“I wanted to have a personal best; that was my aim, and I did it,” said Ingrid, who posted 75.68%.
“It felt wonderful because the moment I entered the ring, he was really there, listening, totally with me. He was not focused on anything else,” she said of the 14-year-old Fidertanz stallion. “The pirouettes felt really wonderful – so small, so secure. The one-tempis too – everything was going forward.”
While Ingrid is a legend of the eventing world, with five Olympics under her belt and four World Equestrian Games, this is the first time she has competed at a major championship in dressage.
“I must say I was really a bit excited,” said Ingrid about riding on the world-renowned German dressage team, also the defending champion team here. “I’m very happy that my family is here and the owners are here, so we are a small group of family and friends. It’s really wonderful. I was a bit excited because I thought now everybody will see me for the first time in dressage, and will be expecting that I do a good job. In the cross-country, I was sometimes first, sometimes last and have been in nearly every position. But this was new, for me and for him too.”
And what does Ingrid make of the World Dressage Championships, compared to an eventing championship?
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“There is so much time! You can eat, walk around, have a chat here, a coffee there,” she laughed. “I thought maybe I can freeze a few hours and when I go home I get them back because then I need them,” she joked.
The grand prix continues this afternoon, with the second riders from each four-man team in action, and the three-man teams – Brazil, Japan, Norway and New Zealand – beginning their campaign.
Britain’s second rider, Gareth Hughes, will be in action this afternoon, entering the arena at 7pm local time (6pm BST) with Classic Briolinca. Charlotte Dujardin on Imhotep and Lottie Fry on Glamourdale will ride tomorrow, at 1.35pm (12.35pm BST) and 6.51pm (5.51pm BST) respectively
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