The elegant and stylish competition of dressage will for sure get spectators on their feet at the ECCO FEI World Championships Herning (DEN) 2022, where the world’s greatest dressage riders and their amazing horses are celebrated as they enter the arena.
Thrilling Team Competition
The team competition in Grand Prix opens the great event and stretches over the weekend 6. – 7. August with the moving medal ceremony for the top three placed nations taking place Sunday afternoon. And the competition will be thrilling! No doubt that the medal winning teams from Tokyo Olympics Germany (gold), United States (silver), and Great Britain (bronze) will try to take the podium again. But they should not feel too safe.
Hopes are flying high for a medal to the Danish dressage team at home ground, and Cathrine Dufour already has good vibes about the Danish form:
“The Danish team looks really strong right now," said Dufour. "We have several athletes who are well established on their own horses, the team can be insanely sensational. However, we have seen before that just a few months before the championships, things can change, but I am very positive.”
Remember the Grand Prix Special in Herning 2013? Three Off Course
In 2013 Denmark hosted the FEI European Championships in Jumping, Dressage and Para-dressage. Back then the dressage competitions were both spectacular and very tight for the top riders. In the Grand Prix Special signs of nervousness came to the surface when Helen Langehanenberg (GER) rode a program error on Damond Hill. Surprisingly Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) also went off course with Valegro but managed to keep Helen behind her on the scoreboard. And the bronze medal winner Adelinde Cornelissen (NED), entering last on Parzival made the exact same mistake, a program error, as she did at the previous European – 3 medal winners all went off course – a Grand Prix Special to remember.
On Tuesday horses and riders will have a break
Freestyle in floodlight
The final day of dressage competition will be the Grand Prix Freestyle on Wednesday evening.
The freestyle dressage is a favourite for many spectators to watch. The brilliance of music and movement pared with creativity and top performing horses make the freestyle just superb and unpredictable.
At Herning 2022 the freestyle for the top 15 best riders will be held on Wednesday evening in floodlight setting the mood for a spectacular evening for dressage enthusiasts to enjoy the very best dressage in the world.
Good facilities for horses and riders
Adjacent to the Stutteri Ask Stadium, the main arena where the Dressage and Jumping Championships will be held, are three warm-up arenas. One warm-up arena is covered and has a dimension of 25 x 70 m, the other two have a dimension of 30 x 70 m.
The riders can train inside the stable area. Here, four training areas with a size of 20 x 60 m will be established, as well as a lunge arena and an area where the horses can be walked and have the opportunity to be hand-grazed. Beside the training and warm-up arenas, there will be a café area for riders, grooms, horse owners, etc.
Equestrian Sport Festival
23 nations are awaited in Herning in the team competition, and 100 dressage riders.
The ECCO FEI World Championships Herning Denmark 2022 will be held in four disciplines: Jumping, Dressage, Para-dressage and Vaulting from 6 – 14 August 2022 and all happening in one impressive venue.
Tickets for the dressage competitions are in high demand, but it’s still possible to acquire tickets to all dressage competitions.
Are you curious already? Watch an exclusive tour of the grounds!