Category Archives: FEI

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, FEI, FEI

Hungary to Host FEI Driving World Championship at State Stud Farm

FEI Driving World Championship 2022 – EXELL Boyd (AUS) during Marathon phase B on 24 September 2022. Copyright FEI / Christophe Tanière

World class Driving returns to its historic heartland for the 26th FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand when the Hungarian Equestrian Federation will welcome 43 athletes from 14 nations to the State Stud Farm at Szilvásvárad, a breeding centre for the country’s ‘national treasure’ Lipizzaner horses.

It’s 40 years since the 7th World Championship was held here at a time when Hungarian drivers dominated the horse fours – the home team won gold and all three individual medals. The nation last hosted the World Championship 20 years ago in Kecskemét, when they also won team and individual golds. Two of those athletes from 2004 will return, winner Zoltán Lázár and teammate József Dobrovitz, whose son József Jnr. is also now a regular member of the Hungarian squad.

President of the HEF is Zoltán’s brother, Vilmos, himself a former World Champion, who states, “This will be a jubilee event, like the 1984 World Championship in Szilvásvárad, which was the pinnacle of the sport. The main goal for this event is to have the same significant impact it did 40 years ago, and to give this wonderful sport new momentum.”

Record Breaking Defending Champion

For the individual gold, the expectation is that Boyd Exell (AUS) will extend his record breaking run as he aims for a 7th consecutive world title. It was a close contest between him and Ijsbrand Chardon (NED) in Pratoni (ITA) two years ago, but Boyd judged his cones round perfectly to stay in front, despite the torrential rain. It will be his 10th World Championship and this season he has continued his hard-to-beat form.

“We at Team Exell are excited and looking forward to the World Championship in Hungary. I’ve driven there many times and really enjoy the energy created by the knowledgeable people who have a passion for driving, which they take very seriously.

“We are going in quietly confident with an experienced team of horses, and I will have my trusted international crew with me as support. However, you can never underestimate the Chardons, and Chester is producing some fantastic dressage this year, so I will be watching out for them!”

Dutch Favourites to Retain Team Title

Of the 11 national teams, The Netherlands is favourite to win an unprecedented 12th world title, one they first took in Apeldoorn (NED) in 1982. Ijsbrand was on the team back then, and has been on every winning team since, taking four individual titles too. Also on the Dutch squad are his son Bram – current FEI World Cup™ and European Champion – plus long-term teammate, Koos de Ronde.

They will be pushed hard by the other nations, including the consistently successful Germans, who took silver in 2022. Their team selectors have six combinations with great experience to draw on, such as 2022 bronze medallist Michael Brauchle, former gold medallist Christoph Sandmann, his daughter Anna, and dressage queen Mareike Harm.

After taking gold at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (USA), the Americans have a team again with James Fairclough and Chester Weber, who have been winning world medals together since the Jerez (ESP) FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2002. Belgium took bronze in Pratoni, so will be aiming for the podium again, boosted by a return to form for Glenn Geerts. Throughout the squads the family theme is a strong one, not least for the Hungarians who also have father and son Ferenc Galbács Snr and Jnr, and for the Czech Republic, with brothers Radeck and Jiri Nesvacil Jnr.

As hosts, Hungary is permitted to enter nine combinations, and it would be a dream come true to reward the passionate home crowd with more medals, as they have done in the past. Not only is this a landmark event for the horse-loving nation, but it will be a showcase for the variety of breeds that are used.

Vilmos Lázár – “In the last 40 years, Driving has evolved into a truly professional sport and in addition, the safety and wellbeing of the horses has come to the forefront. The domestic audience has been spoiled in recent decades because we have regularly rewarded them with podium finishes, especially in horse pairs, and most often with gold medals.

Nowadays, the quality of the horses is incredible. We can admire the wonderful Nonius team from the Mezőhegyes Stud Farm, or the two Lipizzaner teams from Szilvásvárad driven by István Váczi and Ferenc Galbács Jnr. We also have the youngest member in the field, Péter Juhász, who thanks to the Federation’s sports development programme and the support of the military, has been able to assemble his team of horses.”

It’s anticipated that gold medals will go the same way as they did two years ago in Italy. But where some nations have entered a larger squad, which athletes will take those valued three team places may not be revealed until everyone is at the venue. For those who visit Szilvásvárad, it will be an opportunity to bask in the rich Hungarian heritage with horses, in a stunning setting nestled at the foot of the Bükk Mountains.

Provisional programme

Wednesday 4 September
10:00 – Horse Inspection
17:00 – Opening Ceremony

Thursday 5 September
10:00 – Dressage Day 1

Friday 6 September
10.00 –Dressage Day 2

Saturday 7 September
10.00 – Marathon

Sunday 8 September
10.00 – Cones
15.30 – Award Ceremony

Full Entries can be seen here.

by Sarah Dance

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Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI, FEI

Olympians Go Head-to-Head but It’s Victory for Germany in Arville

Team Gold – Germany: Jérôme Robiné on Black Ice; Michael Jung on Kilcandra Ocean Power; Libussa Lübbeke on Caramia 34; Calvin Böckmann on The Phantom Of The Opera / FEI – Libby Law

After a disappointing Olympic experience in Paris, Team Germany proved that they are still one of the best in the world, with a decisive win at the sixth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ held at Arville, Belgium.

