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Top-level and very diverse representation from all over the old continent at the FEI Eventing European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors 2024 held in Strzegom (POL), where the British and German athletes stole the show with two gold medals each.
Check the podium winners:
Young Riders Individual Podium
1° Jasmine Underwood & Indian Girl G (GBR)
2° Lisa Gualtieri & A D’Aunis (FRA)
3° Isabel Cook & Mexican Law (GBR)
Young Riders Team Podium
1° Great Britain
2° France
3° Germany
Juniors Individual Podium
1° Hannah Busch & Crystal-Annabell (GER)
2° Tom Nestor & Cooley Diamond Dancer (IRL)
3° Mae Rinaldi & Kirwan (FRA)
Juniors Team Podium
1° Germany
2° Ireland
3° Great Britain
Image caption: Individual Podium for Young Riders, Gold - Jasmine Underwood (GBR) and Indian Girl G, Silver - Lisa Gualtieri (FRA) with A D'aunis and Bronze Isabelle Cook (GBR) with Mexican Law at the FEI Eventing European Championship 2024 - Strzegom (POL)
Image Copyright: FEI/Leszek Wójcik
Images: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.
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 this week.
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.”
Roolphe Scherer
(Chef d'Equipe Team GER)
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 ok 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.”
Roolphe Scherer
(Chef d'Equipe Team GER)
Ten teams came forward for this leg of the FEI Eventing Nations CupTM, 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.
Some spectacular days of Olympic Dressage have come to an end at the breath-taking venue located in the gardens of Chateau de Versailles. But there is no need to catch the Olympic blues just yet, because there is so much to look forward to, as the Olympic riders pass over the reins and the arena to the Para Dressage superstars.
Spectacular is indeed the word that best describes the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Games kicked off with the spectacular opening ceremony where the Eiffel tower served as the main prop. The Paralympic opening ceremony is promised to be no less spectacular, as the format of bringing the ceremony outside a stadium and into the streets will be the same. However, instead of being centred around the Eiffel Tower, the Paralympic opening ceremony will be centred around the famous avenue, Champs-Elysées. On Champs-Elysée, we find iconic Paris trademarks such as the Arc De Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. It is at the latter where the ceremony itself will take place, after the parade of athletes has made its way down the Champs-Elysées. It will surely be an unforgettable experience for athletes and spectators alike.
The Essence of Para Dressage
Para Dressage matches the Paris 2024 spirit when it comes to bringing the spectacular element to the Games. The partnerships that are displayed between rider and horse can soften even the most cynical of hearts and leave us all in awe. Through the unique bond the riders with disability share with their horses, they show the world that great riding is not based on force, but on love and understanding – and a lot of hard work.
Para Dressage is top sport, with beautiful riding and top-quality horses. Here, disability is no excuse, as the correctness of the riding is expected to be the same as in able-bodied Dressage. Therefore, riders with disabilities have to find solutions to work with and around their challenges to perform high level Dressage, raising the bar for what we consider possible.
Equestrian Paralympic History
Para Dressage has come a long way since it became part of the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. Back then, the riders would borrow a horse provided by the host country, riding it just a few times before competing. A scenario that is unimaginable today, where the riders spend months and years training to establish the special bond with their horse that is needed to perform to the perfection that is expected to win medals.
Paris 2024
Paris will see a total of 78 riders across the five grades* I, II, III, IV and V. Grade I is the grade for the riders who have the least body function and will be ridden in walk only. Grade II and III, will be ridden in walk and trot, and grade IV and V will be ridden in both walk, trot and canter, being the grades where the riders have the highest body function.
Common for all grades this year is the high the level of competition. As we see a mix of defending Paralympic champion combinations, such as Danish superstar Tobias Thorning Jørgensen on Jolene (grade III), Michele George on Best of 8 (grade V) and Sanne Voets on her charming Demantur (grade IV), mixed with a high number of new horse and rider combinations.
Debutants and new combinations
Since Tokyo, many of the nations have done all they can to improve their chances of winning Paralympic medals in Paris. This means that the teams have been evolving and improving on several aspects, and a part of that, has been changing both horses and riders. These new riders, horses and combinations, have raised the over-all level and opens up for a lot of excitement - and for a harder fight for the medals. It also means that nothing can be predicted.
One of these new and interesting combinations, is the American Paralympic champion from Tokyo 2020, Roxanne Trunnell. Since Tokyo, she has retired her golden mount Dalton, and has instead teamed up with another black gelding, Fan Tastico H. The new combination has had a great season and it will be interesting to follow in Tokyo.
The rise in the competition level in the last years, and the new combinations entering the scene, has meant that Tokyo Paralympic medallist combinations such as Frank Hosmar and Alphaville, as well as Ann Cathrin Lübbe and La Costa Majlund, have not even been selected for the Paris 2024 team.
Some of the interesting new riders, that will make their Paralympic debut in Paris are Dutch Demi Haerkens on Daula (grade IV), who made a memorable entrance to the para scene last year, winning the Europeans Championships in Riesenbeck, and British Mari Durward-Akhurst on Athene Lindebjerg (grade 1). Athene Lindebjerg is not a Paralympic debutant, however. The impressive black mare will be bringing a lot of experience to the games, as she is a gold medal champion from the Rio 2016 Games with Sophie Christiansen in the saddle.
Sold out venue
Both spectators and riders, are guaranteed a memorable experience, when the Para Dressage riders turn down the centreline with the great Chateau de Versailles in the background. And the riders will not lack support; the equestrian venue at Versailles were one of the first two Paralympic venues to sell out this year. The full stadium at the Paris 2024 will be a sharp contrast to the Tokyo Paralympic games, where the whole stadium was left empty due to covid restrictions.
With full support on the spectator stands to set the atmosphere and great riders in the arena, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games promises to be one to go down in history.
Full Entries here
Photo Caption: Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA), Sanne Voets (NED) and Manon Claeys (BEL) on the podium during the medal ceremony for Individual Grade IV at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020 © FEI/Liz Gregg
*CORRECTION: It was initially noted that there were 75 horses, but the number has since been corrected to 78
Rising from third place in last month’s rankings, Tom Mc Ewen (GBR) knocks fellow Brit Rosalind Canter off the top spot to become number one in the FEI Eventing World Rankings this month.
After holding pole-position for just one month after clinching it from Oliver Townend (GBR) in July, Rosalind slides into second position behind Tom, who now joins her in the ‘500 Club’ as Rosalind’s 519 has now been surpassed by McEwen and his 561 points.
Tom is delighted at the news, saying; “I really wasn’t expecting this. Becoming World Number One is incredibly exciting, but it’s not all down to me – it’s down to my incredible team at home who’ve done all the hard work throughout the winter and this summer, all the long journeys and early mornings. I genuinely couldn’t do it without them or my owners, who’ve supported me all year. I also couldn’t do it without all my sponsors and backing. It’s a massive team effort that goes into something so special.
“This has been an amazing year, with the Olympics, so the support I’ve had has been invaluable. It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
The top three is rounded out with compatriot Oliver Townend taking the third spot with 492 points, unchanged since last month.
Belgium’s Lara De Liedekerke-Meier holds onto her fourth position with 470 points, while World Champion Yasmin Ingham (GBR) loses her grip on the top five by slipping from fifth to ninth position with 389 points
Laura Collett (GBR) storms up the rankings to snap at the heels of her fellow Brits reaching seventh place from 25th last month and 401 points. Similarly, an impressive jump was seen with Swiss Felix Vogg as he leaves his position at number 21 to race into the top 10, sitting in eighth position with 390 points.
Wills Oakden slips from seventh to 10th, keeping a total of six British athletes occupying the top 10 spots of the ranking – one more than last month thanks to Laura Collet’s rise.
Rounding out the rest of the top ten, representing the USA, Boyd Martin climbs a single place to take the fifth position with 458 points while husband and wife Tim and Jonelle Price, who were ninth and eighth respectively have now widened their gap, as Tim climbs up to sixth position with 438 points, but Jonelle falls out of the top10 to the 18th spot and 313 points.
Photo caption:
Tom McEwen (GBR) riding JL DUBLIN during the Eventing Cross Country at the Chateau de Versailles for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Photo Credit: 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) today, 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 yesterday’s 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 today’s top-30 showdown.
And 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 today’s 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.
Top step
Kukuk’s rise to the top step of the podium began when he posted the first clear in today’s 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!”
Christian Kukuk
(GER)
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. And things were going perfectly until they turned to the open water at fence six.
Sensational
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.
Third clear
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. And 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.
Content
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!”
Steve Guerdat
(SUI)
“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 ok, 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.
Emotional
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.
French speed king Julien Epaillard and his queen Dubai du Cedre clinched the coveted last-to-go spot in tomorrow’s Individual Jumping Final with the quickest clear round in today’s 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 tomorrow’s medal-decider in which starters will compete in reverse order of merit following today’s competition. 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, today 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.
