The World Equestrian Games dressage freestyle will take place on 16 September 2018 and concludes the World Equestrian Games dressage competitions in Tryon, North Carolina.
The top 15 riders from the grand prix special, including any tied for 15th place, will contest the freestyle, or kür, where they will start with a clean sheet. A maximum of three riders from any one nation are allowed to compete in the kür, with the results of this deciding the second and final set of individual medals.
Riders perform certain set movements within a floorplan of their choosing, set to music of their choosing. The compulsory movements, each of which are marked out of 10, include half-pass in trot, passage and canter, extended trot and canter, a minimum of five two-time changes, a minimum of nine one-time changes and a minimum of 10 steps of piaffe. The canter pirouettes, piaffe and passage have a double coefficient applied, which means the score for these movements is counted twice.
If a rider performs a movement several times, a single mark is given each time, from which an average will be calculated for that movement. This means if a rider makes a mistake the first time they ride the movement, they can ride the moment again in order to increase these marks.
In addition to the technical marks, artistic marks are also given for the following: rhythm, energy and elasticity; harmony between horse and rider; choreography; degree of difficulty; music and interpretation of the music. All five marks receive a coefficient of four. The technical and artistic marks are combined to produce the final percentage score.
The current World Equestrian Games grand prix freestyle record is 92.16%, scored by Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro in 2014.
World Equestrian Games dressage freestyle medals 2014
Gold: Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) Valegro 92.16%
Silver: Helen Langehanenberg (GER) Damon Hill NRW 88.28%
Bronze: Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) Jerich Parzival 85.71%
World Equestrian Games dressage freestyle medals 2010
Gold: Edward Gal (NED) Moorlands Totilas 85.708%
Silver: Laura Bechtolsheimer (GBR) on Mistral Hojris 81.7%
Bronze: Steffen Peters (USA) Ravel 78.54%
World Equestrian Games dressage freestyle medals 2006
Gold: Anky van Grunsven (NED) Salinero 86.1%
Silver: Andreas Helgstrand (DEN) Blue Hors Matiné 81.5%
Bronze: Isabell Werth (GER) Satchmo 80.75%
Stay up to date with the latest news from the dressage competitions at the World Equestrian Games here on HorseandHound.co.uk, including our report from the freestyle competition