A number of Olympic medallists and athletes came to compete at the beautiful venue, including Olympic champions Michael Jung (GER), which added to the excitement for riders and spectators. Despite Jung retiring on the cross country, the German team’s finishing score of 109.2 was good enough for first. France finished in second place on 119.2, whilst Great Britain finished third on 121.0, with the home nation Belgium in fourth on 143.0.

The German team might have been spearheaded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung and the experienced four-star horse Kilandra Ocean Power, but German Chef d’Equipe Rodolphe Scherer chose to select three younger riders to make up the team. It proved to be the right decision to take since the three younger riders’ scores were the ones to count, after Michael Jung’s cross-country retirement.

23-year-old Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom of the Opera finished second overall. 26-year-old Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice finished 11th individually, whilst 23-year-old Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia 34 picked up a few time penalties on the cross-country to finish in 22nd.

Speaking after their win, Scherer spoke on behalf of the German team about their performance in Arville. “I am happy for the result because of the result but also because three of our riders were our younger riders. I came here with a lot of ambition because Calvin and Jérôme were reserved for the Olympics, so it was a good team to come here.

“They all competed well. I am happy for these young riders, because it’s a new generation and it’s good to see them win together.”

The Cross-Country course caused its fair share of drama with very few jumping clear rounds inside the time. There were a number of athletes picking up jumping penalties, as well as retirements and eliminations at some of the combinations.

“It was a nice course, but it was a tough course with lots in it,” summed up Scherer, who himself competed at two Olympics for Team France. “You need to ride and be clever. It was more difficult if you look at the time. If you compete quiet, it’s okay, but if you ride for the time, of course it’s a little bit more difficult. But it was really encouraging for horses and very fair. Arville is a nice competition.”

He also explained what happened to the team’s most experienced rider on course, Michael Jung. “Micky had one run out at the water. He jumped good into the eater, then turned and you have a skinny on the way out, and the horse was a little bit behind the leg on the turn and he had a little run out. After that, he jumped up to the coffin, which he jumped well, then stopped because he knew that he could relax for the team and that the team could win without him. Little mistakes happen, one minute you win a gold medal and the next you have a run out.

“I think the Nation’s Cup is a perfect test for trainers, riders, and for the team spirit. It’s really important to understand that sometimes Eventing is not only an individual sport; sometimes it’s a team sport. For me it’s very important for the spirit and for the experience.”

Ten teams came forward for this leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup, many of them fielding athletes who had competed in Paris. Second placed France fielded a strong team, including two riders who helped team France to team silver, Nicolas Touzaint and Gireg Le Coz (reserve athlete).

The Series now moves to Lignières (FRA) from 26 to 29 September, the penultimate leg before the final, which takes place in Boekelo (NED) in October. This result put France out in front of the team standings on a score of 290 points, with Germany in second place on 240 points.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Kukuk Claims Olympic Individual Jumping Crown

Christian Kukuk (GER) and Checker 47 © FEI/Benjamin Clark

With the only double-clear performance on the final day of equestrian sport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games equestrian venue in Versailles (FRA), Germany’s Christian Kukuk definitively claimed the Individual Jumping title with Checker 47, while Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat took silver on Dynamix de Belheme and The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten clinched bronze with Beauville Z.

Things didn’t go Germany’s way in last week’s Team competition, but that never threw the new Olympic champion off his stride. In the qualifier for the Individual medals, 34-year-old Kukuk and his 14-year-old grey gelding left a fence on the floor, but their fast time assured them of a place in this top-30 showdown.

This time there was no mistake. On an afternoon filled with drama, excitement and gripping sport, their two foot-perfect rounds simply could not be matched.

The scale of the track was like nothing any of the riders had seen before. The fence measurements were colossal, with five of them standing at a massive 1.65cms and spreads as wide as 190cms. There were 15 obstacles in total with 19 big jumping efforts before they would cross the finish line.

Kukuk’s rise to the top step of the podium began when he posted the first clear in the opening round.

“It’s the toughest course I have ever jumped, the toughest course I have ever seen and Checker made it feel like just another Grand Prix!” he said after leaving the ring when eighth to go.

Maikel van der Vleuten quickly followed suit with Beauville Z, but for many just a single frustrating four faults would deny them a jump-off spot, several making it all the way to the final LA28 oxer before hearing that hit the ground, including America’s Laura Kraut/Baloutinue and Austria’s Max Kűhner/Elektric Blue P. The double at fence five also proved a major challenge, horses having to stretch wide across the spread at the second element, although it was the first-element vertical there that put paid to the chances of defending individual champion Ben Maher from Great Britain with Dallas Vegas Batilly.

As it came down to the final seven horse/rider partnerships, there were still only two clears on the board, so the packed stadium of spectators were on the edges of their seats when longtime world number one, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, set off with the living legend that is King Edward. Things were going perfectly until they turned to the open water at fence six.

As the man whose sensational record with the little 14-year-old chestnut gelding includes team gold in Tokyo three years ago explained, “We got a bit close to the water, got a high jump on that, and I didn’t see the six (strides to the next), because I landed a bit steep at the water, so I really had to get him back for the seven (strides). And that made a short jump over the Paris jump and then I had to really go for the time.”

