Germans prove untouchable throughout
The Germans prove untouchable, but the old guard gives way to some new nations on the podium as Britain can finish only fourth
Longines FEI European Dressage Championships, Gothenburg, Sweden
IT was definitely a case of so near, yet so far for Britain in Gothenburg. Fourth is always an agonising position in which to finish, more so when you consider that this was the first championship at which Britain has not taken a team dressage medal since 2008.
But, taking into the account the circumstances — Valegro’s still-raw absence, the loss of Gareth Hughes and Don Carissimo after failing to pass the trot-up, and the substitution of Emile Faurie’s top-choice ride for his reserve horse — and suddenly fourth of 16 teams becomes something of a triumph.
“Fourth is by no means a disaster,” stated Carl Hester, for whom “fourthitis” continued into the freestyle, too. “It just feels a bit different to be going home without a medal.”
In many ways, this championship could be seen as heralding a new era for European dressage. It was fascinating to see a different set of nations battling it out at the sharp end — not since 2007 has a team other than Great Britain, The Netherlands and Germany featured on the team podium at a Europeans.
But this time, The Netherlands found themselves in an unfamiliar fifth place, while Denmark and hosts Sweden broke free from their bridesmaid spots, with young, uber-talented riders such as Cathrine Dufour and Therese Nilshagen spearheading the Scandinavian attack.
GERMAN DOMINATION CONTINUES
BUT the tables haven’t turned completely. The German team exerted their utter dominance from the off, slamming down four massive team scores and proving completely untouchable as they retained their title as champions of Europe.
Germany has never once missed a medal at a European Championships, and here their final rider, Isabell Werth, needn’t even have entered the arena for
them to take gold.
“It’s impossible to keep at this level all the time — anything can happen with horses,” reasoned Isabell after the team victory.
But, if anything, she and the brilliant black mare Weihegold OLD only improved as the week went on, claiming first the special, and then the freestyle with a personal best score of over 90%.
Isabell is already the mostmedalled dressage rider in the history of the sport, and it is evident that her hunger and competitive drive is as strong as ever. The gritty anticipation on her face as she waited to see whether her freestyle score would beat that of her young compatriot, Sönke Rothenberger, and the intensity of her spontaneous reaction, clenching both fists up to her face in triumph, should serve as a warning to those who are trying their hardest to knock her from her throne.
But what attempts there were to upset the formbook, and how close they came! Germany has itself a phenomenal young competitor in 22-year-old Sönke, whose stylish, sympathetic riding and hugely likeable personality won him a plethora of fans along with his mega-talented gelding, Cosmo 59.
And Cathrine Dufour established herself truly as a major player on the world stage, riding the sweet-natured Atterupgaards Cassidy. Many might have underestimated the Danish pair coming into the championship — Cathrine is just 25, and Cassidy her partner since juniors — but they asserted a quiet authority in the Ullevi stadium, finding their way onto the podium not once, but twice.
Britain does have much to be excited about, however. With another year under their belts, Spencer Wilton and Supernova II will surely be better placed to reproduce on the major stage what they now achieve so reliably at home, and Emile Faurie’s
“cool dude”, Lollipop 126, oozed promise for the future. The team’s fourth here is surely just a blip.
‘It’s really good for the sport as
a whole to have Sweden and Denmark up there, who haven’t
won a medal in a long time’
CARL HESTER REFLECTS ON THE NEW-LOOK PODIUM LINE-UP