World Dressage Championships results: Irish rider Alex Baker

World Dressage Championships results: Alex Baker first to go for Ireland in the grand prix — Alex Baker and Dutchman pictured following their grand prix test at the World Dressage Championships

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Alex Baker has got Ireland’s team hopes underway as she made her senior championship debut at the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships.

Alex was drawn sixth to go with Daniel Champion and the Baker family’s 14-year-old gelding Dutchman on the opening grand prix day (6 August) in Herning.

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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.

‘This doesn’t happen every day’: Alex Baker gets Ireland’s hopes underway at World Dressage Championships

The pair had a couple of mistakes, losing balance at the beginning of the first extended trot and dropping some marks in the twos, but produced a lovely last line finishing on a square halt to post 67.53%.

Despite the mistakes Alex was delighted with the Jazz son, known at home as Jack.

“I just wanted to smile and enjoy it. This doesn’t happen every day so I just wanted to take it all in,” she said.

“I was happy with most of it apart from the mistakes. I was happy with my zig zag and my ones, and I think the piaffe and passage came off as well.

“At the end I wanted to wave at the crowd but didn’t know if it was appropriate. But I was patting Jack and thought I’m going to wave – why not, we’re here.”

Alex, who is based in England with Anna Ross, is enjoying her senior championship debut.

“It’s been amazing, and really cool to see other sports and countries,” she said.

“We’ve been wrapping Jack up in bubble wrap and not telling him he’s coming here – we told him he was going down the road so he couldn’t think of anything! We’ve been really careful.”

Alex will now have to wait and see if her grand prix score will be enough to qualify for the World Dressage Championships grand prix special on Monday (8 August), with the top 30 combinations going through.

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