Second silver for Carl Hester at European dressage championship

Having never won an individual medal prior to these championships, Carl Hester walked away with his second silver honours in the grand prix kur riding Uthopia. He scored 84.179%, riding a freestyle compilation he had only commissioned two weeks before and never ridden.

Though Uthopia, who is only 10, was perhaps a little tired on this the third day of competition, riding in rain and humidity, they had no major mistakes. Carl showed off the horse’s highlight, his trot extensions, several times.

“Having never ridden this test before I didn’t know what to expect,” said Carl. “I was amazed I managed to reach each point in the floorplan at the right moment in the music. Again Uthopia felt fantastic, and he picked up as the test went on despite being quite tired.”

The Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen took her second gold of the competition riding Jerich Parzival. Her test was faultless, and her floorplan incredibly technical, including a piaffe pirouette clockwise and then immediately anti-clockwise on their final centerline.

Adelinde said: “My horse was fantastic all week and today I was good, too. It was amazing coming in to ride in front of the home crowd all cheering even before I started my test. I couldn’t be happier.”

Laura Bechtolsheimer just missed out on the medals, being pipped by 0.411% by Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Scandic Watermill following mistakes in Mistral Hojris’s tempi-changes.

Patrik’s popular and upbeat compilation incited cheers and had the audience on their feet. The judges appreciated his metronomic piaffe and passage – which was right on the beat of his music – as well as the accuracy of their test.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a little boy,” said Patrik. “My horse felt fantastic today, the best he has throughout the competition, but I still can’t believe I’m up here, I think it will take a while to sink in.”

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