For the thirteenth time since the world dressage championships began in 1966, Germany took team gold. The honors earned Thursday were even more special because they came at home in Aachen.
The victorious German team: Isabell Werth, Fredric Wandres, Raphael Netz, Katharina Hemmer and chef d’equipe Klaus Roeser.
It was a narrow victory. Great Britain threatened but by 3.618 points wound up second for the fourth time in the history of the title meet. A couple of mishaps in World Cup Champion Becky Moody’s test on Jagerbomb Tuesday appears to have made the difference.
Denmark, the defending champions, finished third. That team was led by a bravura 82.376 percent performance from world number one-ranked Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle. That combination was just ahead of former world number one, Justin Verboomen of Belgium and Zonik Plus (80.885) who did not give his very best performance. The two are expected to battle it out for gold in the Freestyle on Saturday if they make it through Friday’s Grand Prix Special, as one assumes they will.
And the only other competitor to earn over 80 percent, reigning world champion Lottie Fry of Great Britain in third place, also should be considered a threat with the glamorous Glamourdale.
The U.S. was eighth with only one rider, 23-year-old Christian Simonson Fleau de Baian, among the 30 starters qualified for the Special. He was tied for twenty-fifth with Pan Am Games champ Julio Mendoza Loor of Ecuador (Jewel’s Gold Strike). Christian’s teammate, Kasey Perry-Glass, finished thirty-first with Heartbeat WP to miss by one heartbreaking placing, but has a chance to make the cut if someone withdraws.
Christian, who is still eligible for the Young Rider ranks, was understandably awed by being center stage is a legendary equestrian venue.
“It felt surreal. to go into that atmosphere. I’m a little speechless, honestly,” he said after his ride.
“i’ll never forget the cheering, the applause. It was really special.”
His mount of two years, known as Felix, formerly was ridden by the Dutch team’s Adelinde Cornellisen. Christian has developed his own style of dealing with the KWPN stallion, who is by Jazz.
“I try to be incredibly present with him,” the rider explained.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian (USEF photo)
“I know i can do my best job if i don’t worry about anything else other than how can i do the best job for him at that moment, in this movement and just try to do my personal best for the feeling I would like.
“That just fills my thoughts so much I ususally don’t have much more room to think about anything else.”
The top six teams — the podium group followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, earned their ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The U.S. is already qualified as the home team. Other countries aspiring to those Games have the possibility of different routes to try, such as next year’s Pan American Games and European Championships.
The final rider for the U.S., Ashley Holzer, performed last in the class. Riding Hawtins San Floriana, she tied for forty-third place on 68.711 percent, but was her usual upbeat self, praising her horse.
“She’s such an amazing mare and great partner of mine,” said Ashley, who trains with Britain’s Carl Hester.
“I knew the atmosphere would be a little tense for her. I trued to relax her. This mare tried her heart out. It’s a tough ring for a lot of horses. and she really was a great girl.
“I knew it was going to be a lot of electricity in the air with the crowd, being with these top riders before me, and i think that affected me a little bit more than i would honestly like to admit to people. But I had a great team behind me that really helped me.”
Germany’s team trainer, Monica Theodorescu, said she had a good night’s sleep because Germany led after Tuesday’s competition on the scores of Frederic Wandres and Ralph Netz.
“There was nothing to worry about,” said Monica, who praised the Wednesday ride of Katharina Hemmer on Denoix PCH, who came close to 80 percent with a personal best mark of 79.224 percent.
“We want to call her hammerer and not Hemmer any more because she gave an absolute fantastic ride. The horse was just shining and so beautiful, so that made everything pretty safe,” Monica continued.
“But of course, Isabell (Werth on Wendy de Fontaine) at the end topped it even more so. The team was absolutely great these two days.”
Check back a little later today for more details. Click here for individual results. Click here for team standings.