Olympia. What a triumph, not only for British dressage results but because of the attendance on the opening Monday. Finally, we got it right. The innovation of Simon Brooks-Ward and Richard Davison in coming up with a concept that could fill the arena on day one was masterly.
Looking at other World Cup dressage qualifiers, such as Stuttgart and Lyon, where the grand prix was held around 8am on a weekday, inevitably they were lucky to attract even a third of an audience.
{"content":"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"}