Team Denmark pulled out all the stops over two days of competition inside Stutteri Ask Stadium in front of a home crowd in Herning, Denmark. Their efforts resulted in an historic victory for the nation, as the Danish were crowned the 2022 FEI Dressage World Champions for the first time in the country’s history—and on home turf, no less. The team’s final score, the sum of the three highest scores, was 235.451.
Close behind to claim the silver medal was Team Great Britain with an overall score of 234.223, followed by Team Germany for the bronze, finishing on 230.791.
The Danish Get It Done
With the help of Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, Team Denmark moved up the ranks from their third place over night position to the top of the podium, capturing the 2022 FEI World Championships title.
Andersen and Marshall-Bell, a 10-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Josef, Nicola Louise and Tamara Ahorner, put in a solid test, resulting in a 76.584%. Despite the impressive marks, Andersen’s score ended up being the Dane’s lowest, therefore it was the dropped score. “I’m so proud to be on the team with these three girls. They are absolute fantastic riders, and they pulled out all stops,” Andersen said of the leading ladies.
“I went in today with a good feeling from [Nanna Merrald Rasmussen and Carina Cassøe Krüth] that had made a fantastic round yesterday,” he continued. “I had still a few hiccups here and there, but I [had a] safe round for the team, and I actually made a personal best. So that’s really cool.”
The score for Laudrup-Dufour and Vamos Amigos, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by herself and Sarah Pidgley, was just the opposite—their 81.864% was the highest overall score over two days of team competition. She will also be at the top of the leaderboard going into the Grand Prix Special, to which the top 30 individual scores from the Grand Prix advance.
“[Vamos Amigos] did really good in the test today,” remarked Laudrup-Dufour. “I’m really proud mostly because he really coped with the atmosphere. To be fair, he’s only done a few indoor shows, which for sure, matured him a lot. … Overall I’m just so proud that he could cope with the pressure, both from the audience, from the team and from me.”
Danish Chef d’Equipe Anne-Mette Binder said of her team, “The riders succeeded in following the plan that they had made from the beginning—doing the best they can with their horses, with their grooms, and all other parts of the team. [The riders] prepared for years for this. [They] prepared in a way that they always looked after each other, making sure that we can do this together. I’m really, really proud.”
As for putting on such a performance on home turf, Binder added, “We had hoped to make a good impression and make a good result here in Herning for the Danish audience, of course, also for everyone who has traveled here to enjoy the wonderful Championships in Herning.”
Great Britain Bounces Back
Team Great Britain battled it out until the end, just 1.228 percentage points behind Team Denmark. Charlotte Dujardin and Charlotte Fry’s scores propelled Great Britain into podium position from their overnight standing at 5th place.
Dujardin and Imhotep, a 9-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Carl Hester and Coral Ingham, racked up 77.407 points towards the team score. “I was absolutely over the moon with [Imhotep] today. He’s done three Grands Prix coming here. … So, for him to go into that atmosphere, into that arena, and perform the way he did … He gives me a smile from one ear to the other, and I just love every moment of riding him.”
Fry and Glamourdale, an 11-year-old KWPN stallion owned by Van Olst Horses, had the second-highest overall score of the weekend. Their canter movements received high marks from the judges as well as gasps of awe from the crowd. “When I came out, some people said to me, ‘Did that not distract you? The crowd getting really excited about it?’ I was like, ‘I had no idea,'” admitted Fry, “but the feeling he gave me was really exciting.”
Team Germany
With a final score of 230.791, 12-time FEI Dressage World Champions Team Germany earned the bronze medal. Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz, a 12-year-old DSP stallion owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Victoria Max-Theurer, were awarded a 77.127% for their efforts. “I’m really pleased with Quantaz because he’s already 12, but still green, especially in the big arenas,” Werth said of her mount. Used to taking home the gold medal for Germany, when asked how she felt about bronze, Werth replied, “We are really satisfied. I think all of us, we did a good job.”
Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH, a 15-year-old British Hanoverian gelding owned by Hof Kasselmann GmbH & Co. KG, were the final German duo to tackle the test, earning a 76.661%. “It was a very interesting experience today to start as the last rider for the German team. It was really an honor for me. I’m very proud that our German trainers and the Chefs d’Equipe allowed me to take this position,” said Wandres.
Team USA
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Akiko Yamazaki, reined in a 74.767% to keep the U.S. team in the top ten. After an unlucky day yesterday for teammate Ashley Holzer, Peters knew he and “Mopsie” had to give it their all. “I went in there putting the team placing aside,” commented Peters, so he could focus on doing his best.
His partner of four years and 2020 Tokyo Olympic mount, Peters said that Mopsie has come a long way. “Years ago, we didn’t really have a halt, we didn’t have a rein back, we didn’t have an extended walk or a collected walk,” he admitted. “Looking back four years, he’s made huge, huge steps forward.” Peters continued, “He’s a true team horse now, a true Grand Prix horse. Four years ago, that was very questionable.”
The last to go in team competition, Adrienne Lyle and Salvino, a 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Betsy Juliano LLC., earned a 74.394%. Though across the pond from home, Lyle garnered cheers of recognition as she entered Stutteri Ask Stadium. She and Salvino’s score held enough weight to boost Team USA up to 6th place from their overnight position at 8th. The team finished on a score of 220.0 percentage points, and qualified Team USA for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Riders Go Head to Head in Individual Competition
The 2022 FEI Dressage World Championship resumes tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EST with the Individual Grand Prix Special. U.S. ride times are:
14. Adrienne Lyle & Salvino – 10:00 a.m. EST
20. Steffen Peters & Suppenkasper – 11:40 a.m. EST
You can tune into the livestream of the 2022 FEI World Championship on FEI TV. Watch highlights, including winning rounds, on the FEI’s YouTube channel.
For the time schedule and results, click here.
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