Podium team competition - Photo © one_photographiefrance
Press release - Crozet
Tension rose today in the arena of the European Championship as the second half of the competitors set off at the foot of the Jura Mountains. The much-anticipated battle between Germany – the reigning Olympic champions – England – defending titleholders and present with their three Olympic pairs – and Denmark – current World Champions – definitely took place!
This morning, Andreas Helgstrand and Jovian, the third Danish pair to compete, scored a solid 71.335%, confirming the strength of a nation now accustomed to podium in major championships. Shortly after, Frederic Wandres representing Germany delivered a solid test with Bluetooth OLD, scoring 74.721% despite a few small inaccuracies. This left Germany with only a slight advantage before Carl Hester entered the arena. And even less of a lead once the British rider concluded his performance with 76.087% and a beautiful ride on Fame. By midday, it looked as if the Brits were gaining the upper hand.
But the afternoon brought its fair share of drama! The fate of the Danish team seemed sealed with an excellent performance by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, earning an impressive 80.823%. However, despite a beautiful test, Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine scored 79.224% and still left strong hopes for Great Britain. Germany finished with a total of 229.644 points, while Great Britain had 150.916 before their final rider. Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale needed at least 78.728% to claim the gold medal – a score seemingly within reach for the highly decorated pair, often known to flirt with the 80% mark in this test. But sport had other plans today. Despite a very strong start, a costly mistake in the pirouette and a few small hiccups in the canter work took their toll. Ending with a disappointing 75.869%, Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale left their team on the second step of the podium.
"We are very happy and satisfied to win today! We were really excited about this very open championship. There were three teams really neck to neck, and Sweden was also very close. We had to wait for the last riders to go, and of course we’re happy it went our way in the end – but it was close, and we can say it was a lucky day!" said Isabell Werth, the most experienced German rider, during the press conference.
“I think one of the most wonderful things for us is the way that the team has supported one another throughout the competition and that's been really wonderful for us to see and to be part of, so that's a great emotion to feel,” commented British team leader Darrell Scaiffe.
“We're happy to show that Danish dressage is something serious and to introduce new pairs looking ahead to the next major events. This is my last championship with the Danish team, and I’m proud to have supported them over the past five years. It’s been a great adventure, and I can assure you they’re heading in the right direction,” confirmed Anne-Mette Binder, Danish team leader.
Tomorrow marks the start of the individual competition with the Grand Prix Special, in which the top thirty pairs from the Grand Prix are invited to compete. To qualify for the Special, today’s riders needed a minimum score of 68.882%. Unfortunately, this benchmark was not reached by the last two French riders today. With his young mare Ruling Olivia, Alexandre Ayache earned an encouraging 68.152%, while Sertorius de Rima Z*IFCE fell short of his usual form, scoring just 68.587% – a disappointing result for rider Pauline Basquin and the entire French team, who had hoped to see this pair represent the host nation in tomorrow’s competition, and even in Sunday’s Freestyle.
On the other hand, we will see Norway’s Isabel Freese, who scored 74.146% this morning, Belgium’s Justin Verboomen, currently third in the individual ranking with 79.084%, and the Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere, fourth in this first test with 76.941%. Judging by the scores given since yesterday, tomorrow promises to be full of suspense once again!
See you tomorrow from 10 a.m. for the continuation of this thrilling competition. The medal ceremony will take place following the Grand Prix Special. Find the start lists and live results at www.worldsporttiming.com