Germany Wins European Championships Gold, Great Britain Silver, Denmark Bronze
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
HAGEN, Germany, Sept. 8, 2021–Germany led by Olympic double gold medal partnership of Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB won European Championships gold Wednesday with Great Britain taking silver and Denmark bronze.
As well as Germany claiming its 25th European title with Jessica and Dalera, the British silver and Danish bronze teams were also led to the medals podium by combinations from the Olympic seven weeks ago, Charlotte Dujardin on Gio and Cathrine Dufour on Bohemian.
Jessica and Dalera was the only combination in the lineup of 69 starters from 23 nations–15 with teams–to break the 80% barrier over two days of glorious summer weather in show grounds that stage some of Europe’s premier competitions.
Jessica and the 14-year-old Trakehner mare placed first individually with a score of 84.099%, just 0.280 below the pair’s highest result of 84.379% set at the Tokyo Games.
Team mate Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD, 2016 Olympic team gold and three times World Cup champion, was second individually on 79.860%.
Charlotte on Gio were third individually on 79.829% while Cathrine and Bohemian were fourth with 79.721%.
The final team standings: 1. Germany; 2. Great Britain; 3. Denmark; 4. Sweden; 5. Netherlands; 6. Finland; 7. Spain; 8. Austria; 9. France; 10. Portugal; 11. Switzerland; 12. Russia; 13. Belgium; 14. Hungary; 15. Italy.
Jessica, Charlotte and Cathrine said that within a few days of returning from Tokyo their horses had not only recovered from the long flights but showed strongly they wanted to be back performing. The fact that almost 5,000 spectators were permitted under Covid-19 protocols to be on the show grounds was boosted the horses to be back competing.
Charlotte competed Gio, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding at the Olympics and these championships instead of Mount St. John Freestyle which had been her primary Big Tour mount since the retirement of Valegro.
The Olympics where the duo collected team and individual bronze medals was only the fourth competition since beginning Big Tour 11 months ago. Gio was found by Charlotte at a master class in Los Angeles six years ago and immediately bought the horse with a New Zealand supporter, Renai Hart, and her coach and mentor, Carl Hester.
Daniel Bachmann Andersen on Marshall-Bell, a nine-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding competing in a championship for the first time since leaving Blue Hors stud earlier this year, posted a personal best 76.366% to help Denmark to the medals podium in the first medal performance of his Big Tour career.
Results:
European Championships Grand Prix
Judges-K: Susanne Baarup (DEN) E: Thomas Lang (AUT) H: Maria Colliander (FIN) C: Isabelle Judet (FRA) M: Isobel Wessels (GBR) B: Henning Lehrmann (GER) F: Mariette Sanders van Gansewinkel (NED)