Bettina Hoy lies in her customary position at the head of affairs after the dressage phase of the team CIC*** competition at Aachen, Germany, today.
Bettina scored 38 for her flowing, smooth test with the 17-year-old Ringwood Cockatoo (pictured).
With the German team consisting of four of the five combinations selected for this summer’s Olympics in Hong Kong, it is no surprise that the home team is at the head of affairs. Bettina is backed up by Ingrid Klimke (FRH Butts Abraxxas, fourth) and Frank Ostholt (Mr Medicott, seventh), with Hinrich Romeike (Marius Voigt-Logistik, 11th) providing their discard score at the moment.
Badminton winner Nicolas Touzaint lies second on the 11-year-old grey Joker D’Helby, heading an impressive effort by the French, which puts them less than 10 penalties behind the Germans, even though none of their Olympic horses are here.
The British team, consisting of younger and less experienced riders and horses in Aachen to gain mileage, all performed creditably, but they are understandably some way off the pace of the German A team, lying fourth behind Sweden.
George Davies is best of the British individually, lying 14th equal with Fachoudette, with whom she went to last year’s European Championships as an individual and was 10th at Badminton this year. She scored particularly highly in her trotwork, while Emily Baldwin and Drivetime (25th equal) showed some brilliant work, but their test got off to a bad start when Drivetime went backwards in the first halt.
The show jumping is tonight, starting at 6pm German time (5pm in Britain), with the cross-country tomorrow morning.
Don’t forget to buy next week’s Horse & Hound (10 July) for a full report from Aachen and colour photographs.
RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE
INDIVIDUAL
1. Ringwood Cockatoo (Bettina Hoy, GER) 38
2. Joker D’Helby (Nicolas Touzaint, FRA) 38.9
3. Gazelle De La Brasserie CH (Karin Donckers, BEL) 39.6
4. FRH Butts Abraxxas (Ingrid Klimke, GER) 40.4
5. Lord De Ligniere (Aurelien Kahn, FRA) 42.8
6. Blom’s Oncarlos (Tim Lips, NED) 43.7
BRITISH POSITIONS
14=. Fachoudette (Georgie Davies, GB) 49.8
25=. Drivetime (Emily Baldwin, GB) 52.8
29. The Biz (Heidi Woodhead, GB) 55.2
33. Opposition Buzz (Nicola Wilson, GB) 57.6
35. Barry’s Best (Rosie Thomas, GB) 64.8
TEAM
1. Germany (B Hoy, I Klimke, F Ostholt, H Romeike) 124.5
2. France (N Touzaint, A Kahn, A Boiteau, L Guyon) 132.1
3. Sweden (M Gallerdal, L Algotsson, K Norling, V Carlerback) 143.3
4. Britain (G Davies, E Baldwin, H Woodhead, N Wilson) 157.8
5. Belgium (J van Springel, K Donckers, S van Hasselt) 159.2
6. Italy (S Bordone, F Magni, J Garcia, M Speranza Gardini) 167.6
