It is the first ever Danish gold medal in the WEG dressage team competition! What's more, Nanna Merrald Rasmussen (DEN), Carina Cassoe Krüth (DEN), Daniel Bachmann Andersen (DEN) and Cathrine Dufour (DEN) achieved this premiere not just anywhere, but at home in Herning, Denmark. Silver went to the British team with an excellent Charlotte Fry (GBR) ahead of the beaten Germans. Our four Austrians came ninth in the end - but: Florian Bacher is qualified for the Grand Prix Special!
After Nanna Merrald Rasmussen (DEN/76,724 %) with the experienced 18-year-old KWPN stallion Blue Hors Zack (Rousseau x Jazz x Belisar) and Carina Cassoe Krüth (DEN/76,863 %) with her eleven-year-old DWB mare Heilines Danciera (Fürtsenball x De Niro) had set a good example on the first day, Daniel Bachmann Andersen (DEN/76.584 %) with the 10-year-old DWB gelding Marshall Bell (Blue Hors Don Romantic x Michellino) and Cathrine Dufour (DEN/81.864 %) with the also 10-year-old West-Flemish bred gelding Vamos Amigos (Vitalis x Blue Hors Hotline) closed the bag.
All four Danes in the Top-10
And that, although Cathrine Dufour was still riding with a visible handbrake. Vamos was clearly more tension-free than last time, the contact was freer and the entire test was designed in a highly professional manner. A woman has to be able to do that: To dose the performance in such a way that one rides the safe gold medal home for the team and still achieves the highest score. All in all, all four Danes placed in the top 10!
Great Britain, with their rider Charlotte Fry (GBR), was the only other team to show an 80% ride. The 26-year-old British rider presented an impressive Glamourdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro), who, however, still made a few mistakes: 80.838 % and second place. For tomorrow's special and the music freestyle, she is to be counted on as a candidate for the very top places. Her name colleague Charlotte Dujardin presented the nine-year-old KWPN gelding Imhotep (Everdale x Vivaldi) with her usual skill - 77.407% and fourth place! The two men in the team, Gareth Hughes (GBR) and Richard Davidson (GBR) placed 13th and 55th respectively.
In the end, "only" bronze remained for Germany. Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Franziskus put in a very nice performance on the first day. In Aachen the stallion was still very hot, but in the Stutteri ASK Stadium the riding champion had him completely under control and directed him truly masterfully through the Grand Prix: 75.683 %. World Championship debutant Benjamin Werndl (GER) followed suit on his Famoso and rode Flora Keller's 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding to a personal best of 77.003% - Overnight second.
Isabell Werth (GER) and DSP Quantaz (Quarterback x Hohenstein 4) received eights and nines on the final line after low scores in the walk and from the judges throughout: 77.127% and fifth place. Final rider Frederic Wandres (GER) was the third German to place in the top-10 after showing a solid round with faults in the two changes on his chestnut Duke of Britain FRH (Dimaggio x Rubinstein).
