Campus
Disciplines
Your Role
About the FEI
Last night, we witnessed the emotional farewell to the crowd favourite Atterupgårds Cassidy.
In front of an enthusiastic home crowd Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour took one last dance under the spotlights with her beloved Cassidy. After 12 years together and countless championships under their belt, the two of them share an extraordinary partnership. However, time has come for the 19-year-old Cassidy to enjoy his senior life back home at Cathrine and Rasmine Laudrups-Dufour’s yard. Though it is important for Cathrine that Cassidy retires while he is fit and happy, it is never easy when a good thing comes to an end as Cathrine explains “it is the end of an era and that’s what makes this so emotional” she continues “but in reality nothing changes for me and Cassidy. We’ll keep having the same routines and we’ll keep training because Cassidy loves to train! But I feel that he deserved one last dance and his fans deserve one last dance.”
“So, tonight was for Cassidy. I owe him everything (…) he is my best friend and I do everything with him myself and that is the favourite part of my day. Just to be around him (…) he brings me so much peace and happiness.”
He will never do Grand Prix
Cassidy was not necessarily destined or expected to become one of the best dressage horses in the world. Even though he was doing well at the Danish Young Horse Championships, not many people believed he would progress beyond the small-tour. And the same can be said for Cathrine, who initially liked the feeling she got from Cassidy and together with her then-trainer Rune Willum decided that he would be the one even though she wasn’t completely blown way when she tried him, but explains “he was just so soft and supple and had so much power! And quickly after I’ve got him home, I realised that this could be something very special”.
She was proven right when they won their first individual medal at the FEI Dressage European Championships for Juniors 2010 just one month later. Cathrine thought that her first individual European Championship medal would be the highlight of her career, but this was only the beginning of a wonderful partnership. The pair would go on to win a medal at every European Championship for all age groups (Junior, Young Rider and Senior) and become the first partnership ever to have done so. “I also think that is why people love Cassidy so much”, Dufour responds when asked what she thinks is the reason for Cassidy’s huge popularity.
“It is the good story. That we have taken that long road together: a young normal girl and her young horse. I never had a Grand Prix horse before Cassidy, so I also had to learn, whilst I was educating him and because of that he made me the rider I am today.
“I only had this one horse and I loved him so much and even though the transfer from Young Rider to Grand Prix wasn’t easy and Cassidy and I struggled with the piaff, I couldn’t just give up on him nor on our partnership. I had to figure out what I was doing wrong since he didn’t understand, and therefor the focus was always on how I could help him. You don’t just quit on your best friend. That was also a huge lesson for me - keep trying until you succeed! So even if a horse has difficulties with one or two things it does not mean you should quite on them”.
When living-legend Kyra Kyrklund joined their trainer team together with Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein everything clicked, and Cathrine and Cassidy started to master that special art of making Grand Prix look effortless.
To have developed together with your horse like Cathrine has with Cassidy over many years gives a very special confidence in the partnership Cathrine explains “when I saw Cassidy for the first time, he was a six-year-old and afraid of the big screen. Fast forward to our international Grand Prix debut in 2015 it was the exact same situation! But at the time we had been through so much together already, so I never doubted we would also be able to solve that problem. And that is the beauty of having taken that long road together and developed the special bond that we have, it gives you a certain confidence - no matter the situation”.
Cathrine highlights the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as one of her biggest moments with Cassidy “having my father walk me and Cassidy into the big arena at the Olympics was something I’ll never forget. When he let go of Cassidy, he said ‘Have a good ride and enjoy it’” Cathrine recalls. And so, they did. Finishing 13th in the Freestyle at their very first Olympic Games was a huge accomplishment which led to many offers to buy Cassidy, but for Cathrine, their partnership had grown so strong, and she says it was unfathomable to think of selling Cassidy and she’s grateful to her parents for letting her make that decision to keep him. So, Cassidy stayed with Cathrine and they went on to win an individual bronze at the FEI Dressage European Championship in Gothenburg in 2017. The pair were naturally contenders leading into the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon, but unfortunately Cassidy suffered a minor injury in the field so they were unable to go. Fortunately, they bounced back for the European Championships 2019 in Rotterdam (NED) and took home yet another individual bronze medal. That would also be Cassidy’s last Championship, followed by a few more successful World Cups, before it was time to call it a day.
So, what is the most important lesson Cathrine takes away from her more than decade long partnership with Cassidy?
“I think what Cassidy has really taught me is how important good horsemanship is. You know, just how much of a difference it makes to really get to know you horse and spend time with them on the ground as well. It is really necessary to build that special bond if you expect them to give you everything in the arena.”