It all became a bit chaotic when they landed after the next oxer at fence eight, and in a flurry of confusion between horse and rider, the pair parted company for elimination. The line of the track should have taken them right, but they went in different directions when the horse dived to the left to avoid the start-sign at the edge of the arena.

Tearfully, von Eckermann explained afterwards, “He’s easy to the right and I followed too much to go with him, and somehow in one second, he went a bit left and I lost my balance to the right. And then he got a bit upset from that and went a bit left again and I really tried to get him right, but then the start stands were there and I couldn’t get him in front of that and he turned left and I went right.” It was the most unexpected departure for the multiple champions.

But Switzerland’s Guerdat hadn’t seen all that, because he was on his way into the ring to produce the third clear of the day with the smoothest of rounds from his individual European Championship winning mare, Dynamix de Belheme.

There was nothing smooth for his compatriot Martin Fuchs immediately afterwards, however, because he lost his left stirrup after jumping the second element of the double at five and couldn’t get it back, somehow managing to make it all the way to the massive last oxer before Leone Jei hit that to take them out of medal contention.

The final four all faulted, including the last man into the ring, Frenchman Julien Epaillard. He was looking well on his way to making it a four-way contest in the jump-off, until, to gasps of despair from the home crowd, his mare Dubai du Cedre hit the second element of the double at fence 12.

Now it was down to the final three-way face-off in which Kukuk and Checker 47 would lead the way. They didn’t flinch, galloping home quick and clear in 38.34 seconds to put it up to the remaining two.

Van der Vleuten and Beauville Z were next in, but with a fence down in 39.12 seconds, they left it open for Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme to steal it with their last run of these Games. The Swiss star didn’t succeed, however, lowering the second-last in 38.38 seconds, which pushed the Dutchman down to bronze and settled him into silver medal spot.

Guerdat, the 2012 individual Olympic champion with Nino des Buissonnets, said he was content with his Versailles result. “We all aim for gold but to have to the second one (silver) is also very special! My mare has been spectacular today and of course I’m upset about my jump-off; it wasn’t what I wanted, but I want to focus with pride about our second Olympic medal!”

“Jump-offs are still our weakness with Dynamix, for the last year I’m trying to train that as much as possible, but you don’t get too many tries. Today I was kind of confident because it was doable; the time wasn’t crazy, but it was a mess; my jump-off wasn’t good enough, but I really don’t mind. I’ll have enough time to think about it in the future, but right now I just want to enjoy the medal I have won – not the one I have lost!

“I’m going to enjoy this because I have a few regrets after London (where he won gold). I feel I didn’t enjoy it enough, running from show to show. When I look back, I think this medal is so hard to have, but now I have the chance to get another one. I have an amazing family, especially my wife and my daughter, so I’m definitely going to spend more time in the coming months with them,” he added.

Van der Vleuten talked about the challenge horses and riders faced today. “When I walked the course, I thought I haven’t seen anything like it, so tough in every way; it was big, the jumps were difficult, it was technical, the time-allowed (84 seconds) was okay, it was very long with 15 fences including a triple combination and two doubles, so it was hard for the horses. When I came through the finish, I thought the way my horse did this round was unbelievable; it’s a world-class horse and he deserved this medal today,” he said.

This was the Dutchman’s second successive Olympic bronze medal with his incredibly consistent horse.

Newly-crowned individual gold medallist Kukuk said, “This is the most emotional day in my life! This is the highest you can achieve in our sport. I’m one of only a few ones calling myself Olympic champion – Olympic gold medallist – this is something that will last forever!

“In the next days there probably is also a lot coming up for me, but in this moment I’m just really, really proud and happy for my horse, my family, my staff, my groom, my whole team. I know that this is very lucky, and I really will enjoy this day!”

He went into that three-way jump-off full of confidence. “We only had three clear rounds, so I knew I had a medal, so I felt zero pressure going in the ring. I really enjoyed every single moment when I went in. I told myself, you will try your best like always and whatever happens you will accept it.

“I also I knew what my horse is able to do and what I’m able to do. We won already two Grand Prix this year, so we are very competitive. I tried to find the balance, to not overdo it and to not take the last risk. But still I was that quick that I knew the other two would have to take some risk here and there and then they might have one down. That happened to both of them. They had to try, and they had one down. So I was the only double clear and it makes me very proud!” Kukuk said.

He is the sixth German Individual Olympic Jumping gold medallist and has now placed his name amongst the giants of the sport, including iconic compatriots Hans Gűnter Winkler, who came out on top with Halla at the 1956 Stockholm Games, Alwin Schockemöhle, winner with Warwick Rex in Montreal in 1976, and his boss Ludger Beerbaum, who claimed the title in 1992 in Barcelona partnering Classic Touch.

“This was a very wonderful day,” the new champion concluded.

FULL RESULTS

JUMP-OFF RESULTS

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Competitions, FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Flying Frenchman Epaillard Takes Pole Position in Thrilling Individual Jumping Qualifier

Julien Epaillard (FRA) and Dubai du Cedre © FEI/Benjamin Clark

French speed king Julien Epaillard and his queen Dubai du Cedre clinched the coveted last-to-go spot in the Individual Jumping Final with the quickest clear round in the qualifying competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA).

