Team PracThe British flag was raised over the Aachen stadium today, Aug. 14, as Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale won the FEI Dressage World Championships Grand Prix Special with an 82.29%. Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour earned silver with Mount St John Freestyle (80.92%), while Germany’s Katharina Hemmer—fresh off team gold just two days ago—rode Denoix PCH to bronze (80.86%).
This test also served as a qualifier for Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle. The top 18 will compete then, with each country sending forward a maximum of three riders each.
Fry was greeted with a standing ovation as she left the arena. With Glamourdale, she also earned this individual medal at the 2022 FEI Dressage World Championships in Herning, Denmark.
“I still can’t believe what just happened,” she said. “‘Glammie’ was amazing in there. He was just giving, giving and giving. Whenever I was thinking, ‘Stay safe,’ Glammie was saying, ‘No, let’s take a risk!’
“When everything comes together after such a long preparation, [it] is amazing,” she added. “I have no words for him; he’s incredible. He loves big arenas like this, with all the lights shining on him. He is 15 now, but he just keeps improving.”
Though their score reached over 80%, “Freestyle” and Laudrup-Dufour’s test had a few small mistakes, including an error in the one-time tempi changes and a loss of balance in the second pirouette, which contributed to keeping them out of the gold-medal position.
“I’m disappointed with my ride today. We started really well, and Freestyle is in amazing form,” said the Danish rider. “She’s fit, and she likes the arena. I hope I can do better in the Freestyle tomorrow and do as good as ‘Free’ does. I have to let today be today, and focus on tomorrow. I’m excited to ride our new freestyle and have one more chance to show what an amazing horse she is.”
Hemmer, who was last to go today, is competing in her first senior world championship.
“I never dreamed of winning an individual medal in Aachen,” she said. “We had mainly focused on the team competition and the Grand Prix. Achieving a personal best there was amazing. Everything after that would simply be the icing on the cake.
“I will never experience anything like this again: winning a world championship medal on home soil in Aachen with my best friend. Denoix is so special to me,” she added. “He stayed focused, even during our final halt when the crowd was already cheering.”
Hemmer has announced that she won’t compete in tomorrow’s Freestyle based on veterinary advice. Due to her withdrawal, Frederic Wandres and Larissa Pauluis have qualified for the final test.
‘An Amazing Journey’
Christian Simonson, competing in his first FEI World Championship and the only U.S. rider to qualify for this test, piloted Zen Elite Equestrian Center’s Fleau de Baian to 29th in the class with a 68.45%.
“‘Felix’ felt amazing in the ring today,” said Simonson, 23. “He felt so good and so with me each step. The passage work and the extension work, I was so happy with. I had a cheeky little mistake coming into the first [canter] half-passes, where I did some changes, but other than that, I’m so happy with him and the team. It’s been an amazing journey, and I feel very grateful to get to learn and grow as I’m continuing my career. That was an example of that today.”
See the order of go for tomorrow evening’s Grand Prix Freestyle, which begins at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern).