EN is excited to be teaming up with our good friends at EquiRatings to bring you exclusive content as we review the 2016 season. Be sure to bookmark EquiRatings’ blog for must-read content packed with statistics and data analysis, and follow them on Twitter @EquiRatings. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the Eventing Podcast, as the Horse of the Year episode will be out soon!
Chris Burton and Nobilis 18 at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Photography.
In what has been a record-smashing year for the sport, EquiRatings is delving deeper into our numbers to unearth the most impressive statistics of 2016. First up, we’re taking a look at the lowest international dressage scores.
It should come as no surprise that Germany dominates the top 10, taking eight of the slots and the lowest score of the year. One combination appears on the list twice, while one CCI4* performance made the cut and female riders swept the top five. There’s plenty to sink our teeth into here, so let’s count it down.
30.6 – Michael Jung and fischerIncantas (GER) – Radolfzell CIC*
With a win in the 6-year-old Championships last year at Le Lion d’Angers, Michael Jung and fischerIncantas were already firmly on our radar when they started the 2016 season. This duo didn’t disappoint, delivering a personal best of 30.6 at Radolfzell CIC* in April and going on to finish on that score to take the win. Remember this name!
30.2 – Chris Burton and Nobilis 18 (AUS) – Burghley CCI4*
The only CCI4* score in the top 10 for the year also obliterated the previous best at Burghley, and did we mention that 30.2 is the best CCI4* dressage score ever recorded on British soil? Adding just a handful of time on cross country preserved enough of a margin to allow Chris and Nobilis 18 to drop four poles in show jumping and still clinch the Burghley win on 49.4.
Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Photo by Jenni Autry.
29.8 – Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo (GER) – Wiesbaden CIC3*
We’d expect to see the reigning World Champions on this list, and Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo held to that standard. While they scored well off their dressage average in Rio, they dazzled at Wiesbaden in May and ultimately delivered their best first-phase performance of the year. They withdrew after scoring 29.8, but we can’t forget the magic of that test.
29.2 – Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH (GER) – Wiesbaden CIC3*
While eventing fans will be more familiar with Julia’s Rio Olympic mount Samourai du Thot, it’s her younger mount Chipmunk FRH that we’ve been tracking at HQ. He delivered two of the best dressage performances of the year, with a 29.2 at Wiesbaden CIC3* setting Julia up to take second place to none other than Ingrid Klimke and her own Rio mount Horseware Hale Bob, who appear later on this list.
29.1 – Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER) – Kreuth CIC2*
We’ve already seen Michael’s name once on this list, and it’s only fitting that he appears again with La Biosthetique Sam FBW, with whom he clinched back-to-back gold medals in Rio, becoming just the third pair in history to do so. Michael and Sam scored 29.1 in the CIC2* at Kreuth as their final prep run for Badminton, which they went on to win on 34.4. Just another day in the office for Ze Terminator.
Want to know the rest of the top 10 dressage scores of 2016? You’ll have to click over to EquiRatings’ blog to see the countdown from #5 to the best score of the year. (Spoiler alert: Female riders swept the entire top five!) Click here to read the rest, and stay tuned for much more from EquiRatings’ review of 2016 right here on EN.