To view Cassidy’s greatest results – click here
For more on Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour – check out her FEI Biography here
For all the information about the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning (DEN), check our press kit here
On Friday 5 August, FEI President Ingmar de Vos attended an online ceremony held by Migu, a subsidiary of telecom giant China Mobile, to celebrate the launch of Migu’s equestrian channel and the live-streaming of the FEI World Championships 2022 in China for the first time in history.
Migu, the rights-holding online live broadcasting partner for the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, is a leading live broadcasting platform in China for comprehensive digital content especially in the sporting domain. As part of the strategic partnership with the FEI, Migu will live stream the FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning (DEN), Pratoni (ITA) and Verona (ITA) on the newly launched equestrian channel.
Alongside providing live content from the World Championships for the first time to a growing Chinese equestrian audience, part of the events will also feature Chinese commentary, while highlights programmes will be available On Demand.
With China being one of the key equestrian markets for the future, the FEI has been actively developing its presence in recent years in order to introduce and promote the sport with the broader Chinese public through the creation of official accounts on Chinese social media channels, as well as hands-on development initiatives including the hiring of a Regional Solidarity Manager to develop training programmes for equestrian coaches, officials and vets.
“We are convinced that our partnership with Migu will contribute in an important way to a successful expansion,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“We work closely with the Chinese Equestrian Association and we can see the equestrian community in China developing rapidly and embracing all things related to equestrian. From hosting top events, to developing a strong network of clubs and promoting horsemanship and the equestrian lifestyle, there is a real vitality to the Chinese equestrian landscape. And this year, with the livestream of the FEI World Championships for the first time in China and the launch of Migu’s equestrian channel – this is again another important milestone!
“This dynamic growth of the sport - and the engagement from the next generation of athletes and fans is so important for the global equestrian family. We are ecstatic to partner with Migu so that we can ride this wave together and keep on growing the sport around China with the live streaming of Top Sport and an array of content which will delight Chinese fans and equestrians.”
The equestrian channel on Migu currently features sections including FEI World Championships 2022, Latest Equestrian News, Equestrian Disciplines Explainers, Review of Tokyo 2020 and a specific section for the tutorial content produced by the Chinese three-time Olympic rider Alex Hua Tian.
“It has been a great honour for us to become the only partner of the FEI in China to live stream the FEI World Championships 2022. We also look forward to the full cooperation with the FEI and Mr. Alex Hua Tian. On 6 August, the FEI World Championships, held only every four years, will get under way and we will be there to mark the moment. With the mission of ‘creating the ultimate experience of sports stories’, Migu Sports will rely on China Mobile’s 5G+ leading advantages to broadcast exciting events on Migu’s multi-platforms,” Mr. Yan Zhongwei Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Migu said.
“In the future, Migu will continue working with the FEI to exploit the unique combination of the FEI’s intriguing top equestrian events and China Mobile's extensive user base, leading technology and event operation experience, bringing more immersive, more professional and more diversified equestrian sports content and services to the audience, in order to develop equestrian sports in China, and to promote Chinese sportsmanship.”
Photo caption: Mr. YAN Zhongwei (Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Migu), Mr. YANG Xingyang (General Manager of Migu Sports), Hua Fan (FEI), Ingmar De Vos (FEI President), Mr. LUAN Shu (Host, equestrian and music industry celebrity)
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) - www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
About China Mobile Migu
MIGU is a professional subsidiary set up by China Mobile to operate digital content for the mobile internet sector. It is committed to meeting the needs of the people for a better life through culture + technology. Established in 2014, MIGU has become a leading platform for brand all-scenario immersive experience and genuine digital content aggregation in China.
As a content aggregator and producer, MIGU has gathered over 40 million songs, 10.35 million videos, 1,200+ audio and video broadcasts, 9,000 Live Shows, 600,000+ books, 1,700+ online games, 2,346,000 episodes of animation and short videos, as well as a reserve of 49,000 hours of UHD content and 65,000 hours of VR content be stocked.
MIGU will continue to focus on the five major directions of UHD Video, Video Ringtone, Cloud Games, Cloud VR and AR, and delve into “5G+MSC”, “5G+Video Ringtone”, “5G+Cloud Games” and “5G+XR” to bring a brand new experience to users in the 5G era.
Great Britain’s Lottie Fry was the golden girl at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning, Denmark tonight when taking Grand Prix Special gold with the gorgeous stallion Glamourdale. On a night when the final four riders brought something very special to the ring it was host-nation superstar Cathrine Dufour who claimed silver medal spot ahead The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere and Hermes.
