WM Herning: Gold for Denmark, Austria in 9th place – Equestrian Worldwide | Equestrian sport worldwide
World Championships – It is the first Danish gold medal ever in the World Championship team competition in dressage! On top of that, Nanna Merrald Rasmussen (DEN), Carina Cassoe Krüth (DEN), Daniel Bachmann Andersen (DEN) and Cathrine Dufour (DEN) did not succeed in this premiere just anywhere, but in Herning, Denmark. Silver goes to the British team with an excellent Charlotte Fry (GBR) in front of the defeated Germans. Our four Austrians finished ninth – but: Florian Bacher is qualified for the Grand Prix Special!
After Nanna Merrald Rasmussen (DEN/76.724%) on the experienced 18-year-old KWPN stallion Blue Hors Zack (Rousseau x Jazz x Belisar) and Carina Cassoe Krüth (DEN/76.863%) with their eleven-year-old DWB mare Heilines Danciera (Fürtsenball x De Niro ) presented on the first day, Daniel Bachmann Andersen (DEN/76.584%) with the 10-year-old DWB gelding Marshall Bell (Blue Hors Don Romantic x Michellino) and Cathrine Dufour (DEN/81.864%) with the 10-year-old Westfläisch-bred Gelding Vamos Amigos (Vitalis x Blue Hors Hotline) closed the sack.
All four Danes in the top 10
And that despite the fact that Cathrine Dufour was still riding with the handbrake visible. Vamos appeared to be significantly less tense than last, the contact was freer and the entire test was highly professional. That’s what a woman has to be able to do once: To dose the performance in such a way that you bring the team home with a safe gold medal and still achieve the highest score. All four Danes were able to place themselves in the top 10!
Dufour’s biggest singles competitor Charlotte Fry?
Great Britain, with their rider Charlotte Fry (GBR), was the only other team to show an 80% ride. The 26-year-old Brit presented an impressive Glamourdale (Lord Leatherdale x Negro), which still had a few mistakes: 80.838% and second place. For tomorrow’s special and the music freestyle, she’s a definite candidate for the top spots. Her namesake Charlotte Dujardin presented the only nine-year-old KWPN gelding Imhotep (Everdale x Vivaldi) as skilfully as usual – 77.407% and fourth place! The two men in the team, Gareth Hughes (GBR) and Richard Davidson (GBR) placed 13th and 55th.
Dressage Germany in crisis?
In the end, Germany was “only” bronze. Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Franziskus did a very nice test on the first day. In Aachen the stallion was still very hot, but in the Stutteri ASK Stadium the riding master had him with her and guided him through the Grand Prix in a truly masterful way: 75.683%. World Championship debutant Benjamin Werndl (GER) leans on his fame and rode Flora Keller’s 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding to a personal best of 77.003% – overnight second.
Isabell Werth (GER) and DSP Quantaz (Quarterback x Hohenstein 4) demand low marks in the walking tour and the judges consistently give eights and nines on the final line: 77.127% and fifth place. Final rider Frederic Wandres (GER) was the third German to place in the top 10 after he had shown a solid round with mistakes in the second change on his chestnut Duke of Britain FRH (Dimaggio x Rubinstein).
Austria in ninth place – Florian Bacher im Special!
Florian Bacher (ST) showed a top round with a personal best of 73.447% on his self-trained Oldenburg gelding Fidertraum OLD (Fidertanz 2 x Rubinstein). This performance was rewarded with 20th place and qualification for tomorrow’s Grand Prix Special!
The red-white-red team ultimately placed ninth. Because: The championship-experienced Victoria Max-Theurer (OÖ) and her Birkhof’s Topas FBW (Totilas x Sandro Hit) were to be assessed as the best Austrian couple on the basis of the season’s performances, but today things didn’t want to go the way they did last time in Fritzen’s flaps. Unfortunately! You would have had to be among the top six teams to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which would have been difficult even with a top result from Victoria Max-Theurer (OÖ).
Tomorrow, Monday (8 August), the best 30 rider-horse pairs will start in the Grand Prix Special, including Austria’s Florian Bacher. Start: 1:30 p.m.!
>> Click here for the result in detail
The Herning World Cup on EQWO.net:
>> WM Herning: Interviews with Stefan Lehfellner & Christian Schumach
>> WM Herning: The starting times for the Grand Prix
>> WM Herning: Austria’s dressage horses “fit for tournament”, start times Lehfellner & Schumach
>> WM Herning Blog 01: Drop in temperature, hitchhikers & top organization – Welcome to Denmark!
>> WM Herning: program, live stream & TV times
>> With the drone over the showgrounds of the World Cup in Herning!
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