JUST as they did at the Paris Paralympics two years ago, the American team proved unbeatable at the FEI Para Dressage World Championships in Aachen. Fiona Howard, Marie Vonderheyden, Rebecca Hart and Kate Shoemaker joined forces to post the highest team score on record and win by a margin of almost 7%, a feat of which their chef d’equipe Michel Assouline was justifiably proud.

“We all have high expectations of ourselves, and we know that they don’t always come to fruition, but to come here at the World Championship and for the team to produce a record for the highest-ever team score is just incredible,” said Assouline of his team’s performance.

The battle for silver went down to the wire, when the final rotation of Grade IV athletes determined the medal result. Germany’s Anna-Lena Niehues did just enough to secure silver for the host nation, when she finished second in this class on 76.405%, edging Holland into bronze. Denmark, Britain, Italy, France and Sweden also secured their starting slots at LA28 by finishing among the seven best teams excluding the USA as hosts of the Games.

The Irish team of Katie Reilly with Keystone Dawn Chorus, Jessica McKenna with DCI Cerruti and Rosemary Gaffney with Norabel finished 16th on a total score of 201.811. The fourth member of the squad, Clodagh Walsh, elected not to compete in the team competition after her first individual test with Chantal was the subject of controversy last Wednesday. The judge at C rang the bell under the FEI rule relating to lameness, but then allowed her to complete her test contrary to the FEI rules.

A spokesman for the FEI made the following statement: “At the FEI Para Dressage World Championships during the Para Grand Prix A Individual Final held on August 19th, while the athlete Clodagh Walsh and her horse Chantal were performing their test, the Judge at C rang the bell as per Article 8421.5.2 of the FEI Para Dressage Rules. The athlete correctly stopped immediately. Under normal circumstances, further to the Judge at C ringing the bell, the athlete should have been eliminated.

“However, further to a discussion among the Judges, it was decided that the athlete would be permitted to complete her test. The FEI acknowledges that this decision was not in accordance with the rules. The FEI apologises for the understandable upset and confusion caused to Clodagh Walsh, who had acted in accordance with the rules at all times and who bears no fault for this regrettable situation; the FEI recognises the difficult circumstances in which she completed her test.”

Looking forward

“Our para dressage team started strongly in Aachen last week,” said Ireland’s para dressage high performance manager Simone Hession. “Jessica McKenna and DCI Cerruti posted consistent scores and Katie Reilly and Keystone Dawn Chorus earned a personal best at Grade III. Next was Clodagh, who was scoring consistently in the Grade I until the judge at C rang the bell, but then allowed her to continue her test. The positive outcome was how Clodagh showed her determination and composure to finish her test equally as strongly as she started, which only goes to show what a talented athlete she is,” reflected Hession. “Rosemary rode positively on both days, but particularly in the team test on the second day to improve her score with Norabel.

“We’re now looking forward to working towards Paralympic qualification next year with this World Championship team and other members of the high performance squad,” she concluded.