Fiona Bigwood kick-starts Britain’s dressage medal chances at WEG
Never mind bronze, we’re going for team silver. The World Equestrian Games dressage event began this morning in Lexington Kentucky with our first rider, Fiona Bigwood, scoring a brilliant plus-70% score. Fiona rode her mother Penny and husband Anders Dahl’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding through neat sequence changes, impressive halts and a consistent piaffe and passage tour.
As she left the arena, Fiona told H&H: “That felt amazing! I thought there’d be nobody in the stadium at this time of the morning at the beginning of the competition but the stand’s already half full and there’s a great atmosphere. It was an incredible feeling when the crowd and the Brits all cheered at the end.”
Fiona explained that Wie Atlantico has been on flying form and peaked at just the right moment for this competition. Asked how she was feeling now about the grand prix special now she joked: “I don’t mind, it’s over! I’ve done my bit for the team, I’m happy. I’d have been pleased to walk away with 68%, so this is brilliant.”
Team chef d’equipe Richard Waygood told H&H: “What a fabulous way to start the competition. To come to the World Games and perform to that level as the first to go for your team is wonderful. The rest of our horses are on equally good form.”
Maria Eilberg is next to go for Britain at 3:41pm Kentucky time (8:41pm UK time).
Listen to Fiona Bigwood’s interview
For full report and pictures don’t miss H&H out 7 October. Stay online for daily reports and blogs from Kentucky
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Sarah has worked at an equestrian journalist and editor since 2004 and has held the position of Horse & Hound Editor-in-Chief since 2014. She has reported for Horse & Hound from major championships including Europeans and World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on horses and horse sport including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. She has owned and ridden horses since 1993, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university. While studying for a BSc at London School of Economics Sarah also worked for top British dressage rider Louise Spate.