From a starting field of 74, a total of 20 jumped clear over another colourful and challenging track designed by Spain’s Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo from France, who eight-time Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil described as “the two masters”.

Pessoa and Major Tom registered one of those important zero scores to slot into 17th place, so is well within the top-30 from 17 nations that have earned their spot in the medal-decider, in which starters will compete in reverse order of merit. The remaining 10 include the UAE’s 21-year-old Omar Adbul Aziz Al Marzooqi, who picked up just a single time fault when last to go with Enjoy de la Mure, plus the quickest four-faulters.

For Epaillard, this was a lot more enjoyable than Saturday’s team medal-decider in which France claimed bronze.

“It was a lot of pressure in the team. I was last to go and playing for a medal and you don’t want to disappoint anyone! Today the weight was off my shoulders and I rode differently, more relaxed. Also, my mare (Dubai du Cedre) is every day more relaxed and it helped me to have more precision. But it was not so easy because it’s not a big, big, course; it’s more delicate and a bit open, which is not the best for me. I like when it’s a bit short (distances) with my mare, but I’m really happy to be to be in the final tomorrow!” said the man who, with the same 11-year-old mare, claimed individual bronze at last year’s European Championship and runner-up spot at this year’s FEI World Cup Final.

Meanwhile, it was an excellent day for the Irish when Shane Sweetnam finished second with James Kann Cruz and Daniel Coyle third with Legacy. The Irish team came into the Games full of medal hopes, but ended up in a disappointing seventh place. However, their flag was flying high once again.

It was important to be quick, so that if a fence fell, you could still make the cut with four faults. Posting his clear round in 73.35 seconds, Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz clinched it easily.

He left a fence on the floor in Friday’s team final, but there was no mistake with his 11-year-old grey gelding. “We didn’t really have the rub of the green on Friday actually,” he said. “When I watched the video of my round, it was like he just breathed on that fence. But that’s just show jumping for you. You have to have a little bit of luck, and today we had it on our side,” he added.

Coyle has been spectacular from the outset. His mare Legacy hasn’t touched a pole through three rounds of jumping, and she was still bouncing around the 14-fence course.

“I don’t know what to say anymore!” he said. “She was really fresh again. She’s 14 now, but her mind doesn’t think it! Obviously, she’s feeling great, and in the warmup, already I felt that. I was expecting her to be a little tired, but then when she was fresh, I thought, okay, I need to change a little bit how I want to ride her today, otherwise I’ll end up making a mistake,” he said.

The Irishman wasn’t feeling at his best himself because he had had food-poisoning and was ill all night. “I was under a lot of pressure today in all the wrong ways! But I was just trying to get through the finish with a good score, because after this week my mare deserves to be in the final no matter what. So I would have been disappointed if she wasn’t there,” he said.

The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Uricas van de Kattevennen finished fourth, ahead of Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs with Leone Jei and Steve Guerdat on Dynamix de Belheme in fifth and sixth places. The Swiss failed to qualify for the team final, so it was redemption day.

Reigning European champion Guerdat blamed himself for his less-than-satisfactory performance last Thursday. “My mare doesn’t have that much experience even though she’s 11; she hasn’t jumped so many really big championships, so she can be a little bit spooky, which may have affected her the first day. I didn’t give her enough confidence, so I tried to stay a bit calmer today and trust her, even though it wasn’t that easy prior to the class, but I must say she gave me a great feeling at the first jump and I felt, okay, she’s back to normal, so I could concentrate on giving her an easy ride and not overdo things like I did the first day,” he explained.

Defending individual Olympic champion, Great Britain’s Ben Maher, finished 28th with his mare Dallas Vegas Batilly, who sent the wall tumbling to the ground three fences from home for four faults. He was relieved that his time was fast enough to get him through to the finale.

“I like to keep it exciting!” he said with a laugh afterwards. “We are in and that’s all the matters. I don’t know what happened there. She felt amazing today, but she was very, very lively outside already this morning and she was playing a bit in the warmup, but when I got in the ring, she honestly was jumping as good, if not better, than the other days.”

Trying to understand why his horse seemed to mis-read the fence she demolished, he said, “I guess there’s a big shadow by the wall there now. She just rolled around the corner, and as she took off it just took her by surprise, I think. Luckily, I’m a little older and experienced and we made a quick recovery to get home,” said the man who helped take team gold for his country in Friday’s Jumping team final.

QUOTES:

Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, who jumped clear with King Edward: “He has so much power and he normally grows into the championships. I mean this is not the first one he does! And he always comes out better and better every day.”

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, talking about competing at his eighth Olympic Games, this one with the background of the Chateau de Versailles: “Every Games is different and they are all special, but this one is extra special because of the backdrop, and the atmosphere and not one empty seat! And you have to kind of pinch yourself to get going, because it’s really incredible – the fans really turned up and the sport this week has been incredible – it’s really special to compete in a place like this. It’s unique. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’m so happy that we got to do it!”