Van Liere, who turns 32 next week, has a formidable record of success at the World Young Horse Dressage Championships, and in 2018 she steered Hermes into bronze medal spot in the Six-Year-Old category. Move on four years and the pair have achieved a very great deal, peaking with a clean sweep of victories at the CDIO5* on home ground in Rotterdam six weeks ago.
Yesterday they helped clinch an Olympic qualifying spot for their country when the Dutch finished fifth in the Blue Hors FEI Dressage Team World Championship, and in today’s Grand Prix Special they posted a new leading score of 79.407 when fourth-last to go. It wasn’t what she had been hoping for - “I really wanted over 80%” she admitted at tonight’s post-competition press conference, but it was enough to pressure the final few in the closing stages and stake that place on the podium.
Impressed
“He was a bit impressed by the arena on Saturday and again today, but we had a job to do and we wanted to do a nice test without big mistakes so I was happy I could do that. He spooked twice a little bit but quickly focused again and went on. He’s still so young and so talented!”, she said of her 10-year-old stallion.
Character-wise apparently Hermes is “really smart but he’s also a clown and thinks everything is so funny. He’s really enthusiastic which makes him fun to ride and he loves all the attention. You can see it when we do the salute at the end of a test, he has a really big ego and next to that he has so much talent for all the collected work and piaffe and passage so I’m really happy to have a horse like him”, the Dutch rider said.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Vamos Amigos settled the fate of team gold in Denmark’s favour yesterday and the crowd in the Stutteri Ask Stadium were with them every step of the way again in today’s Grand Prix Special. In a delightful test they earned a mark of nine for a transition before making a costly mistake in the two-tempis they still put them out in front with the first over-80-percent score when putting 81.322 on the board.
“I’m really pleased with Vamos, he felt a lot better than yesterday. I felt the connection improved a lot. Of course there was that bit in the two-tempis, that’s just sport and we tried to go for it - and the crowd were fantastic!”, she said.
Still screaming
That crowd were still screaming when Fry came into the ring with just two left to go. “They were literally going wild and he (Glamourdale) could feel the atmosphere and rose to it today. He was trying so hard and he gave me the most incredible feeling throughout the test!”, the British rider said.
Yesterday she admitted that she was concerned that their lack of expertise in the pirouettes would let herself and her horse down today. But in the end they nailed them.
“Anne van Olst, my trainer, was up the entire night worrying how I was going to fix those pirouettes, and I got a great tip from Isabell as well. And with the combination of both of them we got it done today!”, she said, having posted what would be the winning score of 82.508.
It wasn’t decided however until the final partnership of Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz came into the ring as the last pair to go. And the German ace and defending Grand Prix Special World champion made quite an entrance.
As she passed the departing Fry on her way into the ring she gave her British rival a congratulatory high-five before re-establishing the most dramatic passage in preparation for going down the centreline. It was a wonderful sporting gesture.
“Isabell is literally the queen!”, Fry said of the Dressage superstar who slotted into fourth place, just off the podium, with a score of 79.073. “She is amazing, she has inspired me since I was five years old so it’s incredible and she’s the nicest person, always cheering and supporting!”.
Blown away
Talking about Glamourdale, Fry said she was blown away the first time she rode him as a six-year-old. “I’d never sat on anything like him before. He’s always been so special and the feeling he gives now is the same as when he was six - the sky is the limit!
“When he was seven he won the World Championship for Young Horses and that was when we knew he was a massive showman, he loves going in the ring, the more people the better, he wants to show off, he just wants everyone’s eyes on him! And then we made the step to Grand Prix and he just keeps getting better and better and stronger. He’s one in a million, I’ll never find one like him again. The future is also so exciting, this is his first senior championship and I feel like there is so much we can improve that it’s scary!”, Fry said.
Now it’s on to the last collection of medals in Wednesday’s Grand Prix Freestyle. Fry says she has something very special under her belt with her floorplan and musical score.
“The theme is Best of Britain, it’s all British tracks and it really suits Glamourdale. When you turn it on he just can’t stop dancing to it!”
So don’t miss a hoofbeat….
It was goosebumps galore today in the finals of the Mustang FEI Vaulting World Championships 2022 in Herning (DEN). Double gold for France in the Individual categories and a repeat success for the team from Germany matching their 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ gold medal in the squad competition.
