WC Four-in-Hand | Dressage Day 1: Dries Degrieck in the lead; strong start for Team Belgium and NL
The driving competition kicked off today with the first phase: dressage. Of the five horses awaiting a re-inspection this morning, two were ultimately given the green light. Three horses failed to pass, meaning that Marcel Luder, Yannik Scherrer, and Jiri Nesvacil will not have a reserve or substitute horse at their disposal during this World Championship.
At 10:30 AM, German individual competitor Georg von Stein had the honor of being the first to enter the arena at Stadium 2 on home soil. Leading up to the 12:00 PM lunch break, Australian Tor Van Den Berge held the lead with 49.31 penalty points, but German team driver Christoph Sandmann quickly overtook him in the afternoon session with a score of 44.78. Four of the five judges rated his test as the best.
Strong test for Koos de Ronde
Koos de Ronde was the first Dutchman to compete, and he delivered a solid performance. His KWPN chestnuts looked sharp in the Aachener Soers arena, and his test was awarded a score of 51.44 penalty points—exactly the same as Taren Lester (USA). This ultimately secured him provisional seventh place out of the 27 competitors who started on the first day.
Applause disrupts Jean Thornton’s test
Tom Stokmans was the first Belgian to compete (54.71 penalty points). British driver Jean Thornton was somewhat unlucky with the conditions during her test. She had to start just as German showjumper Daniel Deusser was receiving thunderous applause in the main arena right next to Stadium 2. Her team—particularly the left leader—was completely unsettled; the horse kept breaking into a canter during almost every movement, executing neat flying changes on the turns that would not have looked out of place in a single-horse test. Fortunately, she received loud, encouraging applause at the end of her test. There was also bad luck for South African Wayne van Niekerk; he was eliminated for using a bit that is not permitted under the rules.
Big applause for Dries Degrieck
Dries Degrieck, the penultimate driver, received thunderous applause and a thumbs-up from Belgian national coach Mark Wentein following a fantastic test. He was rewarded with five scores of 10 for General Impression and a total score of 38.19 points. A slight irregularity in the free walk and a botched rein-back maneuver kept him from achieving a score that might well have dipped below 37 points. However, this did nothing to diminish the overall impression of Dries’s superb test. He has now posted the first score under 40 penalty points, setting the bar high for the drivers competing tomorrow.
Fine performance by IJsbrand Chardon
The penultimate driver, IJsbrand Chardon, also drove a magnificent test, with barely a single error to be seen. Remarkably, he finished tied for second place today with his contemporary Christoph Sandmann, both scoring 44.78 penalty points!
The second part of the dressage takes place tomorrow, again starting at 10:30 AM, featuring competitors such as Bram Chardon, Glenn Geerts, Boyd Exell, Anna Sandmann, and Mareike Harm.
Results dressage competition day 1
Start times, (live) results, and more
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