Tokyo, Japan – July 27, 2021 – The third day of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games dressage competition saw riders from the top eight qualified countries return to the stadium at Baji Koen [the equestrian park] in Setagaya City, Tokyo, for the final phase of the team competition, the Grand Prix Special. Each team came into Tuesday’s competition on a clean slate as points did not roll over and the German team took home the gold once again following the performances of World No. 1 Isabell Werth, World No. 2 Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, and World No. 4 Dorothee Schneider. The German riders earned the top two scores of the day, looking ahead favorably to Wednesday’s individual Grand Prix Freestyle. In a historic turn of events, the team representing the United States, Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters, and Sabine Schut-Kery, overtook Great Britain to claim their first Olympic silver medal since 1948.
Competing under a new format, teams consisted of only three athletes and their mounts, no longer relying on a drop score from a fourth teammate. All individual and team competitors were broken into six different groups or ‘heats’, organized following Friday’s health inspection and based on each athlete’s FEI World Ranking. The first half of the groups battled for top scores during Saturday’s Grand Prix, while the second half of the groups rode during Sunday night’s program in the hopes of earning their respective country a spot in the top eight in order to advance to the Grand Prix Special competition. The top two scores in each heat followed by the next highest six scores total will advance to the individual Grand Prix Freestyle Competition Wednesday, July 28. A total of 18 riders will qualify to compete for individual medals.
Severo Jurado Lopez and Fendi T (Negro X Sursela) were the first in the order of Group 1 representing Spain, starting out the class with a score of 70.152%. Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Zack (Rousseau x Orona), a 17-year-old KWPN gelding, kickstarted her team’s combined score with a solid performance earning her a 74.21%. Marlies van Baalen, competing for the Netherlands on Go Legend, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding, scored 71.201% in the first group, just before rider for the USA, Adrienne Lyle on Betsy Juliano’s Salvino (Sandro Hit x Dynasie), a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion, was awarded a score of 76.109%, giving her teammates to follow a strong start in hopes of keeping them in contention for the medals.
Great Britain’s Carl Hester was the first of his teammates to go down centerline, putting in a strong performance with the 12-year-old KWPN gelding, En Vogue (Jazz x Nicarla). The pair was rewarded by the panel of judges for their smooth transitions and frequently remarked cadence throughout the test, giving them a score of 78.344%. The highest score of Group 1 went to Germany’s Dorothee Schneider, FEI Dressage World Ranked No. 4, aboard the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Showtime FRH (Sandro Hit x Rosaria Alpina). Schneider and Showtime FRH dominated the first group of riders with their expressive test to secure a score of 80.213%, keeping Germany in the leading position going into the second group of riders.
Juliette Ramel was next of Sweden’s line up to perform the Special, riding Buriel K.H. (Osmium x Ronja K.H.), a 15-year-old KWPN gelding owned by La Pomme HB. The pair’s consistent and harmonious test earned them a 75.714%. Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud was next, with Dream Boy (Vivaldi x Resia), a 13-year-old KWPN stallion, putting forth an energetic test to earn a score of 76.353%, doing his best to help keep his country ahead of Sweden and Spain to give them the best chance at a podium placing.
The USA’s Steffen Peters and his longtime mount Suppenkasper, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Four Winds Farm, performed a careful and consistent test, scarcely putting a foot out of place. Peters and Suppenkasper’s high marks for their piaffe, passage, half-passes and pirouettes helped earn them a 77.776%. Denmark’s Carina Cassoe Kruth nearly matched Peters’ performance, scoring a 77.143% with Paul Thøgersen’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Heiline’s Danciera (Fuerstenball Old x Danceline Ts).
Keeping the scores trending high in the second group, Charlotte Fry and the 12-year-old KWPN stallion, Everdale (Lord Leatherdale x Aliska K) earned a score of 76.854% to add to Great Britain’s team standing with their consistent test. Rounding out the second group was current world number one rider in dressage and 5-time Olympic Team Gold medalist Isabell Werth (GER) with 17-year-old Westfalian mare, Bella Rose 2 (Belissimo x Cadra II). Although not the teams’ anchor rider on the final day of team competition, Werth’s performance was just as important to keep Germany at the top of the leaderboard. Proving her expert skill under pressure, Werth put down the highest scoring test of the group with an 83.298%, paving the way for her teammate Jessica von Bredow-Werndl to bring the gold medal home.
