Ros Canter, the anchor rider for the British team, produced a pleasing Olympic eventing dressage test at the Paris Games aboard the super-consistent Lordships Graffalo. They scored 23.4, which puts them in sixth individually at the end of the first day.
“Mark-wise I had no expectations – I kept in my own little bubble today, apart from watching my teammates and a couple of others this morning, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you how it related to everybody else’s marks,” explained Ros. “I very much tried to stay process-driven today and I’m over the moon with him.”
Ros’ score with this 12-year-old, owned by Michele and Archie Saul, is about par for the course for them as a combination. His last four international dressage scores have ranged between 21.3 and 25.9. The only obvious blip during their Olympic eventing dressage performance was when ‘Walter’ tripped behind into the mid-test halt.
“That trip meant we halted a bit late and that had an effect unfortunately on both the halt and the rein back, but these things happen with horses and he was spot on for the rest of it,” stated Ros.
“You know, we all forget that Walter’s actually only 12 years old. Yes, he’s won Badminton and the Europeans and everything else, but he is still a green horse. I still very much feel like we’re only scratching the surface, particularly in a test like that, which is significantly harder than a test we normally see. I’m absolutely delighted that he got all four changes and everything, because he’s still not fully matured yet.”
Ros said that it has been a case of plenty of practice to get this intense dressage test, which is unique to the Olympic Games, nailed.
“We’ve been practising for a while now trying to fine tune it and get it right. I’m very lucky I’ve got my old five-star horse Zenshera at home, who is 20 years old. He’s always in light work, but for the past month he’s been working harder to help me to practise this test and make sure I know it inside out, ready for Walter.”
Speaking of how Walter handles big atmospheres, such as the main arena at this Games, Ros said that he is quite simply “amazing”.
“He absolutely loves attention, so yes, he lifted but only ever so slightly – he just seems to kind of revel in it and he’s so self-confident and so self-assured that I think he was well up for being in there and was quite happy.”
Ros has been open in the past about her occasional struggle with nerves and self-confidence surrounding a big event.
“There’s been plenty of wobbles, but actually, the closer this event has become, the better I’ve felt,” explained the 38-year-old. “We are so grateful to the National Lottery for all the funding we get and the staff that we have around us in Chris Bartle and Richard Waygood – they know me inside out and what my wobbles actually mean.
“Ian [Woodhead, dressage trainer] was delighted that I snapped at him yesterday, because apparently that means that I’m getting towards being on my A game! But once I got on today, I felt very clear-minded.”
The British team go into the cross-country tomorrow (28 July) on a score of 66.7, which is a record-breaking low total for an Olympic team after the dressage phase.
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