Things started to heat up as Kimberly Palmer entered the Boxen arena earning a score of 8.701 and an overall fifth place finish for the USA native. With tensions running high, Averill Saunders (CAN) slipped off the horse and dropped out of medal contention allowing Sheena Bendixen to rise to the occasion and win the bronze medal for the home nation (8.511). The silver went to Germany’s Julia Sophie Wagner, competing with her Mum on the end of the lunge she kept a cool head in her first major final (8.529). It had been nineteen years since any female medal went home to France and even then, it was the bronze, but history was made today by Manon Moutinho, 9.296 for her final free test, a step above the rest winning the gold medal on a final score of 8.963. “I’m really happy for my country, it’s good to show that French girls can do it too.”
In a class of his own Lambert Leclezio (FRA) won his fourth World title, once again breaking records with a combined score of 9.399 he described this as his best World Championship win. He will retire after the Nations team final.
Continuing the success for France, Quentin Jabet took the silver medal on 8.837. His horse, Ronaldo 200, briefly dropped into trot right before the end of his test however he stood firm and finished off what was an incredible programme. Jannik Heiland, (GER) steady, soft and strong aboard Dark Beluga completed the Men’s podium (8.833).
A technical problem with the computer gave Sam dos Santos (NED) a tortuous wait in the arena for his music. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to unnerve him, but he couldn’t quite hold on to his overnight third, he finished the competition in fifth, 8.720, an impressive feat at a mere sixteen years of age.
With three medals already firmly around French necks, the squad final got underway. The atmosphere building in the arena proved too much for the Austrian team horse leaving Switzerland free to collect the bronze medal (8.279). Team Germany was second to last to compete performing almost flawlessly on top of Calidor 10, Patric Looser working hard from the center. It was a big score, 9.063, and a tough act to follow for the already well decorated French vaulters. A few small errors were all that made the difference and gave the final gold of the day to the Germans (8.614) marginally ahead of France (8.549).
Two gold medals remain to be won on Wednesday. First, we will see the completion of the Pas de Deux class and a high probability of a German top two, the third place remains quite open.
Finishing third in the squad freestyle round and fourth overall Denmark has high hopes for the Nations team competition where we will see two individuals and one squad from the top eight nations battle it out for the final medal. It will be a Germany vs France showdown to top the medal table.
Over 4,500 equestrian stakeholders have participated in a survey designed to take the pulse of the community on topics relating to horse welfare and wellbeing, as well as specific concerns regarding the use of horses in sport.
Early survey results were discussed during the first in-person meeting of the newly formed Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 3 and 4 August. While initially set up as the Social License to Operate Commission, the 10 members decided to change the name to better reflect the aims and mission of the group’s work at their inaugural meeting in June.
“We believe that this is the first time an international survey has been carried out to understand the perception of welfare standards in relation to the use of horses in sport,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“We cannot assume there is general acceptance of horse use in sport, and it’s important that we – the global governing body - proactively seek input from the community to gauge and to address any concerns they may have. Equestrian sport depends on the wellbeing of its horses, and the FEI has a duty to ensure high standards of welfare for the horses competing in each of our disciplines, and also to consider the impact that our sporting activities have on the environment. This is a role we understand and we are fully committed to.
“If our sport is to keep its social license, our community and the public need to believe and trust that our work is being carried out to the highest moral and ethical standards.
“While we have comprehensive systems and mechanisms in place to protect the welfare of the horse, we need to have our finger on the pulse so that we understand, and then clearly address, the priority concerns for different stakeholders, including the public.”
The Commission has initiated two surveys to help with their work. The equestrian stakeholder survey, available in English, French and Spanish, will run till 19 August and will draw on the views of FEI Athletes, Officials, Owners, Organising Committees, Grooms, National Federations and related associations (MOUs), as well as the wider equestrian sector stakeholders.
There will also be a public opinion survey that will be translated into several languages and conducted in 14 key global markets, using a specialist market research and data company.
The results of both surveys will be analysed, and the data considered alongside information from focus groups, the latest research in the area of equine wellbeing, and input from related industry bodies. These insights will help inform a ‘framework’ to guide the development of FEI regulations, policies and practices in the future, including but not limited to education initiatives, standard setting, engagement and enforcement.
“The significant number of responses we have already received is a good indication that the equestrian community is ready and willing to discuss issues related to the welfare of horses in sport,” Chair of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission Professor Dr. Natalie Waran said.
“The equestrian community is complex and there are many different stakeholders with diverse points of view. We want to gather and understand these concerns and then consider what should be done to not only help improve equine wellbeing, but also address the understanding of horse use in sport around the world.
“It is clear that equine welfare is important for those who are involved with horses at all levels as well as being of concern to members of the public. Improving welfare standards and practice requires a commitment from everyone within the equestrian community. These surveys are not just an opportunity for the Commission to understand global attitudes but also a chance for the general public to have their opinions heard and addressed.”
