A rain soaked day in the d’Ornano stadium on day one of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was made bearable by some outstanding dressage. After two riders from each team, Germany holds the lead with the Netherlands hot on their heels and Britain third with five nations just four points behind so the medal battle is tight.
The German team got off to a flyer with a 73.586% in the bag from late call up Fabienne Lutkemeier and D’Agostino FRH which was nearly equalled by the first Dutch rider Diederik van Silfhout riding Arlando NH NOP with 73.414%.
Gareth Hughes was first to go for the British with Jane Brewin’s DV Stenkjers Nadonna. The feisty Donnerschlag-sired chestnut mare has been in great form this year including a trial run here in Caen at the test event where they won the grand prix. However, that event was minus the crowds and Championship atmosphere which she finds difficult. Gareth started in a very measured manner to gain her confidence and didn’t push the first line of extended trot for safety. She got tense in the first piaffe but through Gareth’s calm style gained confidence as the test went on. He was even able to let her show her favourite party piece, the extended trot, at the end. The final halt brought a look of relief on Gareth’s face and whoops of delight from the British crowd. Their final score was confirmed as 69.714% - just short of the 70% he really wanted but a good team score nonetheless. Afterwards Gareth said; "I’m very pleased, she was hot in there. She’s had a really good year leading up to the Games; we were obviously out for the Test Event, but that ob...viously doesn’t have the same kind of atmosphere you get in there. I’m really proud of her, she was nervous on the centre line and the first halt; it was a couple of per cent lower than what we’ve been scoring but from a horsemanship point of view I couldn’t have been prouder. You don’t know what you’re going to get once you go in there and sometimes you can’t ride the test you planned in your head.”
The second wave of riders lead to a change at the top of the leader board with Germany’s Kristina Sprehe taking the lead from her compatriot with Desperados FRH with a fantastic 78.814%. Hans Peter Minderhoud came close to taking the lead with Glock’s Johnson TN but 74.357% wasn’t quite enough.
It was then the turn of the maestro Carl Hester and his own and Jane de la Mare’s Nip Tuck (pictured). Any horse’s Championship debut is a big deal but when it’s only that horse’s sixth ever grand prix test, it’s an enormous ask! But ‘Barney’ is laid back and talented and when your rider first rode at a World Championships in 1990 (at Stockholm), you have a good chance of magical things happening. And just that happened. The enormous Don Ruto gelding simply wanted to please today and everything Carl asked him to do, he happily gave it. The judges rewarded the pleasing picture to arrive at a final score of 74.186% and the crowd erupted as Carl had boosted Britain’s medal hopes and put himself into third.
Carl said: “I’m delighted with his test, at his age [ten years old] I couldn’t have asked for more and f...or both my owner [Jane De La Mare] and myself it’s very exciting. He cost me 1000 Euros, so to me, the fact he’s done so well is like my gold medal to be honest; I know he did his absolute best in there for me and did everything I asked.
“You don’t really know what to expect with this crowd, they’re very enthusiastic and it was such a nice reception going in. It's 24 years since I first rode in my first World Equestrian Games (in Stockholm in 1990) so I'm really happy to come here and get that result."
Tomorrow will be another day with the third and fourth riders in action but after day one, it’s a good picture for the British.
Team scores after day one:
1. Germany 152.400
2. Netherlands 147.771
3. Great Britain 143.900
4. United States 141.643
5. Denmark 141.071
6. Sweden 140.771
7. Spain 138.557
Tomorrow’s times (BST):
Michael Eilberg with Jon & Julie Deveril’s Half Moon Delphi 10.33
Charlotte Dujardin with Carl Hester and Roly Luard’s Valegro 16.00
Full results and times: www.normandy2014.com