Team GB’s dressage riders prepare to take centre stage
All four Team GBR horses have today (31 July) passed the trot-up and will go forward to the first phase of the Olympic dressage competition – the grand prix – on 2-3 August.
The riders have also been given their times for Thursday and Friday.
The Dutch and the Germans – the teams most fancied aside from Great Britain – have both chosen to run their individuals on the first day, but the British camp has made the slightly unusual decision to run their individual, Richard Davison, on the second day.
Carl Hester and Uthopia are first to go down the centre line at Greenwich – at 11.54am on day one (Thursday, 2 August).
They will be followed in the afternoon session by Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris at 3.11pm.
On the second day of competition (Friday, 3 August), Richard Davison – competing as an individual – and Artemis are on at 12.15pm.
The third team member, Charlotte Dujardin, with Valegro, will start at 2.10pm, straight after the Spanish crowd-pleaser, the grey stallion Fuego.
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The grand prix is followed by the Olympic special (7 August), which decides the team placings. The freestyle to music (or kur) – which decides the individual medals – closes the equestrian competition on 9 August.
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Flora Watkins spent several years working for BBC News before moving into print, first as a staffer at Horse & Hound, before going freelance.