Frenchman Julien Epaillard, talking about his horse Dubai du Cedre: “I can ask her to jump a house! She always tries, she fights, she has such a big heart and so much scope. My biggest problem is to know how to manage her energy in the beginning of the track, whether she will be with me or fighting with me. But she feels really good right now.”

FULL RESULTS

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, FEI, Olympic Games

Von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera Dance to Individual Olympic Dressage Gold Once Again

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB © FEI/ Benjamin Clark

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).

At the Tokyo 2020 Games, they claimed gold ahead of team-mate Isabell Werth riding Bella Rose, and once again it was Werth who had to settle for the silver medal spot, this time with her magical new mare Wendy.

Bronze 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.

Fry helped her 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 von Bredow-Werndl 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.

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%.

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 had 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.

“Today I woke up and I thought, okay, 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,” said von Bredow-Werndl.

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 warmup – 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.

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!”

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!”

When 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.”

FULL RESULTS

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Competitions, Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Germany Just Pips Denmark to Take 15th Olympic Dressage Team Title

Team Germany, L-R: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Frederic Wandres, and Isabell Werth © FEI/Benjamin Clark

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). 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, 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.

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%.

This pair is 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.

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.

When 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 this 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 the 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.

“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 will barely have faded before the much-anticipated Grand Prix Freestyle finale which will decide the individual medals. With such super-star quality on show in Paris 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.

FULL RESULTS

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Competitions, FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Brilliant British Claim Gold in Jumping Team Final

L-R: Scott Brash, Harry Charles, and Ben Maher from Team GBR © FEI/Benjamin Clark

Great Britain claimed Jumping team gold in fine style at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA) with spectacular performances from Ben Maher/Dallas Vegas Batilly, Harry Charles/Romeo 88, and Scott Brash/Jefferson. It was a clean, crisp result for the new Olympic champions, without a single fence down and counting only two time faults to seal it in the Team Final.

Team USA had to settle for silver medal spot with a final scoreline of just four faults, and in the battle for bronze, it was France that clinched it thanks to quicker combined times for their three combinations, who edged the Dutch off the podium by the narrowest of margins – 0.57 seconds – when both sides completed with seven faults on the board.

This was Britain’s third team title in the history of Jumping at the Games. The first was recorded by Wilfred White/Nizefela, Douglas Stewart/Aherlow and Harry Llewellyn/Foxhunter in Helsinki in 1952, and there was a very long wait before they did it again on home ground in London 2012. Both Maher and Brash were young guns in their 20s when competing in that four-man side 12 years ago alongside Nick Skelton and Harry’s father Peter Charles. This result resonated with that, although this time around Maher and Brash were the veterans while 25-year-old Charles was the relative rookie.

In the qualifier, Germany produced three clean sheets and looked set to threaten strongly for the title, but despite a faultless round from Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday, poles down for both Christian Kukuk’s Checker 47 and Richard Vogel’s United Touch S at the first element of the penultimate double left them sitting in fifth place at the end of the day.

The defending champions from Sweden were expected to bounce back when only Peder Fredricson and Catch Me Not S had mistakes on the course, but all three team members had a fence error to drop them behind Germany into sixth place.

The Dutch were unlucky. Kim Emmen and Imagine produced one of 11 clear rounds over the bright, beautiful but technically-demanding 14-fence track created by Santiago Varela (ESP) and Gregory Bodo (FRA), while Harrie Smolders collected only a single time fault with Uricas van de Kattevennen. However, Maikel van der Vleuten and his Tokyo 2020 individual bronze-medal winning ride Beauville Z had an awkward ride down the triple combination at fence 10 and took out the final oxer element for four faults and an additional two for time.

Meanwhile, the French began with just three time faults for pathfinder Simon Delestre and I Amelusina R 51, followed by a superb clear from Olivier Perreau and Dorai D’Aiguilly, who were called in late to the side. The crowd was on the edges of their seats as Julien Epaillard and Dubai du Cedre set off as, with just those three faults on the board, they were well within sight of at least silver. But a mistake at the Jardin à la Française oxer at fence nine left the hosts on level-pegging with The Netherlands, their narrow advantage on the clock giving them that third podium placing.

The British looked convincing from the outset, Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly finishing just shy of the time-allowed of 79 seconds for a single time fault, while Charles and Rome 88 were crystal clear. By the time Brash and Jefferson entered the ring as anchors and the very last to go, the Americans were counting only four faults for Laura Kraut’s mistake at the first element of the triple combination, because both Karl Cook with Caracole de la Roque and Ward and Ilex had been foot-perfect.

The pressure was at boiling point as Brash set off with everything hanging in the balance. A fence down and gold would go to the USA, and two down would drop his country right out of contention. But in the years since that historic London victory at the age of 26, the Scottish-born rider has become a master of his art with a reputation for nerves of steel. As he and Jefferson galloped through the finish with just a single time penalty popping up on the scoreboard, it was time for big British celebrations.

When asked about winning the second Olympic team gold medal of his sparkling career, Brash said, “A gold medal doesn’t get old! It’s incredible, obviously, to win in London in front of our home crowd, which was one of the best days of my life, but here is right up there! I mean what an unbelievable setting, what a beautiful venue for our sport, and facilities for the horses were incredible.”

