Britain are in third place overnight after day one of the European Eventing Chamionships in Malmo after very solid dressage performances from Pippa Funnell and Lucy Wiegersma (above). The latter lies in fourth place individually with a score of 45.2pen.
Germany are in the lead, with Ingrid Klimke (below) the sole rider to have broken the 40% barrier with a super test on the Hannoverian mare FRH Escada JS. Dirk Schrade, who led the field for a long time having been first to go this morning, is currently third on 44.2pen.
Host nation Sweden, eager to land a team medal after finishing fourth at Greenwich last year, currently lies in second, spearheaded by an elegant test for 42pen from local rider Niklas Lindback and the much-admired Mr Pooh. They are second individually at this stage.
Ingrid was thrilled with Escada’s classy test. She hopes the mare will be her next Olympic horse, but took a while to find the key to keeping her calm at competitions. “Today I felt confident, and wanted to show she is a championship horse with wonderful paces.”
Pippa Funnell was relieved to have coaxed a smart test for a mark in the 40s from Mirage D’Elle, a horse whose natural forte is not dressage. Lucy Wiegersma may have got closer to Ingrid Klimke had Simon Porloe not fluffed three marks around the rein back to canter elements. “That was expensive,” she said ruefully. But the test was otherwise smart, and bravely ridden for optimum marks. Come cross-country day, Simon Porloe has the advantage of having competed here in Malmo twice before.
Ireland currently sits in fourth place, bolstered by a calm test after a deliberately short 10-minute warm up from Sarah Ennis on Sugar Brown Babe for 46.8pen
Britain’s remaining team riders Tina Cook and William Fox-Pitt go tomorrow, as does our sole individual Izzy Taylor.
Top five teams after first day’s dressage
- Germany (83.6pen)
- Sweden (88pen)
- Great Britain (92.8pen)
- Ireland (99.2pen)
- France (101.6pen)
Individual placings after day one
- Ingrid Klimke (GER), FRH Escada JS, 39.4pen
- Niklas Lindback (SWE), Mister Pooh, 42pen
- Dirk Schrade (GER), Hop and Skip, 44.2pen
- Lucy Wiegersma (GBR), Simon Porloe, 45.2pen
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Frida Andersen (SWE), Herta, 46pen
10. Pippa Funnell (GBR), Mirage D’Elle, 47.6pen
