Emotional personal best scored by eight-time Olympian at eventing World Championships
Andrew Hoy and Vassily De Lassos made an epic return to the world stage
Eight-time Olympian Andrew Hoy delivered one of the standout performances of the day aboard Vassily De Lassos for Australia at the eventing World Championships.
The pair delivered a 26.9 personal best international dressage score to show why they deserve to be back on the world stage, having missed out on a spot in Paris two years ago.
It was wonderful to see Andrew and Vassily competing back at the top – and when Andrew became emotional discussing his test, it was clear just how much it meant.
Andrew Hoy on his eventing World Championships dressage test
“I have the easy part because I’ve got a complete team around me that have set the horse up absolutely beautifully,” he said.
“All I had to do was focus on what I needed to do and just go and do it.”
Andrew said today was the best prepared he’s been for a championships – but he gave full credit to Vassily.
“Vassily is an absolutely an amazing horse. He’s just very, very special,” he said.
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“Every day I learn a new way with him and how to set him up for something like this. It’s not about just going in and riding the movements. It's about preparing the horse in the correct way so that he has the ability to do his best.
“Apart from one small mistake where he just tripped at the end of the medium/first extended trot, there was nothing to add today.”
Ahead of the worlds, Andrew and Vassily competed in the Luhmühlen CCI4*-S where they finished ninth. Andrew is conscious not to overrun Vassily however.
“I look at the horse and where the horse is at. It’s not about running competitions for the sake of it. It’s always very planned and that’s why people don’t see me out there all the time,” he explained.
“I’m probably a little bit under the radar, so to speak. But every preparation, every competition, there is a strategy behind that and a lot of that time has been out of the UK. Albeit there are very good events in the UK, but I’ve gone to venues that I think are the best thing to give me an evaluation of where the horse is at.”
A return to Aachen 20 years later
Andrew is no stranger to Aachen, having won team bronze here 20 years ago.
“People ask me: ‘Why do I keep going at this age?’. The thing that ticks my box and keeps me excited is riding at the pointy end of the sport,” said the 67-year-old.
“One of my fellow team members from 2006 is now a selector, Clayton Fredericks. He came and said well done, and I just said to him: ‘Thank you for having the confidence in me’. There are many great athletes out there, but I think what I do is maybe a little bit different. I’m not at as many competitions, but I try to make them really work.”
Andrew and Vassily are in provisional seventh ahead of tomorrow’s cross-country. Australia is in eighth (95.6), behind Ireland (93.3).
US individual combination Tamie Smith shines
Just behind them is US individual combination Tamie Smith and Lillet 3, who were another notable combination in Friday's dressage.
The pair delivered an accurate test with a handful of 8s being awarded for the early trot work and mostly 7s or 7.5s for their flying changes.
“You don’t know what they’re going to do in an atmosphere like that,” said Tamie, who was thrilled with the 10-year-old mare.
“She’s just like a seasoned pro in there. She’s so young and wouldn’t have ever seen something like that, so I was really proud of her.”
Tamie cited the pair’s trot work as a highlight.
“Her trot work was just so fluid, she felt like a spider. She stayed with me every stride,” said Tamie.
“She’s such a special horse and such a special mare. She just tries so hard, but in a really relaxed manner. Sometimes when they try too hard they get a little nervous but she was just so with me, it felt amazing.”
The US team, made up of Will Coleman (Diabolo), Boyd Martin (Cooley Nutcracker), Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Blake) and Phillip Dutton (Denim) is in provisional sixth.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.