When asked what it was like to enter that cauldron of tension to secure that gold, he replied, “You’ve got to stay focused on your horse; it’s a partnership. You really need to know your horse inside out to be able to jump that course; it’s technical, it’s big, you’re jumping at the highest level, and there’s questions all around that course. So you really need to know your horse inside out and ride the best way possible for them to jump clear. You stay focused and then try and execute your plan and that’s what I tried to do, and thankfully it paid off!” he explained.

Maher said he may have underestimated the time it would take to get around the track, “but we left the jumps up and gave the team a great start!” he pointed out. “We’re talking about 0.3 of a second over the time – I could probably just have turned back shorter after the double of Liverpools (4ab) and taken a bit of a risk, but my horse is younger and our team in a good position anyway,” he explained.

He said he has a lot of faith in Dallas Vegas Batilly. “She’s been very consistent and won already some really good Grands Prix all over the world. We did the championship indoors back in April to give us some experience. There were some question marks over my change of horse last-minute, but I’m in a very fortunate position; she is the more experienced horse in the stable at the moment and I just felt that she was really on form and ready at the right time, and she’s certainly shown that today!” he said.

Charles said he initially thought the course was not too tough, “but that’s how good these course builders are – it rode completely differently to how it walked! It’s probably much more difficult than yesterday but suited my horse better with striding in between the jumps. He likes to jump from a collected canter rather than an open one so I could get to most of the jumps in a holding stride, which was a big benefit. And I wasn’t really too concerned with the time allowed. He was really quick yesterday, so I thought if I just do my normal pace I should be inside and just was. So I was pretty happy about that,” he said.

It was the USA’s third Olympic team silver in a row and their seventh in the history of the Games. Laura Kraut and McLain Ward were both on the silver-medal side in Tokyo three years ago where Kraut’s 14-year-old gelding Baloutinue also competed.

She was surprised by her horse’s single mistake at that bogey triple combination. “He kind of looked at it a little bit and I had maybe too much momentum, but other than that he didn’t put a foot wrong,” she said.

Talking about the course, she pointed out, “What’s been really nice is there’s been no eliminations, no disasters, lots of poles down and time faults, and they have been very crafty with the time allowed. I felt like I was flying, and I only came in a second and a half under the time, so I think it’s just as you would expect – we’re at the Olympics after all!”

Like Kraut, Ward knows a thing or two about the pressure of Olympic competition and he picked up his fifth medal at his sixth Olympic Games.

“Both Laura and I have been particularly blessed (competing for Team USA) for a number of years. What the Olympics represents, its principles, at its very best is something that we really are proud of and look to as a goal. Our team mentality is that this is the pinnacle of the sport. This is what we aim everything towards, not only ourselves, but everybody behind us, and we’re willing to sacrifice a lot of other events throughout the season to try to be primed at the right moment with the right combinations. That’s not to say that sometimes you think you have the recipe right and you don’t. But I think being able to pull that off a few times builds confidence, and everybody keeps delivering, and that perpetuates itself; it inspires the next generation, and it inspires all the people around us and behind us to continue,” he said.

It has taken a while for Karl Cook to build a relationship with the feisty French-bred mare Caracole de la Roque, but it has all come together beautifully now with trust established between them, particularly over the last few months. Their fabulous clear was evidence of that. “You build that trust and understanding over time. I’m thrilled with how she has been here in Paris – she’s a very wonderful horse!” he said.

The French were filled with emotion and delighted to find themselves on the podium. As Epaillard said, “We wanted a medal – and we got it!” It was even more special to do it in front of the French President Emmanuel Macron.

For Olivier Perreau, his bronze was particularly emotional because he earned it on a home-bred mare he has produced himself and which only began to show real potential over the last year. “I took her to the European Championship last year and my aim was always to have her here in Paris – I’m so proud of her and so very, very happy!” he said.

Meanwhile, delighted British Chef d’Equipe, Di Lampard, reflected on the success of her side. “The plan has come together after four years, and I’m completely overwhelmed! They were outstanding; the lads were ice-cool and delivered on the given day! We always put Ben out first; he’s the pathfinder and he’s so good at it. To put Harry in the middle was an obvious one, and his clear round was joyous and probably put even more pressure on Scott! But we know he has ice-cold veins and he delivered in real style,” she said.

FULL RESULTS

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Competitions, FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Foot-Perfect Germans Top Thrilling Team Qualifier

Richard Vogel (GER) and United Touch S © FEI/Benjamin Clark

Team Germany cruised to the top of the team standings without a blemish on their scoresheet to book the coveted last-to-go spot on the startlist for the Jumping Team Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA).

Superb clear rounds from all three of the German combinations – Christian Kukuk with Checker, Phillip Weishaupt on Zineday, and Richard Vogel with United Touch – produced the only zero score on a day when the bright and beautifully-designed course presented by Spain’s Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo from France kept the athletes laser-focused and the horses very happy.

Of the 20 nations chasing down just 10 qualifying spots in the team medal decider, it was the USA that finished second with just six faults, while Great Britain, Belgium, and The Netherlands filled the next three slots with eight faults apiece. Ireland finished sixth with nine faults and the hosts from France finished seventh when putting 12 faults on the board.

