Britain has moved up to the team bronze position in the eventing dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games after an excellent test from third team member Tina Cook and Miners Frolic.
Tina scored 40.3 to take second place after her test, although a number of strong performances since then mean she now lies fifth halfway through the second day of dressage.
European champion Miners Frolic looked quite sharp and Tina rode tactfully for lots of 7s and 8s, as well as the odd 9. It was a shame that the marks dropped down to 6,6,6 for the final movement.
“I fluffed the last halt, which was frustrating,” she explained. “He lost his straightness and changed [leg] and wobbled off the centreline.
“I’m really pleased though. He’s grown up so much since Hong Kong [2008 Olympics], and this a very ‘Olympic atmosphere’. He goes in and spooks, which is annoying, but I just have to stay relaxed and not be bothered, and he normally gets over it.”
Tina revealed that Britain’s team tactics for tomorrow’s cross-country are currently for riders to take all the straight routes, although she knows that may change as the day goes on depending on how our first two riders, Nicola Wilson and William Fox-Pitt, get on.
Italian team member Stefano Brecciaroli has taken the lead individually on 10-year-old Belgian warmblood Apollo Van De Wendi Kurt Hoeve.
“He was quite excited by the stadium, but I tried to be relaxed and the further we got through the test the more confident he was to do the job,” said Stefano, a team silver medallist at last year’s European Championships riding Oroton.
Stefano’s score of 35.5 puts the Italian team sixth, just 0.1pen behind the USA.
Britain has moved ahead of Australia — second overnight but now fourth — while Germany still holds the lead. The Swedes, who are proving to be the dark horses of this championships, are now in the silver team position after their third team member Niklas Lindbäck (Mister Pooh) went into third this morning behind Stefano and overnight leader Simone Deitermann.
British individual Piggy French was the third rider in today and she is now in 16th after scoring 46 with Jakata.
“Every time we’ve gone into that stadium he’s been quite hot, so I thought he might be a bit on edge, and he was slightly — his trot was a bit shorter than normal and didn’t have quite the same swing to it,” she said. “But I’m thrilled, I couldn’t ask for more at the moment.”
All the teams have one more rider to go, with Britain’s last competitor being Mary King (Imperial Cavalier) at 2.22pm (7.22pm British time). The team placings so far are then calculated by taking the best three scores in each team, discarding the worst score.
TEAM RESULTS AT FRIDAY LUNCHTIME
1. Germany 123.8
2. Sweden 131.2
3. Great Britain 133.5
4. Australia 139.8
5. USA 141.3
6. Italy 141.4
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS AT FRIDAY LUNCHTIME
1. Stefano Brecciaroli (Apollo Van De Wendi Kurt Hoeve), ITA 35.5
2. Simone Deitermann (Free Easy NRW), GER 36
3. Niklas Lindbäck (Mister Pooh), SWE 39.5
4. Andreas Dibowski (Euroridings Butts Leon), GER 40
5. Tina Cook (Miners Frolic), GBR 40.3
6. Ingrid Klimke (FRH Butts Abraxxas), GER 41.3
Log back on for more updates on the eventing, full report in H&H out 7 October.