After two grueling rounds of competition, the third and final group of team riders took center stage to battle for the gold, silver and bronze medals. Each horse-and-rider combination came back in reverse order of the intermediate leaderboard established after groups one and two were completed, with the athlete and horse combination from the lead team going last in the standing. Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen and Dante Weltino OLD (Danone 4 X Rihanna), a 14-year-old Oldenburg stallion, completed the country’s competitors with another clean test that earned them a 75.98%, giving Sweden a final total of 7210. The Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Total US (Totilas x Sondra), a 9-year-old Hanoverian stallion, performed an expressive test to earn a score of 79.894%, rounding out the team and giving them a total of 7479.5 to sit just ahead of Sweden on the leaderboard.
Competition came down to the wire as Denmark’s star rider Catherine Dufour and Bohemian (Bordeaux 28 x Sunshine), an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, entered the arena with a medal finish for her country in mind. However, the gelding appeared tired and swapped leads out of a canter pirouette, leaving the rider to score slightly lower than their Grand Prix. The paid received a 77.72% to offer Denmark a team total of 7540.
With the USA’s anchor rider Sabine Schut-Kery and Sanceo (San Remo x Rivera) next in the ring, their predicted scores hinted at the American and Danish teams being in a tight race for the bronze medal. With the pressure on, the pair was pushed to perform their best, earning a score of 81.596% that would be more than enough to overtake Denmark on the podium for a guaranteed bronze with a total of 7747.
With just two riders left to go, the gold and silver team medals were still up for grabs. 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) took to the ring next on her young mount Gio (Apache x Zenzi), a 10-year-old KWPN gelding. Although the gelding has proven his quality and consistency many times over with Dujardin, even earning frequent scores of 8.5 and 9 in their half-passes and transitions in the Grand Prix Special, the pair was not able to maintain the consistency of Schut-Kery and Sanceo. Falling slightly behind in their scores and making a mistake in their tempi changes, they finished with a score of 79.544% to give Great Britain a total of 7723, allowing the United States to pull ahead with a silver medal podium finish in a surprising twist.
Wrapping up the competition was Germany’s world number two von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera, a 14-year-old Trakhener mare. Leaving nothing up to chance, the combination posted the highest score of the day with an 84.66%, earning multiple scores of 10 in their transitions with a strong piaffe and passage tour to help Germany clinch the team gold medal once again with a score of 8178. Rounding out the top three, Great Britain took home the team bronze medal.
Eighteen athletes who earned qualifying spots will return to compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Wednesday, July 28, to vie for individual medals.
Judges:
C – Jury President – Francis Verbeek (NED)
K – Jury Member – Susan Hoevenaars (AUS)
E – Jury Member – Katrina Wuest (GER)
H – Jury Member – Janet Foy (USA)
M – Jury Member – Andrew Gardner (GBR)
B – Jury Member – Hans-christian Matthiesen (DEN)
F – Jury Member – Magnus Ringmark (SWE)
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Isabell Werth – Germany
On winning gold medal:
“It is never boring to win a medal, especially a gold medal. We are really happy with how everyone performed. We are especially really excited to have kept up the expectations of the German team.”
On the competition at Olympic Games:
“One horse can make the difference. One suggestion can make a difference, especially when there are only three on the team and you don’t have a drop-off rider. We knew if we could bring our performance into the ring like we knew we could do, it would be really hard to beat us. You never know what will happen. There could be a sick horse after such a long trip, anything is possible. I try to keep both feet on the ground before it is completely finished because you just never know.”
On the new Olympic dressage format:
“To be honest, I have not formed an opinion yet about the new format because what I think is that it is not fair for all riders to start on the first or second day. It was a little confusing when they started. I believe it was a bit amateur for these riders so I really need to think about it and discuss it with the riders and how they feel to get a really clear opinion.”
On her performance:
“I’m so happy and so proud about Bella. She was fantastic. I felt [this performance] was more than 83 percent. She was so great – this was one of our best tests. It is like it is and I don’t know why. We can only do the best we can do, and show the best we can, and I’m really happy with Bella.”
On her opinion of the judges’ scores:
“I’m so happy about [Bella] and I’ve been long enough in the sport to deal with it, and to cope with it. I think she deserves more, but it is like it is.”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl – Germany
On her test:
“She [TSF Dalera] felt super in the warm-up. She was very energetic and motivated. She tried her heart out for me and it didn’t feel difficult because for her it seems to be easy. She gives me the feeling that anything is possible and I am very, very grateful for that beautiful mare.”
On riding for the gold medal:
“I was very lucky that I had these two ladies [Isabell Werth and Dorothee Schneider] riding before I rode. They had such a high percentage already that the pressure was less for me. Thank you again to my team for making it a little bit easier on me today. It is the best team I could wish for to be at the Olympics with.”
