Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

HERNING, Denmark, Aug. 21–Germany took a clear lead on the first day of the European Cheampionships team competition Wednesday with their two horses and riders filling the top two spots while reigning Olympic champion Great Britain was the victim of inexplicable judging and a horse overcome by the atmosphere. But most of it is unlikey to matter by the end of the Nations Cup as most of the top combinations perform Thursday to decide the medals.

Germany’s Isabell Werth on Don Johnson FRH sealed the lead after the first of two days of the Grand to decide medals with the high score of 75.213 per cent while team mate Fabienne Lütkemeier and D’Agostino were in second place individually with 73.237 per cent for a total of 148.450.

Standings: 1. Germany 148.450, 2. Denmark 141.595, 3. Netherlands 141.581, 4. Sweden 135.259, 5. Finland 134.483, 6. Austria 133.921, 7. Great Britain 133.130, 8. France 133.024, 9. Belgium 132.735, 10. Switzerland 32.128.

Great Britain’s Michael Eilberg and Half Moon Delphi fulfilled expectations of the defending European and Olympic champions when the pair scored 72.264 per cent, with all but one of the seven judges required for a championship awarding at least 70 per cent–Isabelle Judet of France gave them 75.638 per cent–and two placed them first in the inaugural championship for the 26-year-old rider and the homebred mare.

But Gustav Svalling of Sweden filled in his report card with 65.532 per cent that was worth 13th place in his estimation.

Eighteen nations are competing in the team competition that are considered the most wide open in the 20-year history of the European Championships.

The second day that will decide the medals will feature Great Britain’s double Olympic gold medal pair of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro and her gold medal team mate Carl Hester and Uthopia, German Olympic team silver medal winners Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW and Kristina Sprehe and Desperados FRH of Germany, world No. 1 Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival and Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover of the Netherlands and Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfvén and Don Auriello of Sweden.

Great Britain’s Olympic team gold medalist Laura Tomlinson and Mistral Hojris, a Danish Warmblood, had to pull out of what would be their final championship while Patrik Kittel of Sweden swapped the slightly injured Olympic mount Watermill Scandic H.B.C. for the Australian-owned Toy Story and Juan Manuel Muñoz Diaz who withdrew Fuego XII, the entertaining gray  that was a star at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, left Spain without a team.

One of the remaining Spanish combinations is Jose Daniel Martin Dockx riding Grandioso, the PRE stallion owned by Kim Boyer’s Hampton Green Farm of Wellington, Florida.

Denmark’s Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein on Thursday will make a farewell championship appearance for her Digby, now aged 16 and has carried her through two Olympics, two world championships and this will be their third Europeans.

Nerves got the better of some many combinations, especially some of the less experienced on the big stage that truly was large–a 10,000-seat soccer stadium converted for these championships.

Great Britain’s Gareth Hughes and DV Stebkjers Nadonna were a last-minute replacement after an outstanding performance at the Nations Cup in Hickstead, England two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, the pair performed what Gareth described as “the worst test I did for several years” and finished with a 60.866 per cent.

Danielle Heijkoop, at the age of the 26 competing on her first national team with Kingsley Siro and coached by Dutch superstar Anky van Grunsven, did 17 one-tempi changes and not the 15 required but she led for much of the competition with her score of 70.228 per cent

Denmark’s Andreas Helgstrand, no stranger in top events, said he was “a bit disappointed” with his ride on Akeem Foldager, the horse he has been riding only since last April. The pair began well but the scores slipped and they finished with 72.720 per cent and third individually.

“My training up to the Europeans has been going so well and then today we make so many mstakes, but horses are living animals so you never know.”

Results Day 1 of Grand Prix: