H&H Live: Olympia Horse Show dressage

Hope to see you all tomorrow!

See you all tomorrow for the freestyle.

Valegro looking very calm as he comes in for the prize-giving.

Remember to buy H&H next week for our full Olympia report in all disciplines!

Yes it is.

The horses are coming in for the final presentations.

See you tomorrow Don Key!

Full live results at http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/857/857online1ENG.htm?style=longines

We posted it at the start of the live blog.

Glad to hear that Susan. Scoreboard above.

Final placings:

1 – Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro 84.851
2 – Edward Gal on Glock’s Undercover 80.383
3 – Danielle Heijkoop on Kingsley Siro 76.489
4 – Nathalie su sayn-Wittgenstein on Digby 74.702
5 – Michael Eilberg on Half Moon Delphi 74.106

We will be back tomorrow with our interactive service for the freestyle. We hope you will join us even if you are watching online too.

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Looking very relaxed as he leaves the arena.

So that’s our last rider today.

Nathalie finishes her test on Digby.

Clockwork final piaffe passage on the centreline.

We can hear the tannoy in the warm up, but it doesn’t disturb Digby.

Very correct one-times. The rhythm doesn’t alter from his regular canter.

Two-times straight as a die.

This horse probably knows this test perfectly so it’s testament to his train ability that he allows himself to be guided by his rider. Many riders believe it is time to change the Grand Prix, even if only by flipping it.

We don’t know I’m afraid. Hopefully they will.

This horse is not the most expressive on the circuit but he is very correct and willing.

Top 15 go through to the freestyle

This is a home-bred son of Donnerhall and Nathalie is a princess who lives in a castle.

Natalie’s ride Digby retired from major shows at the Euros this summer – she obviously doesn’t think Olympia is that major!

Scores up to 79.5 for Danielle.

Last rider in is Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein riding Digby

Danielle 76.383 prov and into 3rd.

Hans Peter’s score: 69.213

This looks to be a really high scoring test from Danielle Heijkoop.

Super expressive final medium trot.

Pirouette right horse took over and was a little quick.

Afraid we don’t know why Anna isn’t competing.

Tiny pirouette left.

Good bouncing one-time changes.

Good control and judgement of zigzag.

Top 15 go through to the freestyle tomorrow.

Good straight two-times, this horse looks really confident in all the Grand Prix work.

Attractive uphill piaffe.

Crisp upwards transition from walk to passage.

Danielle sits very much in Dutch style, lower leg in front of shoulder/hip line.

Danielle starts with great cadence and uphill balance. This horse is from same mould as Painted Black, Anky’s former gp horse, also by Gribaldi.

This is Dutch dressage’s rising star, on another horse by Gribaldi.

80.383 prov for Edward, 69.21 prov for Hans Peter.

Danielle Heijkoop next in on Kingsley Siro.

Hans Peter finishing on Glock’s Romanov.

The horse is settling now and Hans Peter would probably like to be able to start again.

Final piaffe probably the best he has done.

This horse has lovely reach and action with his forelegs but it is not matched by the hindlegs and there is a loss of rhythm and balance towards the end of the last extended trot.

Jumped together behind in middle and at end of one-times, the horse is not really listening to Hans Peter and would rather have a little gander about the arena.

Quarters swinging wildly into canter zigzag.

This horse does not have the most naturally active hindleg.

So crooked into two-times it looked like he was half-passing. But the changes themselves are big and correct.

Wobbling all over the place in this second piaffe which Hans Peter does well to salvage.

Thanks Sue!

Live scores at http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/857/857online1ENG.htm?style=longines

Hans Peter is going to have to work hard to keep a lid on this walk, which has become extremely brittle.

Behind the vertical to right, above bit to left. Extremely inattentive in half/rein-back, something obviously caught his eye.

Just 2 more riders after Hans Peter…

Big reaching expressive half-passes, but horse dropping behind the vertical.

Hans Peter rides the leggy Rohdiamant stallion Glock’s Romanov, who Edward rode briefly before Hans Peter took over the reins. He used to be a breeding stallion at the Blue Hors Stud in Denmark.

I am sure they are doing their best.

Battery is dying, will be transferring to iPhone in a minute so please forgive typos and there will be no more pics!

80.298% for Edward, provisionally.

Next up is Edward Gal’s partner, Hans Peter Minderhoud on Glock’s Romanov.

Charlotte’s score is confirmed at 84.851%.

Edward salutes the crowd which shows their appreciation

Edward Gal finishes his test on Glock’s Undercover.

Final piaffe is regular but horse anticipates at X and Edward has to re-establish the piaffe before moving into the final passage.

It’s being moved around the hospitality boxes

Tiny pirouettes, but lacking some grace.

One-time changes more correct, but again finish well short of the end of the diagonal.

His zigzag finishes well short of C because he has a lot of crossing but his canter is less forward than most.

Bold extended canter helped by rattling crockery, but Edward doesn’t dare let the neck out so it’s all legs.

Not enough ground cover in the two-time changes, which start and finish well before the ends of the diagonal.

This horse gets incredible height in the piaffe

Nose blowing in the passage/piaffe, but incredible power in the piaffe.

Edward sitting very very still in the collected walk.

More relaxed in walk than I feared Glock’s undercover would be, after a slightly frantic start to the test.

TV listings for UK https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/watch-olympia-horse-show-on-tv-olympia-2012-tv-listings/

Rides the passage incredibly slowly which almost makes it look like a very forward piaffe – but in contrast the piaffe is absolutely on the spot.

Tension through the rein-back and Edward has his hands full – this horse is raring to go.

Edward is incredibly skilled at building horses’ trots from relatively plain basic paces to phenomenal activity during the test.

No immobility in the first halt so Edward cuts his losses and moves off straightaway.

We have heard a little blood was found on one of her spurs but not confirmed officially

Glock’s Undercover is by Ferro, out of a Donnerhall mare.

Charlotte – 84.894% provisional score – scores from 82-87% from the different judges. She’s into the lead by about 10%.

Now we have Dutch darling Edward Gal riding his Olympic and European horse Glock’s Undercover.

Four more to go until the end.

Axis TSF goes third on 72.021%.

Amazing to think it was only the year before last that Charlotte rode her first ever grand prix.

Incredible height and regularity in the final passage, into a still square halt despite wild clapping. Walking out relaxed on a long rein.

Fantastic. The crowd is going wild!

Last extended trot is bouncy and active – Valegro’s knees almost come up to his nose.

Superb control and elevation of the forehand with lightness.

Into the pirouettes now.

Superb one-time changes, big and uphill and balanced.

Second piaffe is on the spot but lacks a little jump on the way out compared to what Valegro is capable of. Mistake into the canter with the passage getting bigger and bigger before Charlotte eventually sorted it – this will not be a world record score.

Sounds like someone rattled a tray of crockery during Charlotte’s walk, but Valegro seemed not to notice or Charlotte covered it very well.

Into the first passage and first piaffe, clean, rhythmical, uphill.

Charlotte is wearing her stylish Charles Owen hat.

Charlotte presents this horse in such an incredible, uphill, happy balance and keeps all the expression through the half-pass. Fluid change of bend at B.

Extended trot looks great but we are seeing it from behind.

People using flash photography in the crowd. Naughty!

Super square and immobile first halt.

Charlotte didn’t do any warm-up shows for this after the Europeans because she knows Valegro has the rideability to come in her and listen to her.

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro are in the house.

Confirmed for Simon Missiaen 68.872%.

The black stallion is a Trakehner by Sixtus and he stands stock still in the final halt as the applause ripples round.

Terhi comes to the final centreline – no major mistakes in this test and the horse still looks full of running.

We’ve heard Kate Dwyer was eliminated for having a small amount of blood on one of her spurs, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Big reaching two-time changes filling the diagonal straight towards us – they looked of good quality.

A very difficult transition from walk to passage because these horses begin to know the test and anticipate – a delicate balance for the rider to put on enough of an aid to get passage but not so much the horse explodes out of the blocks.

And a clear difference in frame and stride length between extended and collected walk.

Good relaxation through the walk.

At their last CDI this pair scored 72% in the grand prix – that was in Paris earlier this month.

Yes first unfortunate autocorrect on the iPhone!

Smooth and relaxed start to this test – another competitor wearing a crash hat.

That rider is Terhi Stegars riding Axis TSF for Finland

One more before Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro…

Simon Missiaen finishing on Vradin.

This reminds us of Edward Gal’s former ride Sisther De Jeu, who was also a Gribaldi daughter and feisty with it.

