Britain have won team gold at the European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany, their first team gold medal at a championship since the London 2012 Olympics.
With Gareth Hughes (Classic Briolinca), Carl Hester (Fame) and Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) all laying down super scores for the team, it fell to reigning world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale to seal the deal as the last members of the British team to ride the grand prix. She duly delivered the goods with a personal best score of 81.26%.
“To win team gold is so, so special as the four of us have been on so many teams together now, so to finally get the gold with these teammates is a really special feeling,” said Lottie, who rode alongside Carl, Charlotte and Gareth at the 2019 and 2021 Europeans, as well as at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I knew Glamourdale was capable of helping us win gold, but we need four of us on the team and four amazing horses.”
British chef d’equipe Caroline Griffiths echoed Lottie’s comments: “This team have been building towards this; when you see the riding and the tests they all produce, it’s phenomenal.”
Having led the European Dressage Championships team standings overnight, gold was Britain’s to lose at this point. Home side Germany had been hot on their heels throughout the competition, and their final rider was none other than the reigning Olympic and European champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with TSF Dalera BB.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB in the grand prix at the European Dressage Championships 2023.
Jessica and Dalera produced a magical performance, full of grace and harmony, and dispelling any doubts regarding the 16-year-old mare’s age by laying down a grand prix personal best of 84.61%. It piled the pressure onto Britain’s Lottie Fry, who needed 78.71% for Britain to grab the gold.
But if there is any combination in the world who thrive on pressure, it’s Lottie and Glamourdale. Lottie said afterwards that the 12-year-old stallion was “feeling on fire today”, and they rode a bold, powerful test, with huge highlights among the canter work in particular, and showing improvement in many areas compared to last year. Distractions from outside the ring appeared to slightly divert Glammy’s attention once or twice, however, and they had a blip in their final piaffe on the centre line, leaving British supporters biting their fingernails as they awaited the score.
When it arrived, it wasn’t as high as Jessica’s – nor Charlotte Dujardin’s superlative round with Imhotep earlier in the day. But, at 81.26%, it was another personal best in this test for Lottie and Glammy, and crucially, it was enough to clinch the gold for Britain on 242.22.
Britain have only missed a championship medal on two occasions since they rose to golden glory at the London Olympics, 11 years ago. But the gold had eluded them. Now, however, they’re back on top.
European Dressage Championships: team standings
The last time Germany relinquished the European championship title was in 2015 and, quite remarkably, have only failed to win European gold on four previous occasions since 1965. This year, though, the quartet of Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz), Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (TSF Dalera BB), Frederic Wandres (Bluetooth OLD) and Matthias Rath (Thiago GS) must settle for silver, on a total score of 239.674.
Claiming the bronze medal were last year’s world gold medallists, Denmark. The Danish side of Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Vayron), Andreas Helgstrand (Jovian), Nanna Skodborg Merrald (Blue Hors Zepter) and Carina Cassøe Krüth (Heiline’s Danciera) fielded a combination of experienced combinations and younger, less established horses, and all look exciting for the future.
Just missing a medal in fourth were Sweden, helped up the leaderboard by anchorman Patrik Kittel’s plus-75% test with Touchdown late in the day, while the Netherlands finished fifth.
Below the podium, another battle was unfolding, as teams fought for the coveted remaining Olympic qualification spots. By this afternoon it had become a four-way contest between Austria, Portugal, Spain and Belgium, but a slightly disappointing ride from Portugal’s final rider, Maria Caetano, sealed the deal, and Austria, Spain and Belgium take qualification for Paris 2024.
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