BRITAIN’S Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro produced a spectacular double-gold medal winning performance at the European championships in Aachen, adding to the European gold the pair won in the 2013 Europeans at Herning in Denmark.
Dujardin and her super-star Valegro clinched the Grand Prix Special gold last Saturday, setting a new European championship record score of 87.577, overtaking the 85.699 they set in Herning two years before. There was plenty for the host nation to celebrate too when Germany’s Kristina Bröring-Sprehe took silver with Desperados FRH, while The Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Johnson TN took bronze. However it was bitter-sweet for the Dutchman, as team-mate, Edward Gal, who lifted The Netherlands to team gold on Thursday, was eliminated when last into the arena with Glock’s Undercover.
It had been an uneasy 24 hours in the Dutch camp leading up to Saturday’s competition with team gold medalists Gal and Minderhoud both feeling ill. Gal was clearly having problems with Glock’s Undercover, who was reluctant to even enter the arena to begin his test. The Dutchman persevered but the gelding was so over-excited he piaffed instead of doing his first halt. The tense test was finally drawn to a premature close when the judge at C, Andrew Gardner, rang the bell and stepped into the arena to tell Gal that he couldn’t continue because of blood in the horse’s mouth.
FREESTYLE
Dujardin and Valegro then added the Freestyle gold to their medal collection last Sunday but in a much tighter contest. Germany’s Kristina Bröring-Sprehe finished just 0.25% off Dujardin’s winning score when taking silver with Desperados FRH, while Spain’s Beatriz Ferrer-Salat produced another sensation when claiming the bronze with Delgado.
Continuing the week-long theme of expecting the unexpected, the day began with the news that Britain’s Fiona Bigwood was withdrawn because her mare, Atterupgaards Orthilia, had a “slight skin reaction causing sensitivity”. While just before the competition began, it was announced that Anna Kaskpkrzak had also pulled out. The Danish rider had been in severe pain since she was kicked in the chest by her horse Donnperignon after the horse inspection six days before.
After retaining her European title, Dujardin commented: “The toughest part of being here is having to deal with the crowd, you know they are rooting for their nation and when I walked in there was a huge atmosphere. Then her (Kristina Bröring-Sprehe) score came up just as I went in and I had to deal with that as well. And then we had a shot of Isabell (Werth) stuffing her face with something, so as I went to start the crowd were laughing! So there was a lot in my mind to deal with at the very beginning. I think I handled it quite well”, she said. Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and the 13-year-old gelding Vancover K finished the individual qualifier in 34th place out of 72 starters with a score of 69.486.
Newcastle Lyons
The Newcastle Lyons branch of the Irish Pony Club, winners of the pure dressage team championship at the IPC festival, will be representing Ireland at the UK pony club championships in Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire tomorrow (Sunday). The team of Niamh Condell, Meagan Fleming, Emily Nolan and Orla Mattimoe will compete in the open team dressage championships along with the Longford show jumping team who will compete in Monday’s open team competition.
The Newcastle Lyons branch is one of the smallest in the country and has had a very successful year, with placings at national dressage day, silver spurs and eventing qualifiers throughout the year. They have also celebrated wins in pure dressage and eventing for Niamh Condell and Orla Mattimoe.