The Commission will work together over an initial period of 18-months, with an interim report to be presented at the FEI General Assembly in November 2022 in Cape Town (RSA), followed by a second report at the FEI Sports Forum in April 2023 and a final report/framework to be submitted for approval at the FEI General Assembly 2023 in Mexico.
Quick links
More information on the work and composition of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission can be found on Inside.FEI.org.
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving. The number of international Para Equestrian events has almost tripled in 10 years.
They were always tipped to take the title, and Denmark’s Nanna Merrald Rasmussen, Carina Cassøe Krüth, Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour lived up to the challenge in style when claiming team gold on home ground at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning tonight. But they were chased all the way to the line by Great Britain’s Richard Davison, Gareth Hughes, Charlotte Dujardin and Charlotte Fry who finished just over one percentage point behind in silver medal position while the defending champions from Germany had to settle for bronze.
As the last two riders from each of the nations in strong contention took their turn it was nip-and-tuck all the way and impossible to predict where the medals would fall until the very end. But despite the most intense pressure the Danes achieved the goal they set themselves when these Championships were first allocated to their country three years ago, earning the world team title for the very first time.
Heat
British star and London Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin and her nine-year-old Imhotep began to turn up the heat early this afternoon when putting 77.407 on the board, and when team-mate and last-line rider Charlotte (Lottie) Fry produced a breath-taking test from Glamourdale for a new leading score of 80.839 then Team GB went out in front.
Dujardin was thrilled with the horse she calls Pete. “He’s only done three Grand Prix competitions, he’s very inexperienced and I had no idea how he was going to be in there today. I was so proud of him, I had one little blip but it was just a miscommunication more than anything, I absolutely love that horse. He makes me smile from ear to ear every day! He has so much power, so much expression, he wants to work and to please you. Now he just needs to get used to the environment and to be given some time”, she said.
She has been riding Imhotep since he was five years old. “I haven’t done big shows with him but I know him well and have a really good partnership with him”, she explained. She is taking care not to ask too much from him too soon in his career however. “It’s a fine line because he’s nine and I don’t want to overdo it, but I wanted to do enough to get enough points for the team today. I didn’t want to scare him and I felt I had a really nice ride but I can’t tell you how big everything feels. In a year or two when he can manage all that power he’s going to be spectacular!”, she pointed out.
It was Fry’s performance that firmly sealed Britain’s place on the podium however. This 26-year-old dressage athlete’s angelic expression masks nerves of steel. She didn’t hold back when it came to giving her all in the ring today, and Glamourdale relished every moment of it, leaving the crowd gasping while he racked up maximum 10 scores for much of his canterwork.
“He’s a massive showman!”, Fry said. “He and I were in our own little bubble but when the crowd clapped on the last centreline he loved it, he lifted his head and he went Wow!!”
Had to do
Meanwhile Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Marshall-Bell earned 76.584 for the home side, so when Danish anchor Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour entered the arena with Vamos Amigos she knew what she had to do. She had heard the crowd hailing Fry’s spectacular performance, but she wasn’t going to let that intimidate her. She says pressure just gives her a lift.
“I’ve been dealing with it since I did my first Championship when I was 11 years old and I’m fine with it, it just brings me closer into the zone!”, she said after putting the biggest score of the competition on the board with 81.863 which would leave Denmark on the top step of the podium, but only 1.228% ahead of the British in silver medal spot while Isabell Werth and DSP Qantaz and Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH secured bronze for Germany, their final tally of 230.791 leaving them less than three percentage points further adrift.
Laudrup-Dufour was also partnering a horse that is still on a learning curve. Vamos Amigos hasn’t always been the most settled ride but he has come into his own this year. “I managed to ride him to the limit but stay on the right side of chaotic and brilliant today!”, she said. “He’s had a super season so far, he’s been riding a wave since Neumunster really. Leipzig (Longines FEI Dressage World Cup Final 2022 in April) was like riding on a bomb but I think that atmosphere might have matured him too”, she pointed out.
Satisfied
German star Isabell Werth has competed in many World Championships during her sparkling career and said that she and her team “are very satisfied with our bronze medal”. Her country’s record is second-to-none with 12 titles from 15 editions of the team competition, but it’s a time of change with new partnerships emerging and others leaving the sport.
“We didn’t come here as favourites and we knew the Danish would ride for the gold. We were not quite sure about the British but Charlotte always delivers when she needs to. We had a really open championship and it was nice to see. We are not disappointed at all and we knew when we came here with new riders and horses that it would be difficult. It was a great competition and we are all satisfied with our results”, she said.