Steffen Peters – United States
On Suppenkasper’s Grand Prix Special:
“He felt great. I pushed him a little bit more because there is so much at stake today. I risked it in the extensions more, rode the passage even shorter and higher. The canter extension went even more than the day before. The pirouettes, a little bit tighter, at least in my mind, and he just did exactly what I asked him to do and on top of that with that really high energy. We had a really good walk tour, I think even better than in the Grand Prix, and I appreciate that the judges thought this test was better than the Grand Prix.”
On preparing for his performance:
“I was seriously in the zone. I just said, ‘please Mopsie, let’s do exactly like before’. We had a really good score this morning, and we did that tonight. He really did that for me when it really counted, and it’s an incredible feeling when your animal fights with you in the arena.”
On performing for the team:
“I’ve said it so many times, but to me the Individual medal is one percent and the Team medal is 99 percent. It means so much that I can put in a good performance for my team, especially when you have people like Sabine [Schut-Kery] and Adrienne [Lyle] who are family. They fight so hard and there were some obstacles in the way for all of us and we showed up tonight — we really showed up.”
On the emotions of the night:
“This is exactly what I wanted for my team. It’s one thing to ride individually, but when you get a good score for your team, it’s…I mean I came out there and gave Mopsie [Suppenkasper] a big hug and just thanked him from the bottom of my heart. For my age to still get so emotional about it shows how badly I want this.”
On winning the Team Silver medal:
“Sometimes the reality becomes better than your dreams, because we were aiming for the bronze medal and almost can’t believe we got the silver medal, I still need to look at this thing a few times! All three horses didn’t make a single mistake. All three horses, especially Sanceo, had a fantastic test. We all knew one mistake would put us in the bronze medal or not even in a medal position. For me to experience this after five Olympic Games and witnessing the last three minutes and sobbing in tears watching Sabines’ test with Adrienne [Lyle] was an incredible moment. The fact I can still get so emotional about this at 57 years-old shows how much I still really enjoy and want this.”
On Suppenkasper:
“Helen Langehanenberg rode him before me. I’ve had him now for four years and in the negotiations I promised her that I would spoil him every single day and I haven’t broken that promise yet. When I put my hands on his head by his eyes he actually goes to sleep for a few minutes. We both meditate together. He’s the kind of horse that would prefer to have me sleep in the stall. He knows my name, I’ve never heard a horse that nickers so loud when I go in the barn in the morning and at night. I just absolutely love him. He’s a big teddy bear and what a fortunate guy I am to get to ride a horse like that.”
Adrienne Lyle – United States
On her Grand Prix Special test score:
“I was really hoping we could pull that score off with the team today. We were a little conservative in the grand prix – it wasn’t our greatest display – and so I really wanted to come out here and push a little more and despite the humidity [Salvino] was really good. He delivered, no mistakes. That’s what you want for the team.”
On Salvino’s performance:
“I was just thrilled with him today. We had a clean test for the team and that was what we really, really wanted. It’s hot and humid and he battled through the whole time for me. It’s not our highest result, but I am super happy for having flown halfway around the world and he was able to put in that solid test for our teammates. I think just the fact that he was still able to maintain power towards the end and the Olympics is a long test. They have had a lot of traveling and preparations, so the fact that he’s finishing as strong as he started, that made me happy.”
On what Salvino means to her:
“I’ve been riding him for six years. He’s a stallion but he’s one of the sweetest, most gentle souls I’ve ever come across. He’s a horse that if you take the time to explain exactly what you want from him he always delivers it for you. He’s such a fighter in the ring and such a sweetheart in his stall – it’s a really wonderful combination. I know I can count on him and trust him when it matters the most. There aren’t many horses that you get to sit on in your life that are like that. I can’t start talking about him without getting all emotional and start crying. He’s just the most amazing horse, you know. We’ve been through World Equestrian Games, World Cup, and we’ve been all around the world together. He just always digs deep when he has to, and he’s just incredible. What more can you ask? It’s what you hope for and you dream of, but he always delivers when it counts and he’s just amazing that way.”
On being a part of the U.S. Team:
“I think our U.S. Teams are really amazing in that we all are rooting for each other and we all have each other’s backs. The camaraderie is really strong and it’s totally different when you are at something like this. You are no longer riding for yourself, you are riding for the team, and that factors into every decision you make – the team comes first.”
