Will Coleman and Twizzel stepped up big for Team USA with the best US score, photo by Erin Gilmore
Sara Algotsson Ostholt and her lovely mare Wega tied overnight leaders Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas of Germany for the Olympic lead at the Sunday lunch break with a score 39.3 this morning. Wega showed off her huge extended movements to the judges and Sara rode with absolute precision to bring home a great score for the Swedish team. Wega has an excellent cross-country record, but it will be interesting to see how she handles the terrain with a larger-bodied horse. Sara and her sister Linda are both riding for the Swedes, who are sitting in third place in the team competition with one rider left to compete for each team.
Germany and Australia are first and second in the team competition respectively at the break with great performances from Sandra Auffarths and Lucinda Fredericks–they are tied for 4th with 40.0. Four Aussies are placed in the top 16 at the lunch break after a 40.0 from Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish. This horse is just beginning his international career. What he lacks in experience he made up for in rideability and that is all Lucinda needed to score a 40.0. Lucinda’s husband, Clayton, is the anchor rider for the Australians and will ride after the lunch break.
We wouldn’t get the full London experience without rain and the British weather obliged this morning. Sandra Auffarths of Germany entered the arena with the first rain clouds of the London Games forming above her head and needing a quality score to keep Germany ahead of the Australian team. Opgun Louvo showed some spooky tension early in the test–likely due to the storm blowing in–but he made up for it with a lovely and relaxed movement through his shoulders and nearly perfect changes. I had hoped the judges would be sympathetic about the spooks and they were very sympathetic, giving the pair a 40.0. I will say that it’s hard for me to justify Boyd’s score of 50.7 after watching Sandra’s test score a 40.0. Sandra’s ride gives Germany three pairs in the top 4 at the lunch break.
Four riders have ridden from each team. Germany has the better team score right now from the perspective of the three best scores. However, all four Aussie scores are under 47 penalties while Germany’s 4th best score is 58.5, meaning that if one of the top Germans slips up tomorrow their team score is very much at risk. Again, looking at the top three scores of each team at the lunch break, the Swedish team is in 3rd, Great Britain is 4th, the Kiwis are 5th, and the US Team is in 6th. However, the USA’s 4th best score is better than New Zealand’s, Germany’s, and Sweden’s by considerable margins. Any way you look at it, Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper need to put in a good performance for Team USA this afternoon.
Riding down the centerline for Team USA has been a long time coming for Will Coleman and he made that dream come true this morning in Greenwich. This might have been Will’s first Olympic ride, but he rode like a true veteran and expertly directed Twizzel through each movement. Twizzel was as relaxed and focused as I have ever seen him–which is to say that is was very relaxed and focused. Twiz danced through that test so incredibly forward and light on his feet. If I had to find a fault I would say that their changes could have been slightly better. They earned every bit of their 46.3, and perhaps earned an even better score in my opinion. The 46.3 is the best score yet for Team USA.
Tina Cook of Great Britain must have felt right at home this morning when the cloudy skies opened up in a steady rain with thunder overhead just in time for her ride aboard Miners Frolic. Neither Tina nor Miners Frolic looked bothered by the weather and they worked together for a professional effort. The crowd gave Tina an appreciative and understanding cheer as she finished. The judges gave her a 42.0, helping bring Great Britain closer to the Germans and Aussies. The rain and thunder during Tina’s test was so significant that immediately after she exited the arena the officials called a 10 minute break. The rain stopped as quickly as it arrived and the morning rides progressed with just a few showers.
Earlier in the morning, the British crowd at Greenwich, which included Prince Phillip and Princess Anne, was treated to a lovely test from Zara Phillips and High Kingdom. Zara nailed her first halt and salute and High Kingdom started the test with elegant trot work. The canter work was much the same except for a few bobbles in the changes. High Kingdom scored 46.1. Zara has the weight of Great Britain on her shoulders and the British media won’t let her forget it this weekend. She needs to just keep the mentality that nothing matters but her rides.
Jessica Phoenix and Exponential rode for Team Canada this morning. “Tucker” entered the arena amidst the bad weather with ears pricked but Jessica managed her lovely horse to perfection. She rode every step of the test and squeezed out every possible point for the Canadians. The ex-racehorse is perfectly built to skip his way around Sue Benson’s twisty and technical Greenwich course. Jessica and Tucker are in great position to move up big time this weekend after their 54.8 this morning.
Nina Ligon is competing in her first Olympics for Thailand at just 20 years old. She has worked so hard with her coach Kim Severson to prepare for these Games and you could see Kim’s influence throughout Nina’s dressage test. Nina rode with absolute composure and accuracy aboard Butts Leon. I couldn’t be more impressed with how Nina has handled the pressure and scrutiny leading up to the Games and she carried that focus right through into the dressage arena today. The Ligons are a great example that eventing is an entire family effort and I hope they take at least a moment this weekend amidst the whirlwind to relax and enjoy the incredible experience that is the Olympics.
Japan quietly had an awesome morning of dressage. Atsushi Negishi and Pretty Darling rode early today and scored a 50.4 with a really solid test. Then Kenki Sato performed the best test I have ever seen from a Japanese rider at an international competition, scoring a 42.0 and jumping into the top 10. Chippieh was extremely relaxed and focused for his Buddhist monk rider and the result was a great performance for Japan.
The trend of bonnets on the horses and no helmets on the riders continued in the morning session. Serguei Fofanoff of Brazil was the first and only rider of day two to wear his helmet. Allaksandr Faminou made a fashion statement with white taped braids for Belarus.
Only a true child of Great Britain could be so excited to be watching dressage in the rain
Check out our Sunday dressage open thread, presented by Smartpak, for more updates on the Sunday morning and afternoon rides.
The wind is blowing under menacing skies in Greenwich with the final quarter of Olympic dressage set to begin when the lunch break ends shortly. Tune in to watch the anchor rides for each team in what is sure to be an exciting series of tests. Go eventing.