Excellent day
Meanwhile, it was an excellent day for the Irish when Shane Sweetnam finished second with James Kann Cruz and Daniel Coyle third with Legacy leaving them both with a great draw for tomorrow. The Irish team came into the Games full of medal-hopes, but ended up in a disappointing seventh place. Today, however, their flag was flying high once again.
It was important to be quick today 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 today 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.
Spectacular
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 today.
“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 warm up 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 food-poisoning yesterday 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 today was redemption day.
Reigning
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 tomorrow’s 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 warm up, 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.
It’s going to be a fascinating final day tomorrow when those top-30 return to settle the individual medal placings. The action begins at 10.00 with Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday first to go. And although today’s result has decided the starting order, they all begin again on a zero score, so it’s a whole new day and a whole new competition with plenty more big fences to jump before the Paris 2024 Olympic Individual Jumping title is decided.
QUOTES:
Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann who jumped clear today 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’s 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.”
Williamsburg (USA) hosted the FEI North American Youth Championships 2024 last week where Children, Pre Juniors, Juniors, Young Riders and U25 classes were all represented, in both Jumping and Dressage disciplines.
Podium winners:
JUMPING
Children Individual Final
1° Agatha Lignelli & Girl Scout with 0/26.50
2° Sophie Segesman & Quitana 11 with 4/27.44
3° Eva Mackenzie & Debbie Harry with 2
Full results HERE
Pre-Junior Riders Individual Final
1° JJ Torano & Kybalia Smh/svn with 0.29
2° Isabella Welick & Toucare KdwZ with 5.65
3° Taylor wood & Sunjoy Z with 5.69
Full results HERE
Junior Riders Team Final
1° Zone 4 with 15.12
2° Zone 2 with 25.68
3° Zone 3/8/9 with 33.35
Full results HERE
Junior Riders Individual Final
1° Clara Propp & Cocolina with 3.91
2° Isabelle Ehman & Magnolia with 4.00
3° Reese Merna & Havanna C2 with 4.65
Full results HERE
Young Riders Team Final
1° Zone 2
2° Mexico
3° Zone 5
Full results HERE
Young Riders Individual Final
1° Mia Bagnato & Ballyoskill Big Bucks with 2.52
2° Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez & Yoga Santa Rosa with 3.29
3° Hunter Champey & High Hopes SFN with 5.28
Full results HERE
DRESSAGE
Junior Riders - Team Championship Test
1° Region 3 with 198.4545 Points
2° Region 4/5/7 with 198.060 Points
3° Region 9 with 197.302 Points
Full results HERE
Juniors Freestyle
1° Virginia Woodcock & Mollegardens Sans-Souci with 72.635%
2° Claire Tucker & Finnur with 72.150%
3° Laila Edwards & Farah-Jade with 71.400%
Full results HERE
Young Riders - Team Championship Test
1° Region 3/5 with 207.707 Points
2° Canada with 207.118 Points
3° Region 2/4/8 with 197.000 Points
Full results HERE
Young Riders Freestyle
1° Kat Fuqua & Dreamgirl with 74.355%
2° Eva Levy & Living Diamond with 73.400%
3° Alicia Berger Aqua Marin with 72.350%
Full results HERE
U25 Individual Final
1° Christian Simonson & Son of a Lady with 73.845%
2° Josh Allbrecht & Goldenboy Vinckenburgh with 72.590%
3° Sophie Schults & Conocido HGF with 74.490%
Full results HERE
Photo Caption: Kat Fuqua & Dreamgirl, winners of the Young Riders Dressage Freestyle at the FEI North American Youth Championships 2024 in Williamsburg (USA)
Image available here
Photo Copyright: © FEI/ MeganGiese/TCHS
Images & Content: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.
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.”
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.
Great Britain claimed Jumping team gold in fine style today 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 20’s when competing in that four-man side 12 years ago alongside Harry Charles’ father Peter, and Nick Skelton. Today’s result resonated with that, although this time around Maher and Brash were the veterans while 25-year-old Charles was the relative rookie.
Set to threaten
In yesterday’s 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 from their 17-fault total yesterday when only Peder Fredricson and Catch Me Not S had mistakes on the course, but all three team members had a fence error today 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 were 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.
Convincing
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. And 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.
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!”
Scott Brash
(GBR)
And 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.
Underestimated
Maher, who on Monday begins the defence of the individual Olympic title he won in Tokyo three years ago, said he may have underestimated the time it would take to get around today’s 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 Grand 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 today’s 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.
Team silver
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 today 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 today’s 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!”
Laura Kraut
(USA)
Like Kraut, Ward knows a thing or two about the pressure of Olympic competition and today 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. Today’s 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.
Emotion
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!”. And 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 this evening 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.
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