Story – Christopher Hector and Photos – Rebecca Ashton
Not entirely sure that making the Special part of the teams competition really works – sure it’s going to get more exciting as the three teams in contention send out their riders, but it also blows the number of competitors out to 24 and there is not a lot to get excited about in the first half…
The second pair to hit the arena, Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and the Jazz gelding, Vancouver, are delightful: soft, correct, the work flows and they grab the early lead on 74.0.
There has been much muttering at this championships at how the wheels have fallen off the Dutch dressage machine. Back in 2010, Joep Bartels was writing a whole book extolling the new wonderful Dutch system that would set new standards for dressage.
It really only took the crafty German dealer, Paul Schockemöhle to rip Totilas out of the hands of the Dutch, for the Dutch to fall to squabbling amongst themselves, and the hollowness of their wonderful system to be exposed (that Totilas almost destroyed the German team is another story…)
At the end of the first group, Edward Gal and Voice on 73.655% are behind a rider from Ireland (maybe Joep needs to do a book on the Celtic dressage revival…).
Diedrich van Silfhout and Arlando: there is much to like about the second Dutch pair, the horse can really move, but so often it tips from positive to negative tension. Or as Steffen Peters puts it, you must not lose the rhythm in search of expression… They are the best of the Dutch with 76.092%.
Diedrich van Silfhout and Arlando
Johnson is a wonderful stallion, if only Hans Peter would / could ride him a little more softly the picture would be so much nicer. Instead we get over extravagant front legs and out behind hind ones, but I don’t think that is inevitable, with a little more tact (not to say takt) the stallion could really bloom. Score 75.224.
Hans Peter Minderhoud and Johnson
And that for the Orange troops is that, the Dutch team is down to three after Adelinde retired Parzival when she could see his tongue was sticking way out… and the Dutch are not in the hunt for a medal of any colour.
First of the Americans, Allison Brock and cutie pie Rosevelt, what a good job Robert Dover has done with his team. Allison is hitting some high notes like four 8s on extended trot, 8.5 and 5 x 8 on super walk, 4 x 8 extended canter and finishes with four 8s, lovely test 73.796
Allison Brock and Rosevelt
Super Sönke and Cosmo, super horse super rider, forward but not terrorized forward, rhythmic forward, there’s a big difference. 5 x 9 extended trot, 3 x 9 next extended trot – what more could it do? 3 x 9 and 1 x 9.5 extended trot. A messy piaffe pulls score down as does the miss on the twos. The huge ones collect three 9s, and they finish on 76.401
Sönke Rothenberger and Cosmo
What a difference a lunch break makes, as the team contenders emerge in the last two groups, there is a nerve tingling team battle for the medals, and plenty of costly mistakes to keep the oohs and aahs happening.
Kasey Perry-Glass’s Dublet is a lovely horse, a real Diamond Hit. But breaks in the trot drag the score down to 71.849 and the Americans are going to have to rely on Steffen and Laura to finish in the medals.
Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet
Okay I was not entirely convinced by Dorothee Schneider’s Showtime in the GP and it is not just because of my long term aversion to anything by Sandro Hit, but in the Special they are just that, very very special. The horse is more connected, more under himself than the was in the GP, lots of 9s and a couple of 10s, although that pirouette that was a problem in the GP earns a 4.6. Still they finish on 82.787.
Dorothee Schneider and Showtime
For the Brits to have any show of gold this time round, Fiona Bigwood and Orthilia really have to nail it. They are up over 80 early, but the passage is a bit ordinary, I guess almost anyone’s passage would look ordinary after Showtime, and Dorothee has a big lead. Orthilia just not quite in balance, a bit leaning forward, a bit out behind. A mistake in 2s for 5.2, and Britain is going to be battling to hold silver. They get a bit motivated by last centre line but a little too late: 74.384
Fiona Bigwood and Orthilia
Steffen Peters and Legolas, and once again we are in the world of civilised dressage, the horse is loose and sweetly forward. But they too have whoopsies – a break on half pass for 4.2, and Steffen’s running total is 56! 8 for passage, still a long way to climb back, and the extended trot is not great. More stunning passage but problems in piaffe, and they are on 74.622.
Steffen Peters and Legolas
Kristina Broring-Sprehe and Desperados make the perfect picture. Stunning extended trot, not entirely regular in passage and paying the price (I guess I am allowed to say that, it’s only when the rider is Australian am I supposed to pretend that I don’t see, what I do see), super big trots but that irregularity shows again in the piaffe, the right hind leg looks weird, and the centre line passage is very irregular while the piaffe is fine. 81.261
Kristina Broring-Sprehe and Desperados
Carl and Nip Tuck: Dear Barney, this is the challenge of his lifetime, they are up there level with Dorothee on the first few movements but the trots bring them down with a thud, six points behind Showtime. But the important thing is that he is up on Steffen. Barney has been waiting all test to spook on that bloody cameraman and sure enough gets his chance coming out of the second pirouete, for a score of 4.3. Carl may be behind Dorothee, but he’s up on Steffen.
Carl Hester and Nip Tuck
Lovely Laura Graves was the discovery of the last WEG and her star shines brighter here helped by the great music they have at this show. Every horse has had music that reflects their nationality and fits the movements of the test, and Song Sung Blue fits Verdades perfectly. It is one of those tests where you don’t see rider, just horse, so discreet so correct is the person on his back. The theme from Black Beauty is perfect for the walk, lifting the slightly bulky gelding. Fab ones, not a hint of a mistake and everyone else has fallen apart at least once, save Dorothee. Great test really a great test, 8.9 for rider is really mean! 80.364
Laura Graves and Verdades
Isabell Werth is the supreme competitor, her mare, Weihegold may be a bit long low and mare shaped, but the rider is on a mission, right from the first dead square halt. The extended trot is bigger today, although once again it doesn’t sweep you away. It’s just the ruthless consistency rather than high spots – just one ten for a transition, one for submission, and two for rider position, but they end up on a score of 83.711, with only Princess Charlotte to come…
Isabell Werth and Weihegold
Charlotte and Valegro have a habit of collecting tens, right from the two on the opening salute, but and it is a big but, unlike Isabell, Charlotte is collecting a few mistakes. They break three times on the short diagonal, half pass for 3.7 and have a fight on their hands to get back in touch. Fabulous passage, half pass right super, great passage (another 10) and Charlotte is creeping up on Isabell. Everything now just has to be perfect, Valegro has gone into his shell a bit, he’s four points behind, now just one, that’s how quick it can be, then they miss a two, and the score plummets to 5.9. Never give up, 10s for a change and the extended canter. Charlotte hits the centre line 0.9 behind Isabell and goes in front on the transitions mark. They are behind again by one when they stop. 83.025 and Isabell has won by just on half a mark.
Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro
The Germans have won gold with an 81.936 average, Britain, silver, 78.595, and the United States 76.667 for bronze.
Victorious Germans
Individually, there is less than 3% between the top five: Isabell – 83.711, Charlotte – 83.025, Dorothee – 82.619, Tina – 81.401, and Laura, 80.644. Whoopee, tomorrow is a REST day, we might actually see something other than the Press Village and the competition arena… Carl tells the press conference that he is taking Charlotte to Christ the Redeemer to pray for Monday, it should be fun, with or without divine intervention.
love it!
I simply enjoy your reports!