This gold medal means a great deal to all of the Danish team. Nanna Merrald Rasmussen, who set out the Danish stall with a great ride on Blue Hors Zack yesterday admitted the reality hasn’t quite sunk in yet. “I was shaking and so stressed when Catherine was riding. We saw Lottie (Fry) riding on our phone in the stables and saw she was amazing so we knew Catherine had to ride at her best to get the gold. To finally bring this medal home is amazing!”, she said.
The only time Denmark has ever placed on the Dressage World Championship podium was back in 1982 in Lausanne (SUI) when Anne Grethe Jensen (Marzog), Tove jorck-Jorckston (Lazuly and Finn Sakso-Larsen (Coq d’Or) clinched bronze.
“We are all overwhelmed!”, admitted Danish Chef d’Equipe Anne-Mette Binder tonight. “We hoped to make a good impression and have a good result here in Herning for the Danish audience but also for everyone travelling here. The riders all followed the plans we had from the start and I’m really, really proud of my team today. The expectations were high and our fantastic riders have fulfilled them!”, she added.
Of the 19 competing nations Team Sweden finished fourth ahead of The Netherlands in fifth and Team USA in sixth, and the top six nations have now qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
However attention now turns to tomorrow’s Grand Prix Special for which the top-30 individuals have qualified, and if this weekend’s team competition is anything to go by it’s going to be another gripping day of top sport.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat
It was full steam ahead at the Mustang FEI Vaulting World Championships today in Herning (DEN). French vaulters Manon Moutinho and Lambert Leclezio powered ahead in the individual competition while Pas de Deux Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven brought back hope of a gold medal for Germany.
Starting the day with the female technical program, Kimberly Palmer of the USA posted the first massive score of the competition, 8.329 for the Technical test, jumping up to sixth place in the overall standings. However, the nerve tingling performance from Canada’s Averill Saunders left everyone with their jaws on the floor. The eighteen-year-old showed the second-best test of the day and lies in fourth place ahead of tomorrow’s final (8.198). Meanwhile, strong performances from Julia Sophie Wagner and Kathrin Meyer of Germany have them spending the night in second and third position with 8.310 and 8.265 respectively after round one. As for the top spot, it remains firmly in the hands of France’s Manon Moutinho, posting the best score of the day at 8.815 and increasing her lead over the field with a stunning performance.
There was heartbreak for Eva Nagiller (AUT), with her horse Lavalino unable to settle in the Boxen arena despite her best efforts while Denmark’s favourite Sheena Bendixen, will have some work to do in tomorrow’s freestyle, after a fall in her dismount leaves her in fifth. And, with the Free test counting for 50% of the total score, any of the top six could make the podium…
In the men’s competition, Germany’s Jannik Heiland came back like a true professional after a disappointing start yesterday. His score, 8.713, was second-best in the Technical test and he now sits 5th after round one. Compatriot Thomas Brüsewitz lies just behind in 6th (8.549). With a slightly unsettled Rosenstolz beneath him, fourth place was the best Italian Lorenzo Lupacchini could manage today leaving him in seventh overall (8.533). Dutch vaulter Sam dos Santos continued to surprise the rest of the competition, holding on to his bronze medal position (8.585), as Julian Wilfling (GER) completed the round in 4th (8.577).
Red, white and blue finished the Male technical test. Quentin Jabet of France held on to the second place overall (8.642), and Lambert Leclezio impressed! A small loss of balance in the final exercise gave the judges at least something to deduct from him. Finishing the round on 9.231, Leclezio appears to be well on his way to stepping on to the top of the podium one more time, just the freestyle remains. . It will be a fight to the end for the rest of the men, just 0.109 separating second and seventh place.
There were no surprises at the top of the Pas de Deux class as Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven, Germany, put on a top-quality display for the audience winning the interim top spot with a score of 8.863. Diana Harwardt and Peter Kunne (GER) are just behind in second (8.625), their medal winning dreams well and truly alive. An intricate performance from Italian pairing Davide Zanella and Rebecca Greggio saw them complete the top three so far (8.198) but Austria’s Theresa Thiel and Dominik Eder lie very close in fourth (8.029).
Tomorrow will see the first medals of the championship presented. It will be both a test of nerves and of mental strength for the individual vaulters and we will see if France can make it three for three in the individual and squad competitions.
As for the final performance of Lambert Leclezio in the individual class… he is here to put on a show and tomorrow we can be sure he will do just that.
Full results are available here.
