It was a heady day in the Versailles arena at Paris 2024 with Britain’s showjumpers taking gold. While they have earned themselves a couple of days’ rest before their individual competition, we now switch to the business end of the Olympic dressage, with the first of its medal days. Tomorrow, (Saturday, 3 August) is the turn of the grand prix special, which decides the team medals.
Here is the lowdown on the five things you should keep an eye out from the dressage action, which starts at 10am local time (9am British time).
Olympic dressage grand prix special: key things to watch
1. Can the Brits win a medal? In the qualifier, the grand prix, Britain finished third overall, but they were comfortably clear of the chasing pack on the bottom step of the podium. While most of the major contenders weren’t playing all their aces at that early stage, on form Britain look more likely to challenge for silver than having to fight for the bronze.
2. The battle for gold. Although Britain are well poised to profit if anything should go amiss with Germany or Denmark, realistically it’s these two nations who will be fighting it out for gold. The Danish trio topped all of their qualifying groups, while the Germany had two runners-up. Expect the defending Olympic champion Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl to ramp it up a notch as she spearheads her nation’s challenge. Jessica is last into the ring on TSF Dalera BB at 3.25pm local time (2.25pm British time).
3. Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on her newish ride Freestyle could be the one to spoil Germany’s party. The Danish pair have won their only two grand prix specials together, both with 81%-plus, but haven’t competed since March. They’re bound to have improved again as this partnership has been a love affair from day one. They start at 3.15pm local time (2.15pm British time).
4. Wendy’s scores have skyrocketed since Germany’s Isabell Werth started competing the 10-year-old mare in February, gaining nearly 4% in four outings at grand prix special. What will they have in store as they bid to secure Germany’s and her own hat-trick of team golds? She will start at 1.25pm local time (12.25pm British time).
5. Becky Moody has already captured hearts thanks to her smiling grand prix test which topped her group in the grand prix. Unlikely to feature among the leaders overall, but well capable of putting a solid score on the board for Britain with her 10-year-old home-bred Jagerbomb. Don’t miss her moment in the Versailles arena at 11.10am local time (10.11pm British time).
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