There were a few surprises, however. The defending Olympic champions from Sweden looked set to join the Germans at the top of the leaderboard until a miscommunication between Peder Fredricson and his brilliant grey gelding Catch Me Not S led to a glance-off at the Graffiti Wall at fence 11. When they also clipped the middle element of the penultimate triple combination, the resulting 17 faults saw the Swedes land in eighth place, well within the qualified group but a lot lower than expected.

Even more surprising were the 24 faults collected by Team Switzerland, who are out of team contention after picking up 24 faults to finish 12th. Instead, the last two qualifying spots went to Israel and Mexico, both on 20, with Team Spain squeezed out by a single time penalty to finish 11th at the end of the day.

The reigning double world champions and Tokyo 2020 team gold medallists Henrik von Eckermann and the great King Edward were first to clear the course when fifth to go. The 14-year-old gelding normally jumps barefoot, but had front shoes fitted especially for the Games. However, when he lost one en route around the 14-fence track, von Eckermann has decided to leave him without shoes again for the rest of the Games.

The Swede described King Edward as “a genius of a horse!” He said he himself wasn’t too relaxed before the competition began but was delighted with the outcome.

“I always think the first track is the worst one because you’re not really sure. I mean I know my horse very, very well, but still, you never know – it’s animals, not machines, and you just want to have a good feeling, and you don’t know how it is going to be before you do it!” said von Eckermann.

“We know each other very well, and I know exactly how to support him. For example, at fence number two, I was little bit too deep to the oxer, so he went really high, and then he froze a little bit because he’s very careful. If I wouldn’t have that trust that we work with, then it could have been a bit of a disaster, but he knows what to do and I support him, and it’s a fantastic feeling together!” he explained.

Defending individual champion Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly, plus Christian Kukuk and Checker 47, America’s Laura Kraut and Baloutinue, The Netherlands’ Mikael van der Vleuten and Beauville Z, and Brazil’s Pedro Veniss and Nimrod de Muze also left the course intact. However, in accordance with the rules, the Brazilian pair was eliminated when a small amount of blood was found on the horse’s side after he left the arena.

Last to go in the first group of 20 competitors was the eye-catching Ermitage Kalone who, despite being only a 10-year-old, soared around the course with the greatest of ease for Belgium’s Gilles Thomas. With just single errors from team-mates Wilm Vermeier/IQ van het Steentje and Jerome Guery/Quel Homme de Hus, the Belgians comfortably qualified for the final team test, sandwiched between the British and the Dutch.

For Britain’s Maher, it was just a relief to get the competition started. “There has been a lot of waiting around and not knowing what’s coming in the first round, but it’s a big enough test today and Dallas Vegas was listening and really on point for me, so I’m happy,” he said.

“Normally at these events, there’s always some different fences and we already see that today. I don’t know what the other riders are saying, but things are coming quick enough today; it’s quite careful jumping and there are no second chances this week!” said Maher.

By far the most influential fence on the course was the penultimate triple combination, with eight horses lowering the vertical on the way in, and 24 of the 57 starters kicking out the narrow plank on top of the middle element. It was there that Maher’s team-mate Harry Charles picked up his four faults with Romeo, but he was feeling mighty grateful that he is competing in Paris at all this week after fracturing his right wrist in a fall in Aachen (GER) a few weeks ago.

Fortunately, his father Peter is a former European Jumping champion and could keep Romeo ticking over while his rider spent a short time recovering. “When I got home, I was wearing a brace and I decided that if I could ride at Hickstead last week that I could ride the Olympics. I got back on Romeo 10 days ago and it worked well, no pain, so I said, OK we’re fine, and that was that, happy days!” Charles explained.

His team-mate Scott Brash knows a thing or two about riding on the big stage and was a member of that historic British side that took team gold on home ground in London in 2012. Brash and Jefferson also faulted at that penultimate triple combination, but at the first element this time.

“I was maybe a smidgen too deep and he just touched it on the way up, so maybe it was my fault a bit. I think it was quite an unlucky fault really, so you learn from that ahead of tomorrow, but I was really delighted with how he jumped everything else. He felt like he skipped around!” he said. Brash took a more careful line to the wall at nine that led to Sweden’s Fredricson running up a big score because it flashed up on a screen before he got up on his own horse. That unlikely incident was a reminder that when it comes to horses you can never be absolutely sure what is going to happen next.

“I mean it just shows you – Catch Me is 18 years old, he knows his job, he’s a great horse, and he’s seen so many walls. You’d never expect it, so I remembered that I needed to get out wider and get a little bit straighter there,” the Briton explained.

It was plain sailing for America’s pathfinder Laura Kraut and Baloutinue. It’s hard to believe that Kraut was on the very first all-female US team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and is still such a dynamic member of her country’s Olympic side 24 years later having pocketed team gold and silver medals along the way.

“I wasn’t 100% sure what my plan was going to be because, to be honest with you, the course wasn’t really suited to him, but going first I just thought I’ve got to go in and be quick since time is going to be such a factor, and just have faith that he’ll clear the fences. And he did!” said Kraut.