Jannik Heiland (GER) and DARK BELUGA at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022, Herning (DEN) © FEI/ Richard Juilliart
Some days it’s the small things that make all the difference, and today was one of those. For The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere it was all smiles when she rode to the end of her Grand Prix test with a perfect halt from the 10-year-old Hermes who posted the highest score on the opening day of the Team competition at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark to give her country the overnight advantage.
But just moments before, Great Britain’s Gareth Hughes had a very different experience when, excited by the clapping of the crowd, Classic Briolinca just couldn’t stop dancing at the end of a great performance and never came to a proper halt. Precious lost marks may well have made the difference between fifth for the British team or a higher placing going into the second day.
However in a sport in which human and horse compete as one, the influence of the equine partner’s flight instinct is never far away so nothing can ever be completely predictable. It’s part of the magic and the challenge of it all…
Second day
As the Grand Prix Team Championship goes into its second day tomorrow when the medals will be decided it’s still a wide-open competition. The 12-time champions from Germany are hot on Dutch heels thanks to Benjamin Werndl and Famoso OLD who put the second-best score of the day on the board with 77.003. And they have two more stars to come tomorrow when Isabell Werth (DSP Qantaz) and Frederic Wandres (Duke of Britain FRH) take their turn.
Ingrid Klimke kicked off the German effort with a smart 75.683 from Franziskus to ensure they were always going to be right in the mix. It was a personal best for this partnership.
“That was my major aim, and I got it!”, said the lady who is a longtime legend in the sport of Eventing and who is experiencing the very first Dressage Championship of her sparkling career. “He was with me the entire test. There was not a single moment in which I didn’t feel absolutely confident with our performance. Of course he loves the extensions and in the last trot diagonal he knew what comes next. He lowered his croup in the corner and he wanted to show everyone how great a mover he is!”, she pointed out.
Better
Today’s leading rider, van Liere, felt her stallion could have done even better. “Normally his piaffe and passage are brilliant but he didn’t do them to his best today and the same for the pirouettes”, she explained. But she got it spot on in the halt, her horse was not in the least bothered by the spectators’ clapping as the pair marched down their final centreline. “Hermes is a clown - he likes the applause and he knows it’s for him!”, van Liere said with a laugh. “When he enters the arena he doesn’t like to hear it (clapping) but when he finishes he thinks of course this is for me, because I’m the best!”
Team Denmark are in third following two solid performances from Nanna Merrald Rasmussen and Carina Cassøe Krüth, the latter’s mark of 76.863 deciding this first-day result for the Danes who are firm favourites for the title.
Merrald Rasmussen was close behind with a personal best 76.724 and she was very pleased about that. Talking about her Olympic ride, the 18-year-old stallion Blue Hors Zack, she said “he hasn’t done a lot since Tokyo, just two competitions because he’s been very busy breeding. He has done many, many shows in his career and he needs to be a little bit hungry when he is going out. If I do too many shows with him he will be a bit bored with it. He has to be fresh and happy to go out again, and that was the plan here and why we didn’t take him to Aachen”, she explained.
Super
“I did the Danish championships with him and he was super. You never really know, he is 18, I wondered should he really be on the team again and then we took him to the Danish Championships and he was on fire! So we thought ok do the same routine before coming here, no shows just a lot of normal work at home, that was the plan and it has paid off!”, said the rider who followed her success at her home Championships in June with getting married one week later.
She said she felt “just super, super proud!” to produce that personal best in front of her home crowd. “They were supporting me like crazy at the end, the tears were almost coming. Normally you get a hand-clap down the centreline in the Freestyle but this was just special!”, she said after the spectators went a little wild.
When team-mates Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Marshall-Bell) and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Vamos Amigos) complete the Danish effort tomorrow they will be hoping for an even bigger response from the sidelines because they have Blue Hors FEI Dressage World Championship team gold clearly in their sights.
With the Swedes in fourth thanks to Juliette Ramel’s 76.164 it’s really tight at the top of the leaderboard however, and with the best three scores to count for every nation anything can happen when the battle resumes in the morning.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
It was an historic day for Vaulting at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning. The French vaulters dominated day one and are overnight leaders in the Squad, Female and Male competitions.
As the curtain opened on the Boxen arena the French squad entered. To be drawn first almost always makes for a bigger challenge. Not so for this team who posted an unbeatable 8.068 aboard Londontime lunged by Corrine Bosshard. The German squad tried to match the French, however a few uncharacteristic errors left them trailing behind in second (7.940). A strong performance from Team Switzerland (7.659) earned them 3rd place overnight with the Austrians not far behind in 4th (7.419). The Danish fans were delighted as their squad rounded out the top five (7.329) with the bronze medal firmly in their sights.
The bar was raised in the Female individual competition. Manon Moutinho (FRA) took the lead along with Saitiri and Corrine Bosshard. Despite some minor technical faults she scored 8.445. The new German talent Alina Roß and Julia Sophie Wagner both showed a clean performance to complete the overnight podium (8.365 and 8.310 respectively). Danish powerhouse Sheena Bendixen sits agonizingly close in fourth, 8.203, with two rounds still to go. There was disappointment for Swiss Vaulter Nadja Buttiker who after an almost flawless set of compulsories collapsed in the final exercise and failed to land resulting in a seventh place finish.
Never has the standard been so high in the Male compulsory test. Germany’s Thomas Brüsewitz opened the final session of Vaulting with a massive 8.556 which unbelievably proved only good enough to earn him the 4th place. He was pushed down the rankings first by Frenchman Quentin Jabet (8.666) and again by the reigning World Champion and master of his sport Lambert Leclezio (FRA) who set a new World Record and left the judges struggling to find fault in his performance finally giving him a 9.240. It was a tough act to follow for the young Dutch vaulter Sam dos Santos entering the arena right after Leclezio. Impressively collected he did not let the excitement of the competition phase him and pulled out a bronze medal position performance (8.624). It wasn’t the day for last year’s silver medalist Jannik Heiland (GER). His horse Dark Beluga started the test somewhat unsettled, but ever the professional he still managed to score 8.416 to remain within touching distance of the medals (7th place so far).
Lambert Leclezio aside, the scores are very close in all the competitions piling the pressure onto the competitors ahead of the next round. Tomorrow, the squad’s will rest as we return to see what the individuals have in store in their Technical Tests and the Pas de Deux get their competition underway.
The stage is set and it’s all-systems-go at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning, Denmark where Dressage gets underway tomorrow morning at 11.00 local time with Switzerland’s Gilles Ngovan first into the arena in the Grand Prix which will decide the fate of the Blue Hors FEI Dressage Team title.
A total of 93 athlete/horse combinations will line out over two days of super-hot competition in the team event. And in the draw conducted by Technical Delegate Janet Lee Foy from the USA and President of the Ground Jury, Denmark’s Susanne Baarup this afternoon, the places on the starting grid were decided.
Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Poland, France, Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, Australia, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and USA will compete in that order, and America’s Ashley Holzer and her 12-year-old mare, Valentine, will bring the first-day action to a close just before 20.00.
Hotly tipped
The hosts are hotly tipped for success, and first into the arena for Team Denmark will be the recently-married Nanna Merrald Rasmussen who will be 16th to go with Blue Hors Zack, while compatriot Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline’s Danciera will run 43rd of the 46 opening day contenders.
On Sunday it will be Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Marshall-Bell who will be first to fly the Danish flag before Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Vamos Amigos wrap it up for the home side. Laudrup-Dufour has been in spectacular form of late and looks set to be the one to beat all the way through the Championships which conclude next Wednesday, 10 August, with the always popular and much anticipated late-night Grand Prix Freestyle.
Unpredictable
Of course equestrian sport is always unpredictable and Team Germany, with a massive tally of 12 world team titles to their credit, will be doing everything they can to maintain their dominance while the Swedish team are in confident mood.
Swedish Chef d’Equipe, Bo Jenå, is optimistic for his side’s chances. “It’s always hard, but for sure we will do our best to take a medal, we have planned for that”, he said today.
“We have been training and competing and started very well this year. We did a few more shows than we normally do because it’s a short way for us to travel to Denmark - it was way more last year going to Tokyo. Our horses are in very good shape and we had a nice pre-camp at Patrik Kittel’s place last week so we are all feeling good!”, he added.
Riding Touchdown, four-time Olympian Kittel is joined in the Swedish side by Jeanna Hogberg (Astoria), Juliette Ramel (Buriel KH) and Therese Nilshagen (Dante Weltino OLD).
Big boost
Winning the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2022 has also been a big boost to the Swedes. “We used the series as a build-up to these world championships, it was a really good way of testing our riders”, Bo Jenå explained. Sweden has only once been on the Dressage World Championships Team podium, in Rome (ITA) back in 1998, but hopes are high and Jena believes his team have what it takes to make it happen again.
“I think it’s very open - the Danish team are the favourites for sure this time but after them there are many countries that can fight for the medals and we are among them!”, he said..
Amongst the 93 starters in the team event will be 19 individual riders vying for a top-30 finishing spot in order to qualify for Monday’s Grand Prix Special before the top-15 will then go through to Wednesday night’s Grand Prix Freestyle.
The excitement is about to begin, so don’t miss a hoofbeat……
We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.
By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.