On winning the Team Silver medal:
“This was just an incredible experience – my teammates are wonderful. The camaraderie on our team has just been fantastic. London was a wonderful experience too, but this has been a much more foreign experience coming to Japan and it’s been a really wonderful experience. The competition is just incredible, getting to be the first rider today I got a score I hoped my teammates could build off of and then watching them one-by-one tick up the points as they went was incredibly nerve wracking and I am so proud of them. It was just awesome.”
Sabine Schut-Kery – United States
On winning the Team Silver medal:
“It was my first time at the Olympics and it was quite intense to wait that long until the end. I’m so proud of my horse, my team, my owners and the coaches. It’s been a really, really great experience. I’m still a little bit speechless. I am filled with joy and pride, but it’s such a team effort. To deliver for the whole team, not just the riders but for my coaches and owners, that’s everything. It was a big relief and happiness.”
On the team experience in Tokyo:
“I don’t even know what to say. I am just happy and I also have to echo a lot of what has been said. You think back even coming here was such a long trip. Being able to see everybody riding is so inspiring and the whole team experience. Then my own horse goes amazing. I don’t know what to say other than I’m happy and thrilled and I just want to go to my horse and give him carrots.”
On Sanceo:
“I’ve been riding Sanceo since he was 3, and he’s quite sensitive but also has a lot of personality. He’s really sweet, a little bit cheeky, but really just wonderful to work with and lots of fun.”
Charlotte Dujardin – Great Britain:
On her performance with Gio:
“I was absolutely fine to be honest. I just went in there to do the best I could and I was thrilled with Pumpkin because that was the second time he’s gone through that Grand Prix Special. We’ve had so few shows to go to this year and he is only 10 years-old. He doesn’t have a lot of experience at all. The last few days he’s literally tried his heart out and I can’t really ask much more than that. This may look like bronze, but for me and my horse it feels like a gold medal. That’s what it’s all about and raising the bar. He’s going to get better and better as time goes on and I’m thrilled with him.”
Carl Hester – Great Britain:
On his performance with En Vogue:
“The feeling before we came here was that it was going to be a very difficult and different Olympics. We worried it wasn’t going to be fun and we would just be locked away but it’s been an amazing experience for all of us to be together as a team. I didn’t know exercise was so much fun. I’ve been exercising and getting fit with all the kids — it’s an unusual experience for me. Charlotte and I have brought our horses up at home from a young age. We are very excited about them. The problem has been being able to get them into an atmosphere that replicates an Olympic Games. We’ve managed to the best we can, we had a small show at Windsor and that was probably the biggest feeling the horses would have had to experience what the Olympics is like.”
On En Vogue:
“I really feel like he came here like a little boy and today he went in there like a man. He got going and got on with it and gave me an amazing ride. We’ll see how he travels home and what’s next. As you know European [Championships] are in 6 weeks so we’ll see how they come back and we will go from there.”
Charlotte Fry – Great Britain
On her Olympic experience with Everdale:
“I really had no idea what to expect coming here and it still feels quite surreal to be here. I don’t think it’s really sunk in properly yet – especially with a medal it’s not going to sink in for a while. When I went in there with Everdale, the main thing is that we have such an amazing partnership. We trust and we know each other so well. He’s a really hot horse so we need to be able to trust each other in there and he gave me everything. We had a small mistake which was a shame, but after the mistake he really upped his game. We did our best. It’s pretty amazing to be on a team with both Carl [Hester] and Charlotte [Dujardin] at the same time – they are amazing. To be able to watch them is so inspiring and I’ve learned so much here. It’s just been an incredible experience.”
