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2005 European Dressage Championships
Grand Prix - Photo Tour
For the first time, it all worked. Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff
rides an errorless test and gets 10's for the extended
canter. Her super souple Sterntaler (by Sion) danced
in the ring. He was not always straight in the body
in the passage, but in general this horse looked
fantastic. They got a generous, winning score of
74.250%
Edward Gal and Lingh. Missing one week of training
prior to the Championships, Gal's Lingh did not look
fully up to the job. Gal had to motivate Lingh to
go forward constantly in the trot work, but overall
did show a beautiful piaffe-passage. A miss in the
single changes and an abrupt stop during the piaffe
at X pushed the combination's score down to a 72.917%
and second place in the Grand Prix.
Laurens van Lieren and Hexagon's Ollright (by Rubiquil
x El Corona). 70.833% was their score and it ranked
them third. Van Lieren was very happy with the test.
"I never had such nice contact with the bit," he
told Eurodressage. "He was strong and stable." Some
say Van Lieren's score was a bit low as the 23-year
old has been consistently getting 72% marks, but
in general the judges were more conservative with
their marks today in the Grand Prix (not flamboyant,
pumped up scores like at the World Cup) and overall,
the panel of five was very unanimous in their verdict.
Tinne Vilhelmson and Just Mickey. 70.280% and a fourth
place. Judge Cara Whitham said that Just Mickey was
one of her favourite horses of the day. "He's so
light and elegant," she said. With a top score for
Sweden, the country enlarges its chances to capture
bronze in the team championships.
Of course, Sweden will face tough competition from Great Britain. Fiona Bigwood
and Mr G de Lully were Britain's star rider of the day. Her Mr G de Lully,
a Swedishj warmblood by Gauguin de Lully, is without a doubt one of the most
talented horses at these Championships. Suppleness in every pace and just so
much power and bounce in the piaffe and passage, Mr G de Lully and Fiona are
a force to be reckoned with. The pair got 69.708% and finished in fifth place.
Fiona Bigwood being interviewed after her ride.
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