She likes to add strides with Baloutinue rather than take them out. “That suits him best, but you really couldn’t add going to the water, and I had so much momentum built up, that then I thought I’d really love to have six to the next one, but that would have interrupted it so much, so I felt like I was in a jump-off actually – like he was flying! So I had to settle him back down after that and he was perfect!”

Second in for Team USA, Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque got a late call-up when Kent Farrington’s Greya was withdrawn. The new pair more than lived up to expectations when posting the second American clear of the day in spectacular style.

“It’s what we were mentally preparing for. We decided the right strategy was to prepare like we were jumping even if we weren’t. I came with blue pants, but I packed everything as if I was showing. I had to do it like that so it was easier if I got called with two minutes to go,” he explained.

Compatriot McLain Ward’s single error was at the vertical at fence eight, and only one other horse/rider combination hit that one. He also picked up two time faults with Ilex, but he was still pleased with their performance.

“I was thrilled. I mean, I knew going in that we had a pretty big margin of error, so I made a plan to just be a little conservative and make sure there wasn’t a big blow up. It was a very light rub at the fence, but not a big deal and I think all the team performed brilliantly and look very good going into tomorrow morning when everything starts from zero again,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Germans were understandably very pleased with their own performances. But Philipp Weishaupt was careful to point out that when it comes to the team podium, it’s not over until it’s over.

“I really feel like we are strong, but everything can happen. There’s another eight, nine, teams and it would be no surprise if they are winning, so it can go any which way. But in general, we’re in very good shape,” he said.

All three of the German team know Weishaupt’s horse, Zineday, extremely well. “He was ridden as a four and five-year-old by Richie (Richard Vogel) and as a six and seven-year-old by Christian (Kukuk),” said the man who steered Zineday to individual silver at last year’s European Championship.

Vogel’s United Touch is another of the big talking horses of the sport and once again the 12-year-old stallion put on a stunning performance. His power over a fence is breath-taking, but controlling that has been the biggest challenge for his riders. So what is the plan going into the team medal-decider and how did Vogel think it will play out?

“Probably Christian is going to start first; he has the quickest horse and he likes to be in that position, and then it’s either Philipp or me going next. So that’s not decided yet. All riders performed well today. I think all three German rounds were smooth so that makes us optimistic for tomorrow. But we’re also aware that it starts from zero, and besides a good starting position there’s not so much achieved yet – we will see!” he said.

FULL RESULTS

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Competitions, Dressage, FEI, Olympic Games

Germans Show Their Strength ahead of Dressage Team Finale

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) and TSF Dalera BB © FEI/Benjamin Clark

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), 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 were fewer 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.

Reigning world champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale, raised the target score to 78.913% when pathfinder.

“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!” said Fry.

“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.

“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.

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% 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.

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!” she said.

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.

“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.

FULL RESULTS

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Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Horse Care/Protection, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Beating the Heat in Versailles: FEI Implements Climate Mitigation Protocols

Photo: Cooling stations were set up across the Paris 2024 Olympic equestrian venue at Versailles, equipped with cold water, ice, and personnel ready to assist horses with immediate cooling needs. © FEI/Liz Gregg

Olympic Equestrian Dressage competitions got underway with comprehensive heat and humidity protocols put in place by the FEI in response to rising temperatures.

“While we strive for all equestrian events to take place in optimal climatic conditions, it is often logistically challenging to achieve such conditions,” explained FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström.

“Thanks to our protocols, horses cooled down swiftly and displayed no signs of heat stress, underscoring the efficacy of our climate mitigation strategies.

“The FEI uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Index as a standard tool for assessing and managing thermal stress.

“The WBGT Index measures solar radiation, ground heat reflection, humidity, and windspeed, and is used by several sports as it is the most comprehensive index to monitor the climate’s effect on humans, and in our case, also horses.

“This precise method allows us to accurately gauge the potential for heat stress at events and implement the necessary measures to safeguard our horses’ and humans’ welfare. These measures get put in place once the WBGT index is higher than 28 degrees Celsius, and in today’s case the Index reached the high peak of 33.8 degrees Celsius.”

Key measures put in place included:

  • Continuous WBGT Monitoring: Beginning at 09:30 on Tuesday morning, on-site monitoring of climatic conditions was implemented, and the data was crucial in accurately assessing the potential for heat stress on the field-of-play throughout the day.
  • Thermal Imaging and Veterinary Supervision: All horses were monitored with advanced thermal imaging technology by a world-class veterinary team. This non-invasive technique accurately estimates body temperature from a distance, allowing for early identification of potential heat stress. Monitoring was conducted at warm-up stages and immediately upon horses returning from the field-of-play.
  • Cooling Stations: Further to the two cooling stations in place, three additional cooling stations were set up across the venue, equipped with cold water, ice, and personnel ready to assist with immediate cooling needs. These stations provided crucial support for rapid temperature reduction of the horses, post-performance.

The FEI has been at the forefront of researching and implementing climate mitigation strategies for equestrian sports, ensuring that athletes, both human and equine, perform safely in all conditions.

These comprehensive measures have been developed and refined since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, to ensure the safety and optimal performance of equine athletes competing today.

The heat mitigation protocols were developed specifically for high-risk environments like Tokyo 2020 and were adapted to suit local conditions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.

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