA), Emma Kanerva/Greek Air (FIN) and Sandra Sysojeva (POL), the latter something of a sensation as her mare, Maxima Bella, is only eight years old.
Target score
Reigning world champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale, raised the target score to 78.913% when pathfinder this morning.
“First to go on the second day is not always the best position, but I think in this weather (it was another very hot day) it was really to our advantage. Glamourdale doesn’t know that, he just goes in and sees the crowd and he had a great time in there! And I think the moment at the end was very special, with him very relaxed, on a long rein and enjoying the cheering and the flags waving!”
Charlotte Fry
(GBR)
“That test is what we needed to do today. Our whole team the last two days has really performed amazingly and really put us in a good position for the weekend”, she added.
However, 30 minutes later, Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour pushed the target even further when posting 80.792% for a lovely test with Freestyle. The mare won double bronze with Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (USA) in 2018, but has been out of top sport for a number of years more recently. Laudrup-Dufour took up the reins towards the end of 2023, and although they are still finding their way together the new partnership is clearly blossoming.
Plan
“My plan today was to not push her but just see what she offered. When I picked up the first passage I said to her - you just give me whatever you want and then I'm just gonna say what we are supposed to do. So I'm really proud of her, and I think it was a perfect start for me and her at the Games here in Paris!”, said the Danish star who took team gold and double silver at the FEI World Championship in 2022 with Vamos Amigos.
Talking about building an understanding with Freestyle, she explained, “the main thing has been to really create a proper friendship with her, not just like, pretending, but really see if she could allow me in there, which she did quite quickly. I was quite amazed. Animals are amazing if you treat them well and show them trust. Another key word for me has been respectful leadership. Because in some way I had to be the leader to show her around in a dressage test but at the same time respect where she's coming from, because she's a skilled young lady. She has done a lot and she has been educated amazingly, and she is a performer”, Laudrup-Dufour pointed out.
High score
This first group of the day produced yet another high score when, last to go, Germany’s Isabell Werth put 79.363% on the board with her new ride, Wendy.
“She was so focused and so with me that it was amazing!”, said the multiple champion who is competing at her seventh Olympic Games. “We have only done six or seven Grand Prix, but it’s so amazing how we are growing together and how honest she is to me”, she said.
Werth is determined to help the young mare develop, improve and reach her maximum potential. “You can only do that in competition, so Aachen (in June) was really helpful, with three competitions there. She is only a 10-year-old horse and as they get older they get more muscles, they get more power, they get more experience so everything works together. Riding her is really a pleasure”, she added.
Her result bolstered Team Germany’s chances when added to Frederic Wandres’ score of 76.118% from yesterday with Bluetooth OLD. But, with the last ride of the day in the final group, defending Olympic double-gold medallists Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera needed to top up the German total if they were to overtake the Danes and remind everyone that they will be the ones to beat on Saturday.
Style
And they did it in their own inimitable style when scoring 82.065% to seal the deal with dignity and grace. It looked effortless for the 17-year-old mare, whose record includes five European gold medals, back-to-back FEI Dressage World Cup™ titles and team gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018 along with her Olympic medal haul from Tokyo three years ago.
“It was a fantastic feeling inside the arena and breathtaking to see how the audience carried us into the ring! I’m happy because I had some hiccups in the Grand Prix at the German Championships in Balve which was the rehearsal for here. But sometimes when the rehearsal is bad then the performance is good, and that’s how it worked out!”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
(GER)
She didn’t hold back during the test. “I was really going for it, I took full risk in the extensions and the extended canter! There were two tiny things that didn’t go right but that’s good because now I know there is room for improvement and I can focus on that”, she pointed out.
But she is well aware that Denmark’s Dufour is a major threat and could swing the balance in both the team and individual medal-deciders.
“I didn’t see Cathrine’s test but I know she also had a mistake, so it’s clear she was closer to me than it looks in the result”, von Bredow-Werndl said.
The Danes indeed look ready to tip the scales in their favour if they can. There’s a real cohesion in the team that all three of them have mentioned this week, and Laudrup-Dufour emphasised it again today.
“Nanna (Skodborg Merrald) and I have been riding together since she was four and I was five at her mom's riding school for 15 years. It's not like we see each other every week, but we are really close and we trust each other. I've been in the team many, many, many times, but this team (which includes Daniel Bachmann Andersen) I trust with everything I have, and that's sort of the best feeling you can ride into the arena with really!”, she said.
The battle for Olympic Dressage team glory will resume on Saturday and looks set to be a thriller….
How the Grand Prix Special will play out…..
Competitors will be divided into three groups of 10 with one Athlete/Horse per National Federation in each group. The order-of-go for each group will be decided by the Chef d’Equipe.