Small neat pirouette to the left. This horse is growing in confidence as the test progresses.

Clean one-time changes but the horse’s ability to push off the ground with her hindleg sometimes pushes her onto the forehand.

Bold extended canter from Vradin.

Bold extended canter from Vradin, under Belgium’s Simon Missiaen.

Big two-time changes which were clean, but the changes to the right tracked to the right.

It probably felt like sitting on something rather explosive, but the horse’s keenness to get on with the job means she then shows really good piaffe passage.

Walk is fragile at the end.

Simon has done a good job to relax this horse – she is looking more confident in this walk section.

However, Simon had big problems in his first halt, which wasn’t established and will be costly. This little mare is only 11yo and she is by Gribaldi, many of whose offspring are notoriously hot.

Unfortunately we haven’t heard but we will try to find out.

Simon has started – Michael’s prov score was announced just before he went in but the crowd were good and didn’t react and upset the horse.

74.298% prov score for Michael Eilberg and into the lead. Yay!

Next is Simon Missiaen riding Vradin

That puts Carl ahead of Hayley Beresford in fourth.

Great test. Michael briefly has his hands full as the crowd show their appreciation.

Confirmed score for Carl Hester 69.894%.

The mare leaps forward with all four feet as people clap after a super finish. Really well ridden.

FInal centre line for Michael Eilberg – lots of marks to be gained her for an expressive, consistent horse like Half Moon Delphi.

This test is so much more relaxed and polished than when they were here last year.

Michael just lifts his hands to encourage the mares nose out and forward and stop her dropping behind the vertical.

Tiny and extremely well controlled first pirouette.

Good one-time changes for Michael Eilberg – clean, well placed and expressive.

5.27pm for Charlotte and Valegro

More nose blowing in second piaffe, which keeps Michael’s hands full.

Blowing her nose again in the piaffe

This mare is by the prolific British-owned stallion Dimaggio. She has a three-year-old sister who is not grey and will compete in four-year-old classes next year.

She blew her nose coming out of the first piaffe, which slightly complicated things for Michael for the transition.

Top 15 will go through to the freestyle tomorrow.

Into the first passage, one of this horse’s real highlights.

Michael is one of the few riders who still has his horse’s tail plaited.

Today she is looking concentrated, listening to Michael with soft floppy ears.

Michael is wearing a helmet

Delphi looks pretty settled – this is a very difficult show for Michael with this sensitive mare as she finds the intimate warm-up challenging.

This is Michael’s European Champs horse – she really had to step up to the plate after the withdrawal of Mistral Hojris.

We believe so

Not their best score but enough to qualify for the music.

Now it’s Michael Eilberg with the lovely great mare Half Moon Delphi

69.617% prov score for Carl Hester.

Marc Boblet confirmed at 72.511%. He leads.

Having looked extremely laid back in the test, the horse is now lit up by the applause.

Carl Hester finishing, final centreline passage was good, Carl just had to control some straightness issues in the piaffe at X.

Sorry our post re the one-times didn’t publish for some reason – he was badly jumping together behind in each change to the left.

Very smart first pirouette.

Mistake in the middle of the two-time changes, the horse doesn’t look in front of Carl’s leg compared to previous tests.

My laptop battery has died so now posting via iPhone. Apologies in advance for any strange typos!

Pretty fluent into and out of the second piaffe.

Slight mistake in the walk to passage where there was half a stride of canter.

Collected walk looking a little crispy (fragile).

Very good consistency in the piaffe passage, Carl has ridden him with more power in this in previous tests, but sometimes the regularity is then compromised.

Looks very relaxed.

Tripped and broke in the extended trot, a pity but an experienced rider like Carl will not let it affect subsequent movements.

Unfortunately not. Stick with us!

Some loss of expression in the half-pass, but the rhythm is consistent and the carriage.

Seeing the extended trot from behind but it looks good.

Carl always presents his horses in such phenomenal balance.

Lights are dimmed and it feels like real Olympia.

This pair are current British national champions. This horse is owned by Gemma Green, herself a professional dressage rider. Carl took over when Gemma was pregnant but gets on well with the horse – I think Gemma has decided not to take the horse back.

Grand prix start list

Whoops, double post!

Carl Hester riding in a top hat tonight.

Carl has chosen to ride in a top hat tonight.

Here comes Carl Hester!

Here we go!