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Germany: 8178.0
Rider / Horse / Score
Jessica Bredow-Werndle / TSF Dalera / 2785.5
Isabell Werth / Bella Rose 2 / 2740.5
Dorothee Schneider / Showtime FRH / 2652
United States: 7747.0
Rider / Horse / Score
Sabine Schut-Kery / Sanceo / 2684.5
Steffen Peters / Suppenkasper / 2558.5
Andrienne Lyle / Salvino / USA / 2504
Great Britian: 7723.0
Rider / Horse / Score
Charlotte Dujardin / Gio / 2617.0
Carl Hester / En Vogue / 2577.5
Charlotte Fry / Everdale / 2528.5
Denmark: 7540.0
Rider / Horse / Score
Cathrine Dufour / Bohemian / 2557.0
Carina Cassoe Kruth / Heiline’s Danciera / 2537.0
Nanna Skodborg Merrald / Zack / 2441.5
Netherlands: 7479.5
Rider / Horse / Score
Edward Gal / Total Us / 2628.5
Hans Peter Minderhoud / Dream Boy / 2505.5
Marlies Van Baalen / Go Legend / 2342.5
Sweden: 7210.0
Rider / Horse / Score
Therese Nilshagen / Dante Weltino Old / 2500
Juliette Ramel / Buriel K.H. / 2491.0
Antonia Ramel / Brother De Jeu / 2219
Spain: 7198.5
Rider / Horse / Score
Beatriz Salat-Ferrer / Elegance / 2464.0
Jose Antonio Garcia Mena / Divina Royal / 2426.5
Severo Jurado Lopez / Fendi T / 2308
Portugal: 6965.5
Rider / Horse / Score
Rodrigo Torres / Fogoso / 2458.5
Maria Caetano / Fenix De Tineo / 2260
Joao Miguel Torrao / Equador / 2247.0
OVERALL GRAND PRIX SPECIAL RESULTS
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / Score
1. Bella Rose 2 / Isabell Werth / GER / Madeleine Winter-Schulze / 83.298% / 2740.5 | 5392.5
2. TSF Dalera / Jessica Bredow-Werndle / GER / Beatrice A. Buerchler-Keller, Max von Bredow / 84.666% / 2785.5 | 8178
3. Sanceo / Sabine Schut-Kery / USA / Alice Womble / 81.596% / 2684.5 | 7747.0
4. Showtime FRH / Dorothee Schneider / GER / Gabriele Kippert, Jobst Krumhoff and Eva-Maria Mann / 80.213% | 2652
5. Total Us / Edward Gal / NED / Glock HPC NL B.V. / 79.894% / 2628.5 | 7479.5
6. Gio / Charlotte Dujardin / GBR / Charlotte Dujardin and Renai Hart / 79.544% / 2617.0 | 7723.0
7. En Vogue / Carl Hester / GBR / Charlotte Dujardin, Lady Anne Evans, Sandra Biddlecombe, Carl Hester / 78.344% | 2577.5
7. Bohemian / Cathrine Dufour / DEN / Abildgaard Equestrian APS / 77.72% / 2557.0 | 7540.0
8. Suppenkasper / Steffen Peters / USA / Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki / 77.766% / 2558.5 | 5062.5
9. Heiline’s Danciera / Carina Cassoe Kruth / DEN / Paul Thøgersen / 77.143% / 2537.0 | 4978.5
10. Everdale / Charlotte Fry / GBR / Charlotte Fry, Van Olst Horses / 76.854% / 2528.5 | 5106.0
11. Dream Boy / Hans Peter Minderhoud / NED / 76.353% / 2505.5 | 4851.0
12. Salvino / Andrienne Lyle / USA / Betsy Juliano / 76.109% | 2504
13. Dante Weltino Old / Therese Nilshagen / SWE / Dressurpferde Leistungsz, T. Nilshagen / 75.98% / 2500 | 7210.0
14. Buriel K.H. / Juliette Ramel / SWE / La Pomme HB / 75.714% / 2491.0 | 4710.0
15. Elegance / Beatriz Salat-Ferrer / ESP / Deliber S.L. / 74.894% / 2464.0 | 7198.5
16. Fogoso / Rodrigo Torres / POR / Rodrigo Torres / 74.726% / 2458.5 | 6965.5
17. Zack / Nanna Skodborg Merrald / DEN / Blue Hors ApS / 74.210% | 2441.5
18. Divina Royal / Jose Antonio Garcia Mena / ESP / Jose Ignacio Bravo / 73.754% / 2426.5 | 4734.5
19. Go Legend / Marlies Van Baalen / NED / Jan De Vries and Dressuurstal van Baalen B.V. / 71.201% | 2342.5
20. Fendi T / Severo Jurado Lopez / ESP / Severo Jurado Lopez, Van Olst Horses / 70.125% | 2308
21. Fenix De Tineo / Maria Caetano / POR / Yeguada Finca Tine, LDA, Juan Manuel Cordeiro, Maria Caetano and Juan Cordeiro / 68.693% | 2260
22. Equador / Joao Miguel Torrao / POR / Equador MVL, LDA / 68.298% / 2247.0 | 4507.0
23. Brother De Jeu / Antonia Ramel / SWE / La Pomme HB / 67.447% | 2219
For over 30 years Taylor, Harris Insurance Services has been serving equestrians across the United States. All our agents are dedicated horse people and we take pride in finding the right solution for every horse. To learn more visit THISHorseInsurance.com and join us on Instagram and Facebook.