After Group 1 and Group 2 have competed there will be a break (45-60mins). and an Intermediate team standing will be established. Group 3 will start in reverse order of the intermediate team standing.
Substitutions can only be made between today’s FEI Grand Prix and up to two hours before the start of FEI Grand Prix Special (3 August). An Athlete/Reserve Horse that is substituted in cannot compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle.
Danes take a hold as Dressage gets underway
Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Zepter threw down the biggest score on the opening day of Dressage at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA) today, and the Danish team, holders of the World Championship title, now look set to present a mighty challenge to the rest of the field.
The Grand Prix is a qualifier for both the Team Final which takes place on Saturday (3 August) and the Individual Final on Sunday (4 August). The best two horse and athlete combinations from each of the three groups of 10 competing both today and tomorrow will go through to Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle along with the next six highest scorers, while the top 10 teams will qualify for Saturday’s Grand Prix Special which will decide the fate of the team medals.
Skodborg Merrald and Zepter were second to step into the awesome arena at Versailles this morning, posting a score of 78.028% that was never bettered. And she feels that she and her horse have a lot more to offer.
“I think I had a really good solid test without big mistakes but also plenty of room for improvement. I think in my changes I couldn’t have done a lot better, but in piaffe-passage and the pirouettes there's still room for asking for more.”
Nanna Skodborg Merrald
(DEN)
The other pair to qualify for the Individual Final from the first group was The Netherlands Dinja van Liere, who was delighted to post 77.674% with the 14-year-old stallion Hermes.
“I was very happy at the end but a bit stressed before because I really wanted to do a good test of course! We’ve done a lot of competitions, but Olympics are just something else!”, the 33-year-old Dutch athlete said.
She was pleased that Hermes coped well with the heat which grew in intensity as the day progressed. “I think also maybe because of the heat he was quite relaxed and I really could ride him. He was a bit spooky in one corner so there were a couple of bits of tension, a couple of mistakes but I was just very happy with him,” she said.
Having lost out on competing in Tokyo due to a paperwork issue for the horse and then some time out for Hermes while recovering from an injury, van Liere is delighted to have him here in Paris. “We have had just this one goal - and we made it - this really is just a dream!”, she said.
Set the target
In the second group, Germany’s Frederic Wandres set the target at 76.118% when second to go with Bluetooth OLD.
“I have to say thank you to all of those spectators sitting there and watching for hours, this is what makes the atmosphere so special and I really felt that Bluetooth enjoyed it to go in there - he became proud and I was very happy! It is 35 degrees but maybe I had a little bit of a plus point because I was already now four seasons in Wellington (Florida, USA) for our winter season so he's a little bit used to perform in higher temperatures, but always those hot temperatures are something special!”
However, the strength of the Danes became ever more evident when Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Vayron bettered that when putting 76.910% on the board as last to go of this group.
His 13-year-old stallion competed in the Danish side that took bronze at last year’s European Championship, but the horse has matured greatly since then and showed even more confidence and a lot more power today.
“I'm so proud to represent my country at an Olympic Games for the first time and then do a personal-best score by almost a whole percentage - that's quite a thing!”, said the 34-year-old.
He said it felt like Vayron was on “autopilot” today. “He is now in his second year of Grand Prix so it’s not that he's very experienced, but he's just getting better and stronger and more and more with me. I can't even explain how proud I am of this fantastic horse. He is a bit innocent and a bit shy behind that big, extreme horse you can see, but he just believed he could do it. It couldn't have been better, and of course we have a goal here and we have started out really, really well and I know we can do it. We did it in Herning (World Championship 2022 team gold), and we will try and do it here again!”, he said.
Clearly the Danes have Dressage team gold firmly in their sights.
Big and powerful
In the third group of 10 it was Great Britain’s Becky Moody who posted the biggest score with a brilliant ride on the big and powerful Jagerbomb. The pair only stepped into the British side just days before the Games began. Moody has never competed in a Senior championship, but she didn’t let that get in the way of clinching a place in Sunday’s Freestyle when putting a remarkable 74.938% on the board.
“That was insane! What a stadium, what a crowd, it was just an amazing experience! And what a horse, he's so special to me because I bred him so we have done everything together!”
Becky Moody
(GBR)
“We were both a little bit nervous and apprehensive, but we helped each other out and I'm just so proud of him. He loves to be out there, the more people watching him the better, so he had a great time!”
Jagerbomb is a big horse, “about 17.3hh, he kind of kept on growing but he's one of the sweetest horses on the yard. If somebody that was a little bit of a beginner wanted to have a sit on something then the Olympic dressage horse would be the one because he just looks after everyone, he is amazing!”
Although initially she didn’t think he had what it takes to bring him to top level she ended up keeping the horse that has carried her to the very highest level of the sport. So how did his name come about?
“I bred him 10 years ago, and at that point in my life I might have been partial to a Jagerbomb. But also my grandad, who was called Norman, we all called him Bomb, I don't know why, so it was a little bit of a homage to him as well as to the alcoholic beverage!”, she explained with a laugh.
Winning partner
Sweden’s Patrik Kittel took the last of today’s six Individual Final spots with his 2024 FEI World Cup winning partner, the 12-year-old gelding Touchdown.
“I've ridden in a lot of hotness, but this is probably one of the best ones! Sweden is third after the first day and hopefully tomorrow maybe in the top five, which is our goal, so we can start on Saturday (in the Team Final) so it is very exciting!”, said the man who is competing at his fourth Olympic Games.
As it stands this evening, Denmark holds the lead ahead of Great Britain, Sweden, Belgium, Canada and Portugal as the six nations that have recorded two scores today, followed by The Netherlands, Germany, Finland, France, Spain, Australia, Austria, Poland and the USA. The Americans lost a team member today due to the elimination of Marcus Orlob’s mare Jane who just knocked herself when she got over-excited coming into the arena, so that has left them with just two scores to count, the 72.593% posted today by Adrienne Lyle and Helix and the score that will be posted by Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper tomorrow afternoon.
The team standings are likely to get a reshuffle tomorrow however because nine of the 15 nations only fielded a single athlete/horse combination today while the leading six countries were all drawn with two to go.
Putting the British into second place was the 77.345% posted by Carl Hester who is competing at his seventh Olympics, this time with the 14-year-old Fame. Hester’s compatriot Charlotte Fry and her World Championship individual gold medal ride Glamourdale will be first into the arena tomorrow morning at 10.00 local time.
And of course the top guns from Germany are also about to step onto the stage, the legendary Isabell Werth riding Wendy into the arena at 11.25 tomorrow, while the defending Olympic team and individual champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera will bring the day to a close.
As always, the Olympic Games are filled with emotion, and today Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis made a lot of people cry. As she left the arena having produced a lovely test with the 14-year-old gelding Flambeau for a score of 72.127%, she held her hands up to the television cameras and you could clearly read the words “I promised you” on her right hand, and “I did it” on the left, accompanied by a heart symbol.
Asked afterwards what it meant, she explained that her husband died four years ago and, before he passed away, she promised him she would compete in Paris. “It was really a challenge, he never saw me competing even in Grand Prix and I’m here - so it’s wonderful”, she said tearfully.
For one athlete the promise of Paris 2024 is already complete….
Olympic Dressage - draw decides starting places
The Dressage horses came before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Ground Jury yesterday morning in the sunshine at the majestic Versailles (FRA) venue.
Under the watchful eye of Ground Jury President Raphaël Saleh and team, a total of 75 horses, including alternates, from 30 countries stepped out at the first Dressage Horse Inspection.
Returning for re-inspection on Tuesday morning (30 July) at 8.00am local time will be Love Me (Zaneta Skowronska-Kozubik - POL), Amplemento (Christian Schumach - AUT) and Malagueno LXXXIII (Jose Daniel Martin Dockx - ESP).
A total of 15 teams and 15 individual competitors are set to compete in Olympic Dressage.
Dressage has the distinction of fielding the oldest athlete, not just in equestrian sport, but at the entire Paris 2024 Olympic Games - 65-year-old Spanish star and Athens 2004 silver medallist Juan Antonio Jiménez Cobo is ready to wow Versailles fans with 15-year-old grey stallion Euclides Mor.
Draw
The draw for the team medal-deciding Grand Prix, running over two days (Tuesday 30 July - Wednesday 31 July) with 30 combinations each day, is now live.
First into the arena at 11.00am local time on 30 July will be Austrian team member Stefan Lehfellner with Roberto Carlos Mt, followed by Denmark’s World Championship team gold medallist Nanna Skodborg Merrald with Zepter.
Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry, reigning individual World Champion, will lead the way with Glamourdale on day two (31 July), when the team action begins an hour earlier, at 10.00am.
Each day, athletes will compete in three groups of 10, with Tokyo 2020 double gold-medallists Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and brilliant mare Dalera last to go in Wednesday’s final group.
Extra informations about the riders at the Olympics
If you want to catch up on some details about the Olympic riders you have the possibility through ONLINE ATHLETE BIOGRAPHIES
How to follow H2R with support for the sport during the Olympic Dressage competitions
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H2R French rating of the tests during the Olympics 🥐🥐🥐🥐🥐🥐.
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