![Charlotte Fry and Everdale at the 2021 European Dressage Championships :: Photo © Astrid Appels](/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/database-story-thumb/2021-09/21_edc_fry_everdale_6023.jpg?itok=a2pfEy-o)
Charlotte Fry and the KWPN stallion Everdale rode the high score of the day and put Great Britain in the lead of the team medal competition at the 2021 European Dressage Championships, which started today 7 September 2021 with the first group of Grand Prix riders.
Team Great Britain has taken the overnight lead with a team average of 77.671%, while Denmark is in silver medal position with 75.078%. The Olympic champions, Germany, are currently standing third with an average score of 74.985% after two riders.
The Stage is Set
Seventy combinations from across Europe are participating in the Grand Prix after Italy’s Nausicaa Maroni and Embajador SG did not pass the re-inspection on Tuesday morning. No less than five horses had to be trotted up again and one was excused from competition.
Hof Kasselmann pulled out all the stops to organize a memorable European Championships in the second year of the corona pandemic, which has reshaped competition life. With two massive VIP lounges, a huge covered grandstand to welcome spectators in all weather conditions and a flower decorated arena with hydrangeas in their last autumn colours, the main stadium has the ingredients befitting a continental championship.
The first 35 combinations competed in the Grand Prix today, which was judged by a panel of seven, including Susanne Baarup (DEN), Thomas Lang (AUT), Maria Colliander (FIN), Isabelle Judet (FRA), Isobel Wessels (NED), Henning Lehrmann (GER), Mariette Sanders van Gansewinkel (NED) and with a Judging Supervisory Panel (Hunt, Matthiesen, Mechlem) at work to smoothen out any potentially judging lapses.
Fry on Fire
The 25-year old British Charlotte Fry is on fire this summer. After her Olympic debut in Tokyo earning team bronze, and a World Young Horse Champion’s title on Kjento two weeks ago, today Fry put Britain in the lead of the nations’ ranking at the European Championship.
The judges rewarded the test with 77.671% with her individual marks ranging between 76.196 (Lehrmann) and 79.674% (Baarup).
“It’s been a great few months and Everdale has been amazing”, she said. “He came home so fresh from Tokyo, excited and ready to go again. He had a week off last week, I got back on on Sunday and he was feeling great still. His energy never runs out, he goes all day and he loves to work," Fry told the FEI press officer.
Merrald Rides Personal Best
Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald is another one of this young generation of dressage riders that is breaking through at the highest echelon of the sport. She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo on Blue Hors Zack, won silver at the 2021 World Young Horse Championships on Blue Hors Touch of Olympic a fortnight ago and today placed provisionally second on Atterupgaards Orthilia with a personal best score of 75.078%.
Merrald and "Tillie" were on point showing very elegant half passes with good crossing of the legs, expressive trot extensions, although there could have been even more overtrack. The passage was lightfooted and the piaffe in the spot but the horse was unsteady in the contact and bopping her head. The contact was the biggest issue this lovely pair had. While Nanna rode with a curb rein that was hanging in a loop, the mouth was covered in sugar fluff and the mare opened the mouth a lot and regularly flashed her tongue, either sticking it out or licking all the sugar paste. These contact issues were not really reflected in the marks though. The two tempi changes were straight, the ones correct but a bit short in ground covering, finishing right after X on the diagonal. The extended canter was well ridden. Overall the ride was very pleasing to watch but the contact needs to improve.
The duo scored a personal best of 75.078% with marks going from 74.348% to 76.087%.
"I’ve had her for less than a year and this was the best Grand Prix I’ve ever done with her! I’m very happy that I did all I could for the team, and I couldn’t ask for more. It was what I’ve been dreaming about," Merrald told the FEI.
Schneider on Second Horse
Just a few days before the start of the European Championships, Dorothee Schneider announced that she would not be taking her number one, Showtime, to Hagen, but her second option Faustus, a 13-year old Hanoverian gelding by Falsterbi x Forrest xx owned by Gestut Fohlenhof. The combination had a warm-up show at the CDI Crozet two weeks ago, where they finished second, before heading to Hagen.
The judges gave Schneider and Faustus a 74.985% and were quite unanimous across the board.
“Sometimes when he’s not confident he tries to come behind me, and then I want to ride to the bit and there’s one or two moments when he’s not directly going to the bit and we have a mistake," Schneider explained. “His highlights were really the canter. It needs a bit of time to close this big canter and to balance him, but he comes more and more in a good balance. I’m proud of him!"
Hughes Fourth
Brit Gareth Hughes rode Judy Firmston Willia's 11-year old Oldenburg gelding Sintano van Hof Olympia (by Sandri Hit) to a provisional fourth place with a generous 74.394%.
The judges eagerly rewarded this ride with a 74.394% which helped Britain take the overnight lead in the team ranking.
Langehanenberg Premiers Annabelle on the Team
German 2012 Olympian Helen Langehanenberg returned on the German team with a new horse, the 13-year old Holsteiner mare Annabelle (by Conteur x Linaro), owned by Carsten Thiesing and Günther Fielmann.
They finished on 73.960% and are provisionally standing fifth. Her score and Faustus' currently puts German in bronze medal position.
Quick Notes
Dutch Marlies van Baalen's 10-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Go Legend (by Totilas x Ferro) is another super talented Grand Prix horse. The black had amazing potential in piaffe and passage but the walk is his weakness and he loses many points on it time and again as he fails to keep the rhythm clean. Van Baalen today rode with a backwards working hand, tightening the neck on occasions, and it would be nice to see a bit more forward energy overall. Nevertheless, the duo showed a very controlled canter tour with a good zig zag and left pirouette. The left half pass was the best one of the two. They posted 72.531% for seventh place.
Swedish Jeanna Hogberg made her return on the Swedish Grand Prix team after a seven year hiatus. She made her debut at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen on Darcia and is now back with Charlotte Jorst's 15-year old Bavarian bred Lorenzo (by Lord Loxley x Rubin Royal). They showed good half passes and rein back. The passage is bouncy with a lot of airtime, but sometimes uneven or swinging in the hindquarters. The collected walk was lateral, but the extended canter stood out by its exemplary straightness. The one tempi changes were really nice and the right pirouette the best one, as he changed lead behind in the left one. The final centerline had plenty of energy and spring but needed more straightness. They scored 72.252% to finish 9th so far.
Tomorrow the second group of Grand Prix riders competes after which the team medals will be decided. The class starts at 8h30.
Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed
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